Benefits of Sports Drinks

As mentioned in the Carbohydrates/Sports Drinks/Energy Gels Studies, yes, carbohydrates work towards giving energy and replenishing spent glycogen during and after exercise.

Sports drinks specifically are no different. A study showed that an 8% carbohydrate sports drink performed much better in an endurance run in the heat than did water, and slightly better than a 6% carbohydrate drink.

Another study showed that adding protein to a sports drink improved fluid retention, but another study on cyclists showed that 2% protein added to 6% carbohydrate sports drink had no effect on cycling performance.

We also know from our research studies on Branched-Chain Amino Acids that BCAAs also decrease fatigue during exercise. Thus, adding BCAAs and some vanilla whey protein to your sports drink will give maximum endurance capabilities.

To find out the percentage of carbs in your sports drink, divide the number of grams of carbs per 8oz serving by 240, and multiply that by 100.

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