Do you think that energy drinks and sports drinks are one and the same? Then you should read this article, says Dev Goswami
Water is the best fluid to recharge your body and rehydrate you but sometimes, if you lose out on too many electrolytes (such as potassium, sodium and chloride), fitness trainers and nutritionists recommend that you replenish with sports drinks, which are rich in electrolytes. The problem arises when you confuse sports drinks with energy drinks and think that both are the same and have the same benefits.
The Difference
Considering that both drinks are supposed to have the same effect on your body, you’d think that the ingredients in them would be the same. However, that is not the case. The biggest difference between a sports drink and an energy drink is that the former includes carbs, sodium and potassium, while the latter includes caffeine and sugar, which gives you an instant energy rush.
Caffeine
Caffeine sets sports drinks apart from energy drinks. Energy drinks use caffeine to give you a burst of energy. However, caffeine is a natural diuretic, so it causes your kidneys to pull water out of the bloodstream, which aggravates dehydration. Whereas, sports drinks contain little or no caffeine.
Sugar
While both have some amount of sugar, the levels are lower in sports drinks. Sugar will not only lead to weight gain when consumed in excess, it will also cause a crash in your energy after a few hours of elevated energy levels.
What Do I Choose?
Like coffee, energy drinks just give you a temporary high, which will be followed by a crash. And in case you’re looking for a drink to consume during or after exercising, energy drinks can harm you as they will dehydrate you. Sports drinks will rehydrate you and take care of a major shortcoming of water — replenish your body’s electrolytes. However, that shouldn’t be your license to go overboard. Remember that while the levels are low, they still contain sugar.