Skip the sports drinks on activity day, and replace it with water instead.
Sports drinks are everywhere when it comes to children’s Saturday sports games and activity days. More often than not, the neon-colored drinks take priority on the side line. The reality is that your child doesn’t need these sports drinks, even if they are dehydrated and sweating.
Sports drinks were originally designed for serious athletes who needed fast, convenient refuelling. While sports drinks can work wonders for people in training for endurance events, youngsters don’t need to rely on them.
Here’s why you shouldn’t be fuelling your child with Gatorade, Powerade, or any other sports drinks.
Water is enough.
The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) says that water is “the appropriate first choice for hydration before, during, and after most exercise regimens.” According to the organization’s clinical report, “For most children and adolescents, daily electrolyte requirements are met sufficiently by a healthy balanced diet; therefore, sports drinks offer little to no advantage over plain water.”
There are other sources of electrolytes.
The vitamins and minerals in sports drinks are typically sodium and potassium, which can be lost through sweat. However, a sports drink shouldn’t be the primary source of these electrolytes. You can get these electrolytes through healthy foods. For example, bananas are loaded with potassium and sodium is in crackers.
Sports drinks are packed with unwanted chemicals.
It is estimated that a 20-ounce sports drink bottle packs as much as eight teaspoons of added sugar. Additional ingredients include citric acid that can erode tooth enamel, artificial flavors, synthetic food dyes, and additives like stabilizers and thickeners.
Your child may not be as active as you think.
Studies found that about half of the time that youth spend in the sport is actually spent either in sedentary or light-intensity activity. That means that your little footballer who spent most of the game guarding the net and watching from afar doesn’t need to guzzle down a sugary drink.
Along with sport activities can come injuries. When you need immediate medical attention, but don’t feel that a trip to the ER is necessary, a visit to an urgent care is often the best choice.
For all your sports injuries or for any of your medical needs, visit Sand Canyon Urgent Care. We welcome walk-in patients. Our onsite diagnostic and lab facilities help us to best serve you and your loved ones. Call us at (949) 536-7892 or visit us here to get started!
