Gatorade is Old News

We all know the drink. The thirst quenching sports drink that has been around since most of us have been alive. Gatorade has been helping athletes for decades and is still a big seller in the stores. What if I told you that it is not that good for you? What if I said it can actually make you gain weight? These questions are topics I will be talking about in this post on Trendy Tuesdays. The trend that sports drinks after working out is a way to refresh yourself, is not entirely true.

Let's start with the pros of Gatorade that we all know and have been taught.

• Electrolytes - This is probably the #1 reason people support and drink Gatorade. Electrolytes are very important to you especially if you have been sweating for an hour or so. They can give an athlete energy when he feels like he has none left. Good example is a basketball game. It's 4th quarter and your team is down by 10. You are the star shooter, but are dead tired from a hard game. Drinking some Gatorade in this instance will give the player more energy right away to finish the game than water or any other beverage would.
• Taste - Gatorade has a ton of flavors to please anybody's palette. My favorite is the classic Lemon-Lime.

Ok so maybe there aren't too many pros to Gatorade besides helping athletes finish games strong. Let's take a look at why it's bad for you.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup - This alone is reason enough to know that sports drinks are bad for you. Inexpensive way to sweeten and preserve a drink. This just screams bad for you.
• Citric Acid - This is used to flavor the drinks and makes it taste pretty good and leaves your mouth feeling pretty refreshed. It also can wear at your teeth enamel and can cause tooth decay after a lot of exposure to it.
• Less Water Intake - If you find yourself drinking Gatorade every time you get thirsty, this can cause a serious problem. Your body needs pure water to live and stay healthy, and if all you are giving it is water with sugar and other chemicals, it can take a toll on your body.
• Weight Gain - A lot of people look at Gatorade like they do Coke or any other soda. High amount of sugar and empty calories is a recipe for weight gain.

So there you have some pros and cons for Gatorade or any other sports drink. I am not saying that it is horrible and needs to be banned. It works great for athletes and people who do a lot of physical work for extended periods of time. But for the rest of us who may only do an hour of physical work all day, it is the same as a soft drink.

Well Chris, what can I drink after I go to the gym if Gatorade isn't that good for you? I personally go for some chocolate milk (ones without High Fructose Corn Syrup) or protein shake. These give you the protein your body needs after a work out and gives you some good carbs to boost your energy back up the rest of the day. In conclusion, stay away from sports drink and drink more water or a shake if you are trying to repair after a workout.