If you regularly take part in sport, whether it’s marathon running or a game of tennis at the weekend, you have probably wondered whether you should be using isotonic drinks. But what are they exactly and should you be using them to improve your performance?
It is easy to believe from the fantastic performance enhancing claims that we should all be consuming these drinks in order to achieve the fitness, physique and success of elite athletes. But in reality it is important to know a bit about how isotonic drinks work and what they can do for your body before you rush out and stock up your cupboard. So, here comes the science.
Isotonic drinks contain fluids to help you rehydrate, but they also provide you with carbohydrate, electrolytes and other minerals which help your body replenish the stores which are used up during exercise.
This all sounds great, so why shouldn’t we all be drinking them every time we exercise? Well, when you are on the go you will have a good store of carbohydrate in your body which will keep you going for at least 30 to 40 minutes. For most people that is more than enough time to complete a run or swim or whatever their chosen activity is. In this case it is preferable to make sure you drink plenty of water to keep hydrated and then make sure you eat well after exercising to replenish your energy stores, particularly carbohydrates.
However, if you are exercising for 45 minutes or longer then you will start to deplete your carbohydrate stores as well as fluid levels and this is where isotonic drinks come into their own. They are specially formulated to contain carbohydrates at the same concentration as you would find in your own body, which is roughly 7%. This means that if you consume an isotonic drink while you’re on the go you will find it much easier to absorb the fluids as well as the essential energy-giving carbohydrate.
This is especially beneficial for people training for and participating in long distance or endurance events as it should help prevent you from hitting ‘the wall’ which is when carbohydrate and energy supplies to the muscles start to dry up. In addition, the electrolytes in the drinks will also help the body regain fluid balance and will help prevent cramping and subsequent loss of muscle function and strength. Be aware though, that drinks containing artificial additives can create additional work for the body to digest and excrete.
It is recommended that anyone exercising for longer periods should get used to taking on fluids and carbohydrates while they’re on the go and for this reason, isotonic drinks are an extremely useful aid to training and performance. Taking on approximately one drink per hour for extended periods of exercise is a good rough guide, but it is very much down to personal preference and therefore it is a good idea to build this into your training to ensure you find out what works for you.
This leads us onto the final question: which isotonic drink should you take out with you on your training sessions? The four leading brands of isotonic drinks have been assessed for packaging, taste and nutritional content to help you to decide which one is best for you.
Taut
Taut drinks are all flavoured with an interesting range of natural fruits and come in flavours such as orange & mandarin and goji & pomegranate. The taste is subtle and refreshing without being too sweet.
Taut is the first ‘clean’ sports drink on the market which means that it doesn’t contain any artificial colours, preservatives or additives. In addition it also contains extra zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6, which are used up during intense exercise. There is no sodium in the regular Taut isotonic drinks, however they do have an endurance product, which contains sodium and potassium in the optimum concentration to allow endurance athletes to absorb fluids more easily.
Taut has recently re-branded it’s isotonic drinks to bring them more in line with their competitors. Previously they were packaged in foil sacks, making them extremely easy to carry on the go and drink from. They are now in bottles similar to all the major brands so are less distinctive.
RRP: £1.09
Gatorade
Gatorade contains all the necessary carbohydrates, electrolytes and fluid to refuel the body, but there are no added nutrients such as b vitamins which are used up during exercise.
The drinks contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners and come in just two flavours, lemon and orange, both of which are flat so easy to drink on the go. The taste is quite sweet, so will suit those who like a sugary flavour.
It comes in an easy to hold plastic bottle, with a pull-top cap allowing you to drink from it like a sports bottle. It is quite fiddly to get into, but once you do you can squeeze the drink straight into your mouth which is good when you’re on the move.
RRP: £1.09
Lucozade
All Lucozade drinks contain electrolytes and added b-vitamins to aid energy and recovery, however they also contain artificial sweeteners and colours.
There is a wide variety of different flavours, including lemon, raspberry and tropical fruits, so plenty of options if you get bored of the same taste. The drinks are very sweet and will appeal to those who like a stronger flavour
As well as the usual Lucozade sport drinks there is also a lemon flavoured one with added caffeine. While caffeine has been shown in some studies to aid performance in endurance events it needs to be taken in a very specific manner so it is questionable whether this would be of benefit to a serious athlete.
Lucozade comes in a plastic bottle with a very easy to remove cap. Rather than having a neck which needs to be pulled up, there is a non-drip nozzle which makes it extremely easy to drink from while exercising. The bottle itself is wider than others, so it is harder to carry if you need to take it with you.
RRP: £0.88
Powerade
Powerade comes in two flavours, the orange one is fresh and not too sweet, but the tropical berry one is much stronger and sweeter as well as being a slightly fluorescent blue colour.
While the Powerade products all contain added nutrients in the form of b vitamins, they also contain artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners. The drinks are flat however, which is preferential when drinking them on the go.
They come in plastic bottles which mould quite well to the shape of your hand and have nice, clean branding. To drink the contents you need to pull the top of the bottle up which is good for stopping spillage, but can be tricky when you’re running so takes a bit of getting used to.
RRP: £1.25
Claire Dunt, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
Claire Dunt founded Food Mentor in 2006 after gaining her Nutritional Therapist’s Diploma from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, and an FdSc in Nutritional Science from the University of Bedfordshire. Claire also holds a BA Hons degree in Sport Science from the University of Durham and is a member of the British Association of Nutritional Therapists.
Claire’s passion for Nutritional Therapy and Sports Nutrition can be directly traced to personal experience: She has played lacrosse for British Universities, England U21s and Senior England B. She has also directly benefited from Nutritional Therapy which has helped her end a life-long battle with eczema.
www.foodmentor.com
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