If one was to approach a sports event at any competitive level of any age group, they would likely find the athletes drinking a sports drink of some sort. A abundace of flavors and colors exists amongst a wide variety of brands such as Gatorade and Powerade. As colorful and tastful as these alternatives to water may be, the question must be asked: Are they really beneficial to athletes? The first sports drink was created in the 1960’s by a team of physicians, led by Dr Robert Cade, at the University of Florida (Mayo & Kravitz n.d.). The beverages production was motivated by the football team and the curiosity surrounding their decreased performance in the hot Florida heat (Mayo & Kravitz n.d.). After several studies were conducted, the team of physicians found that the poor performance was mostly due to the loss of fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates (Mayo & Kravitz n.d.). Thus, the electrolyte rich, sugar filled beverage Gatorade was born. Given that, all sports drinks today follow those same three common themes. Water to hydrate, simple carbohydrates for energy, and electrolytes to distribute the fluids and promote muscle contraction (Levin-Epstein, n.d.). …show more content…
In the first football game of the season, I had exerted more energy than I was accustomed to at that time. During halftime, I consumed a twenty ounce bottle of gatorade; Hoping that it would help me power through the rest of the contest. To my dissapointment, I felt just as fatigued the during the second half as I had felt throughout the first. Therefore, I personally am not a proponent for consuming sports drinks. Sports drinks are very popular amongst the athletic community. However, whether they provide benefits to competitors or not is a question that remains unanswered. In my opinion, I do not believe they provide the outstanding benefits that they claim; Despite their delicous