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But in a study of trained cyclists, raisins -- an all-natural and far cheaper option -- performed just as well to help athletes sustain their energy and performance when eaten as a pre-training snack. And for that, suggests Elizabeth Applegate, a low-cal drink with 100 milligrams of caffeine -- like a black iced coffee or strong tea, will work just fine. And with extra benefits like fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, they may fit into a complete nutrition and fitness plan better than a Gatorade.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this slide stated that caffeine should contain 100 grams, rather than milligrams. "The thing that works best is a drink," Barbara Lewin, RD, LD, a sports nutritionist who works with professional and Olympic athletes, tells HuffPost. "Most of us who exercise are doing it to improve our health and to look better, so we want to think about what makes sense with that in mind."
For a lighter workout, you could easily stick to plain water.
Lewin shared her go-to mix for a healthful, natural alternative sports drink. That would be a dangerous amount of caffeine. Blood flow goes to the muscles, so digestion is slower.
Sports drinks are meant to give you a mid-workout boost, and they're also intended to help with recovery.
Athletes need potassium, but they also need sodium, which isn't in sufficient enough quantities in commercial coconut water. At about 100 calories per 16 ounces, on average, a sports drink can certainly put a dent in the caloric maintenance of a workout session.
. But some sports nutritionists maintain that liquid pick-me-ups are the way to go.
It might seem surprising -- and certainly messy! -- but UC Davis' Elizabeth Applegate explains that cooked rice, especially squirted with a bit of honey, makes a good energy-delivering, restorative snack for endurance athletes.
"Liquid really makes the most sense during the workout. Recent studies have shown that some solid foods -- such as bananas and raisins -- may be just as effective for sustaining the performances and electrolyte balances of hard-working athletes.
Most often, when your average gym warrior goes for a sports drink, they really just need a pick-me-up. That's because under an hour of moderate-to-intense exercise doesn't warrant concerted replacement efforts. if youre not well-fueled, youre not going to work out as hard."
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Bananas have always been a popular food with athletes, thanks to their calorie-dense, portable nature and abundance of potassium -- an electrolyte lost during intensive sweating sessions.
According to a Mayo Clinic review of several high-quality studies, that's because low fat milk has all three components required for proper sports recovery: carbohydrates, in the form of lactose; the electrolytes potassium and sodium; and protein, from casein and whey. "The calories are whats enabling you to work out at your best.
"Of course, this isn't appropriate for runners," she told The Huffington Post, recommending the mix for cyclers. But recent research found that low fat chocolate milk -- yes, the plain old, dessert-like dairy drink -- works better than the neon stuff. Explains Anahad O'Connor at the New York Times' Well Blog:
An 8.5 ounce serving of Vita Coco 100% Pure Coconut Water, for example, contains 30 milligrams of sodium and 15 grams of carbohydrates.
After a tough workout at the gym, many people reach for a sports drink.
Natural Sports Drink Recipe:
3.5 cups water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
An eight-ounce serving provides 50 calories and 110 mg sodium, according to Lewin. But if what you're doing requires a bit of a pick-me-up, there are options beyond sports drinks. We regret the error.
And while doctors and sports nutritionists recommend the drinks for endurance and pro athletes, who need the extra calories, sugars and salts, the average gym class warrior isn't in need of anything labeled "http://www.gatorade.com/default.aspx#gseriespro?s=gseriespro the long term," explains Elizabeth Applegate, Director of Sports Nutrition and a senior lecturer in nutrition at University of California, Davis in an interview with HuffPost Healthy Living. The easiest thing to digest is a liquid," says Barbara Lewin, RD, LD, a sports nutritionist who works with professional and Olympic athletes, as well as "regular" gym-goers.
But researchers from the Appalachian State University's Human Performance Lab recently found that endurance cyclists performed just as well when they consumed bananas as they did when they drank a sports drink.
In this scenario, homemade, all-natural versions of commercial sport drinks can be a good option.
Coconut water is sometimes touted as "nature's sports drink" -- and while it's true that the drink is full of the electrolyte potassium and is lower in calories than most sports drinks, that moniker is a bit of hyperbole. An eight-ounce serving of Gatorade Pro 02 Perform is equal in carbs (14 grams) but has more sodium (200 milligrams).
But for moderate activity or gym sessions under an hour, where replacing water is the primary concern over replacing electrolytes and sugars, the low-cal, all natural beverage is a better bet.
In addition to sports drinks, many companies now offer sports gels or "chews" -- a solid, no less colorful gelatin confection that delivers sugars, electrolytes and calories. That's because blood flow to the stomach slows during a workout, making digestion more arduous, she says. "It's a contradiction, but you really do need the calories to perform well," says Lewin.
While endurance athletes need the electrolytes and carbohydrates that come from a sports drink, most often, regular gym goers do not.
The study was funded by Dole, a fruit company that sells bananas, but it was also published in the peer-reviewed journal, PLoS ONE. But no matter what you end up grabbing on your way to the gym, it's important to keep in mind that, when it comes to intensive or prolonged exercise, calories and carbohydrates actually support weight loss and fitness.
What's more, the banana offered other, long-term benefits not available from a sugary sports drink: antioxidants, fiber and vitamin B.
Elizabeth Applegate recommends trying out other kinds of dried fruit too -- figs and pears are particularly great because of their high carbohydrate content, she said
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