Hello all, Here is some of my research and thoughts on energy drinks. I hope you all are doing well and I can wait to see everyone at one of the Live In Fit workouts. Take care never stop reaching for your goals!!
While it is true that sports drinks – like Gatorade, Vitamin Water, Propel, etc. – have been shown to rehydrate the body better than water in certain situations because of their electrolyte content, they can easily undermine a fitness program when used incorrectly. For those training for endurance events like marathons or high-impact team sports, sports drinks can aid in recovery from intense training. But for the average exerciser – who works out for sessions of 90 minutes or less – sports drinks merely replace the calories burned during exercise, therefore undermining a weight-loss program. So stick to water, drinking plenty in the hours before you exercise and immediately following, and you’ll have all the nourishment you need.
Highly caffeinated energy drinks - such as Red Bull, Go-Fast! and Monster - market themselves as sources of increased energy and concentration. Their websites feature high-flying motorcyclists and upside-down skateboarders as dynamic embodiments of all that concentrated energy.
But are these drinks good for you? Maher Karam-Hage, M.D., an addiction specialist at the University of Michigan Health System, raises some concerns about the beverages, particularly when they are mixed with alcohol, ingested before intensive exercise or used by children.
"In the United States, these energy drinks have not had any warnings. In Europe, it's been more cautionary," says Karam-Hage, medical director of the Chelsea-Arbor Treatment Center, a joint program of the U-M Health System and Chelsea Community Hospital. He notes that France has banned some of the drinks and other countries have placed restrictions on them. "In this country, our advertisements for these drinks and the marketing are ahead of the science."
The energy drinks typically contain sugar, caffeine (often 80 mg per can, about the same as a cup of coffee), and taurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid. Some countries have raised concerns about the amount of caffeine in the drinks and the uncertain health effects of taurine. Energy drinks are different from sports drinks, which tend not to have caffeine or taurine and are lower in carbohydrates.
But are these drinks good for you? Maher Karam-Hage, M.D., an addiction specialist at the University of Michigan Health System, raises some concerns about the beverages, particularly when they are mixed with alcohol, ingested before intensive exercise or used by children.
"In the United States, these energy drinks have not had any warnings. In Europe, it's been more cautionary," says Karam-Hage, medical director of the Chelsea-Arbor Treatment Center, a joint program of the U-M Health System and Chelsea Community Hospital. He notes that France has banned some of the drinks and other countries have placed restrictions on them. "In this country, our advertisements for these drinks and the marketing are ahead of the science."
The energy drinks typically contain sugar, caffeine (often 80 mg per can, about the same as a cup of coffee), and taurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid. Some countries have raised concerns about the amount of caffeine in the drinks and the uncertain health effects of taurine. Energy drinks are different from sports drinks, which tend not to have caffeine or taurine and are lower in carbohydrates.
Until next time
Remember to Live In Fit,
Alycia
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