Expert breaks down questions about hydration, electrolytes and when sports drinks are needed
Crush your athletic goals. Overcome any challenges. These are in your reach - as long as you stay properly hydrated.
Across the beverage industry, marketing themes such as these have been linked to sports drinks and similar products. But what does the human body actually need to properly hydrate?
"Like other nutritional products, there's not a lot of supervision on exactly what you're getting with sports drinks," said Dan Bessesen, MD, professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "I worry that if there's heavy marketing, it means they're selling something that is cheap for them, and they're getting a premium from us because we're paying for the marketing concept, not for what it actually does for us."
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Bessesen stresses that most people don't need to focus on getting their nutrients from liquids. "Most of these beverages do not have as much electrolytes, proteins or vitamins as foods do," he says.
Below, Bessesen answers questions around how much liquid the human body needs, when sports drinks are preferable to regular water, as well as their shortcomings.
