Do you really need sports drinks?

We often think we are doing ourselves a favour by using a sports drink, but do we really need it - or would water suffice?

Patrick J. Skerrett, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Health has written a commentary referencing work published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) regarding the necessity and usefulness of sports drinks as opposed to water.

The conclusions he draws is that the science around the necessity for sports drinks is based on 'less-than-rigorous' research and expresses concern that recommendations once aimed at professional, high performance athletes has now 'trickled down to anyone who exercises'.

Another of his concerns is that over-hydration is actually more dangerous than dehydration, quoting Dr. Arthur Siegel, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a medical advisor to the Boston Marathon as saying that 'there is no evidence that dehydration has ever killed a marathoner'.

To sum up his assertions, he says that the rule of thumb for most of us is that 'thirst should be our guide, and water our beverage.'

So stay appropriately hydrated & spend your money wisely.