Are Sports Drinks More Helpful or Harmful?

Sports drinks are incredibly popular among athletes and non-athletes alike. But are they doing anyone any good? Many medical experts now believe that these salty, sugary, neon-colored drinks have little to offer.

"Sports drinks are oversold and over-hyped," Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, told the Los Angeles Times. "If I were Coke or Pepsi, I would sell off these brands. People are starting to figure out sports drinks, and criticism against them is only going to grow."

The argument for sports drinks is that such products replace the fluids, electrolyte minerals (mostly sodium), and carbohydrate fuel lost during intense exercise. Apparently though, most individuals don’t actually need anything when they exercise as long as they start out hydrated and nourished. And if they do need to rehydrate, plain water is generally sufficient.

Interestingly, there isn’t much evidence out there that sports drinks actually improve athletic performance. And then there’s the fact that marketing for drinks like Gatorade and Powerade “has helped feed a dangerous obsession with hydration,” according to Dr. Arthur Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Apparently, water intoxication—caused by drinking too much water or sports drink before, during, or after physical activity—is actually more dangerous than dehydration.

What do you think SodaHeads? Are sports drinks more helpful or harmful?