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Sports Drinks

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Whether you are simply running around or playing in an official sports game, it is important to replenish your body with plenty of fluids.

Drinking an adequate amount of water helps to prevent you from becoming dehydrated. While water is a great way to quench your thirst, sports drinks can also be good for you.

Sports drinks have added salt and carbs. When you exercise vigorously and sweat, your body may lose a lot of salt. If you lose too much salt from sweating, you may get muscle cramps. If you burn too many carbs, you may run out of energy. Drinking sports drinks like Gatorade helps to replace both salt and carbs.

However, too much sugar and salt can be bad for your body, and sticking with good old-fashioned water is good enough for most physical activities.

sports drink

Reviewed by the Web Content Committee of PAMF

Sources:

Facts About Sports Nutrition (pdf) President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Eating for Sports Kidshealth.org.
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