i hear many people say that sports drinks are pretty bad for you, can someone tell me why? i know that too much of them can dehydrate you but if that is true then why drink them?

I've never heard of a sports drink dehydrating anyone, but the energy drinks can because they contain caffeine.

I have always been a fan of good ole Gatorade, because I drop potassium really fast. The new G2 variety cuts down on the sugar, although it is an artifical sweetener. I keep a bottle of it in the workout bag along with a bottle of water. But now I am in the habit of taking a potassium tablet every day during the summer to avoid having to drink too much of it.

Kathryn

Its not sports drinks that dehydrate you, its energy drinks that contain taurine and caffeine that can have a diuretic effect.
Things like power/gator-ades are isotonic, meaning they replace fluid salts and minerals lost in perspiration, though unless you are undergoing intense endurance training, the benefits over good old fashioned water have been proven to be marginal at best.

As to 'dropping potassium', has that been medicaly proven? because if not, it is unlikely to be the cause of any symptoms you feel you experience. Excess potassium can impede heart function, so be careful.

thankx for the infl

i mean thanks for the info

Sport drink doesn't necessarily dehydrate you but they don't hydrate better than water. But for those who doesn't like the taste of water, they are more likely to drink larger volumes of sport drink which leads to more fluid in you body thus better hydration. Sports drink also contain carbohydrates and electrolytes.

I appreciate the input, but for me definitely it's the case. It's partially related to taking allergy meds, some of them deplete potassium.

fair enough, just checking because it is one mineral that an excess imbalance of can cause immediate health issues. If its all under control, then its all good