Are Sports Drinks Making You Fat?
- By Matt Fitzgerald
- Published Feb. 26, 2013
- Updated Feb. 26, 2013 at 11:48 AM UTC
These 3 simple rules will make sports drinks a friend, not a foe, to your body weight goals.
The typical sports drink contains 50 calories per 8 ounces and 14 grams of sugar. The overall nutritional profile of your average sports drink is similar to that of a cola or energy drink. Research has shown that consuming a lot of soft drinks causes weight gain. Therefore it’s not irrational to wonder whether all those sports drinks you’re drinking as an athlete are fattening you up, or at least preventing you from getting leaner.
Fear not. While using sports drinks inappropriately could cause you to gain weight, using them correctly will not. The people who consume the most sports drinks are actually among the leanest people in society, because they get the most exercise. Here are the rules for sports drink usage that will make these products a friend, not a foe, to your goal of attaining your ideal racing weight.
FILED UNDER: Nutrition TAGS: carbohydrate intake / protein intake / Running / Sports Drinks / weight gain / Weight Loss