YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Winter 2017 | Page 5

makes you feel thirstier, which helps promote fluid intake
to assist with meeting fluid goals. In truth, most of us already
consume too much salt and losses through sweat won’t
negatively impact our performance or health. In terms of
potassium, many readily available health foods are great
sources of potassium. These include bananas, dark leafy
greens, potatoes, beans, fish, yoghurt, squash, mushrooms
and avocados. Dental professionals have been concerned for some
time about increasing rates of dental problems among
active people of all ages, from pre-school children
through to adults. In some cases, the increased rate of
erosion has been linked to consumption of products
such as sports drinks.
3. Food acids, artificial colouring and flavouring Sports drinks are primarily designed for use during
exercise that lasts longer than 90 minutes, by providing
optimal fluid and fuel delivery. Sports drinks may allow
athletes to perform for longer and more effectively in
training and competition, by providing energy to working
muscles and the brain. For example, during triathlons,
long distance running or cycling. Most often, in a gym
setting, basketball game and for everyday exercise,
water is the best and cheapest option to prevent
dehydration and help you perform at your best. 
Sports drinks contain these things to aid palatability and stability
of the product. Food acids combined with sugar, make these
drinks acidic, which can contribute to dental enamel erosion.
When are sports drinks useful?
Rehydrate with water
It is essential to stay hydrated with water
during a workout session. Water is vital
for your body to maintain a healthy
temperature as well as to replace any
lost fluids from sweating. If you do not
consume enough water, your
exercise performance, and health can be
adversely affected. A good way to check that
you are sufficiently hydrated before
exercise is to check the colour of your
urine. Ideally it should be a pale yellow
or straw colour, rather than a dark
yellow or orange colour, as these
latter shades suggest your body is
not adequately hydrated. 
In summary
For most of us, sports drinks provide
unnecessary sugar and salt, and we
would actually benefit more from
eating a high potassium food like a
banana, than a sweet-flavoured drink
filled with artificial substances. Sugary
drinks are also linked to diabetes,
dental caries and weight gain, and in
reality, water is all we need to
rehydrate and perform at our best.
This is why the YMCA is choosing to
remove these and other sugary drinks
from its fridges. For more information
about this exciting initiative, speak to our
friendly customer service teams at a
YMCA near you.
WINTER 2017 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE
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