Sports drinks

Sports drinks are sometimes mistaken as a healthy option for athletes. But for the non-athlete, a sports beverage is just another sugary drink.

Sports drinks, on the other hand, are designed to hydrate and fuel athletes over lengthy, intense periods of exercise. Because of this, they are rich in added sugars that are easily absorbed and converted to energy. In fact, a typical 20-ounce (591 mL) bottle of a sports drink will include 161 calories and 32.5 grams of added sugar. It's the same as 9 teaspoons of sugar. Sports drinks are consequently regarded as sugary drinks. They have a link with soda and fruit juice sweetened with sugar for obesity and metabolic disease. If you're not an athlete or marathon runner, you should probably just stick to water while exercising.