For athletes and sportsmen and women of many disciplines, getting the right amount of fluids, electrolytes, sodium and carbohydrates is essential. Thats why sports drinks have become such an important part of a sports persons kit water is no longer considered enough to replace what the body loses in prolonged, intense physical exercise.
These specialist sports drinks or energy drinks as they are also known – have been developed by scientists specifically for sportsmen and women to quickly replenish the bodys levels of electrolytes and carbohydrates. However, many have now become popular with the general public and are on sale to the consumer in shops and supermarkets across the world.
Heres a quick rundown of five of the most popular sports drinks now being consumed by everyone.
Lucozade
Gets to your thirst, fast! as former England international footballer John Barnes used to tell us on the advert. Lucozade began life as an orange coloured fizzy drink that quickly restored hydration and glucose to the body. Since it hit the general market it has evolved into a much wider range of sports and nutrition products, including Lucozade Sport and Lucozade Energy, all offering different kinds of benefits to the sports person and consumer.
Red Bull
Red Bull gives you wings. Well, no it doesnt, but it is packed with amino acid, carbohydrate, B vitamins, glucose and caffeine. Drinking Red Bull is guaranteed to at the very least wake you up and get you going. It therefore falls into the energy drink category rather than the sports drink category. Red Bull was amongst the first of these type of drinks but there are now many more available.
Gatorade
One of the most popular sports drinks in America and now making appearances in other counties under license, Gatorade is perhaps best known for being dumped over winning coaches in American football and basketball in the US. Although it is available in more countries now, the authentic drink in all its many flavours is generally only available in the States or from specialist online stockists.
Monster Energy
Very similar to Red Bull, Monster Energy drink is targeted at the extreme sports market, rock bands and people who enjoy the extreme lifestyle. In essence though, it is simply a more aggressive alternative to Red Bull! It mixes all natural fruit juice with similar ingredients plus ginseng. Monster!
Powerade
Powerade is very much like Lucozade and Gatorade in that the isotonic drink is specifically designed to help athletes and sports people stay hydrated and retain sodium and electrolyte levels. It is available in a selection of flavours including Berry and tropical Fruits, Cherry and Orange. Powerade Zero, the latest in the range, contains no calories.
All of these drinks are available in most big stores and, in the case of Gatorade, from online retailers of American food and drinks. Why not check them out, especially if youre an active person yourself!