European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health sports drinks who needs them by Janet d Agostino medical writer w Ater the tried and True fluid replacement Lor athletes is competing against trendy sports drinks with fancy Amesbutr for the average recreational athlete a Clear Cool Glass of water is As beneficial for fluid replacement As a More expensive sports drink according to several nutation its most of the army population people running 5 to 10 Kilometres or training Lor a it program will not need any Type of supplemental  said maj John Warber. Chiel of nutrition services for the exceptional family member department in Frankfurt. West Germany ii won t enhance or improve their athletic performance " products such As gatorade exceed and Carbo plus contain calories in the form of carbohydrates and electrolytes these drinks As Well As homemade sports drinks such As water mixed with Lea and Honey can help enhance performance when the body s own Energy sources begin to be depleted from Long intense periods of exercise sports drinks such As the above Are most beneficial Lor highly trained athletes involved in High intensity Long term endurance events such As marathons or in Allons current research indicates that sports drinks with a carbohydrate concentration of 6 to 8 percent will boost Energy Levels in those athletes who have depleted Energy sources stored in their Muscles said Lynne Man a v corps nutritionist in Frankfurt concentrations above 10 percent empty from the stomach too slowly and May cause cramping or bloating concentrations of 2 percent or less Are too weak to Supply an Energy boost the athlete needs to consume about eight ounces of a sports drink every 15 minutes during a Long term event to help sustain Energy Levels depending on factors such As body size climate and intensity of the exercises a Gui Subu Titei current research indicates that sport drinks Are most beneficial Tor athletes involved in High intensity Long term endurance events such As marathons or triathlons. Commercial fluid replaces should not be used before an event because they can lower blood sugar nor should they be used after an event when Muscles need full strength carbohydrate Rich beverages according to Nancy Clark s sports nutrition Guidebook most commercial sports drinks also contain electrolytes such As potassium sodium and Chloride that Are lost while sweating but electrolytes lost through sweat can usually be made up by eating a balanced diet said Theresa Parsons chief of clinical dietetics at the Frankfurt army regional medical Center. It is difficult to specify who will need sports drinks and who will not in general most people will need supplementation for Long term events going beyond 60 to 90 i nulls the Type of event also determines if an athlete will choose a sports drink or Plain water. Warber said runners sometimes find that the 6 percent to 8 percent sports drinks compare sports drink body fuel 450 Carbo plus exceed fluid replacement and Energy drink gatorade gook Naid . Max pripps Pluss tour de France cat bolex ii per 8 ounce serving Vun glucose polymers fructose glucose polymers glucose polymers pol cose Brand fructose sucrose glucose glucose glucose polymers sucrose glucose polymers fructose pc 0 � 4.0% 16.0% 7.2% 6.0% 5.7% 7.5% 7.4% 5.9% 60 my 5mg 66 my 110 my 70 my 15mg 65 my 3 my potassium 20 my 40 potassium -1 00 my 170 magnesium -100 my potassium 66 my 68 potassium 25 my 50 potassium -100 my 45 none 70 potassium a 70 none 45 .23 .73 .29 .40 .19 .19 .19 .18 source adapted from bicycling Magazine ass Sharon Kildany carbohydrate solutions slosh around in the stomach causing discomfort which makes water preferable. Cyclists however do not Bounce up and Down As much while Riding and might find sports drinks More tolerable some sports drinks contain glucose polymers a different form of carbohydrate with less sweetness these Are absorbed More slowly by the body and therefore help maintain a steadier blood sugar level but there is still controversy Over whether drinks containing glucose polymers Are More beneficial than other carbohydrate drinks. Parsons said when choosing a sports drink Experiment with several to find which is most beneficial for you. Man said the key thing is to try training with it and see How it affects you personally Don t compete with a product you Haven t tried before " Clark polls out in her Book that it is not necessary to buy highly touted commercial sports drinks if you Are looking a fluid replacer other than water. Successful athletes have been drinking homemade sports drinks or years " those drinks include water mixed with Tea and Honey Deli Zed cola or diluted Apple juice. Undiluted fruit juices have too High of a carbohydrate concentration to be Good fluid replaces information about fluid replacement is constantly changing As sports nutrition research continues. While supplemental beverages May not Benefit the average athlete they won t do any harm and May prompt the athlete to drink More because the fluids Are Flavoured Parsons said whether the athlete chooses Plain water or a sports drink some Type of fluid replacement is essential. Dehydration is the most critical Factor that will impede performance in Long term events Warber said drinking enough fluids is important before during and after exercising thirst should not be used As an indicator of when to drink because by then it will be too late to make up lost fluids an athlete can get an idea of How much fluid he loses by weighing himself before and after exercising every Pound lost during intense exercise should be replaced by two cups of fluid Cool drinks Are better than warm drinks because they Are absorbed More quickly into the body and because they Are More palatable Beer or alcohol should never be used to replace lost fluids. Alcohol acts As a diuretic and causes dehydration the body must also use available water to metabolize the alcohol Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday february 20, 1990