Sports Drinks: Sports Performance Enhancers or Waste of Money?
According to Mindbranch, a marketing research firm, sports drink sales have increased form 2000 to 2005 to more than 6.1 billion dollars in sales per year, the highest growth rate of any sector in the food and beverage industry during that time period. People are purchasing more of these products, but the question remains: Are they necessary? To adequately answer this question, one must determine their personal fitness goals.
Weight Loss Goal
If weight loss is the goal, the only way to achieve that goal is to consider the cold calculus of calories consumed compared to calories burned. Sports drinks, as a liquid source of additional calories, are not a good choice for those exercising for weight loss. Some large sports drinks contain over 300 calories and can easily offset any gains made during a workout session, resulting in an environment encouraging weight gain, instead of the desired weight loss.