GN Soccer Magazine September 2014 Edition | Page 28

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SPORTS DRINKS
Any athlete knows that what you get out of your body is a direct reflection of what you put
into it. Advertisers know it, too—which explains the massive industry built up around sports
nutrition. And while there is a place in the athlete's diet for energy bars and sports drinks,
there's also the potential for the products to be misused—or for unhealthy ingredients to
sneak their way in.
That's why it's important to check nutrition labels, read serving suggestions, and choose
natural ingredients over processed or synthetic options whenever possible. Don’t be
fooled by their healthy-seeming claims— you’re better off leaving them on the shelf.
Vitamins and water. What could be healthier than that? Plain old H2O, for one thing. "If
you're going to take something, take a multivitamin—and get the rest of your nutrients
from real food, "Otherwise, you can end up with much higher amounts that what's needed
of some vitamins, and not enough of everything else."
Many flavoured H2O drinks are filled with sugar, which can contribute to weight gain and
hamper athletic performance, or artificial sweeteners, which have been linked to cancer
and obesity. Most flavours of Vitamin Water, for example, contain 120 calories and more
than 30 grams of sugar per bottle.
If you're in the habit of pouring yourself a big glass of OJ with breakfast every morning (or
any type of fruit juice, for that matter), you may want to rethink your routine.
"By the time juice is juice, it's usually been so processed that the majority of vitamins and
minerals—and fibre—have been removed." Stick with whole fruits instead, which have builtin portion control: about 60 to 100 calories per fruit. With juice, on the other hand, it's
easy to pour yourself 200 to 300 calories in one sitting.
Rockstar, Monster and Red Bull "These products contain a lot of sugar, a lot of caffeine,
and lots of savvy marketi