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Most kids’ sports games are packed with multi-colored sports beverages. They’re marketed as a necessity for any kind of athlete. The problem is they’re actually doing more harm than good for your child. If you want to learn more about how different drinks affect teeth, check out our article on drinks that stain your teeth.
Do Sports Drinks Benefit Your Kid?
Sports drinks are acidic and loaded with sugars and carbs. While you do need some nutritional replenishment after physical activity, sports drinks are overkill. It’s highly unlikely your child is engaging in the physical activity necessary for a sports drink to be a practical choice. The reality is sports drinks are more suited to professional athletes who work out hours a day and push their bodies to the brink.
Children are simply not exerting enough to justify consuming all those sugars. These drinks are also only meant to be consumed during or directly after physical exercise, however, many treat them as normal drinks to be consumed throughout the day. This can increase the risk of childhood obesity. Children should be using other forms of hydration throughout the day.
Why Are Sports Drinks Bad?
The fact of the matter is sports drinks don’t provide much nutritional value at all. Water, fruits, and vegetables all provide much more necessary nutrients. Sports drinks are known to cause tooth decay, and are as bad for teeth as eating candy. Now imagine eating candy while exercising? It seems counter-productive.
What’s The Alternative?
It’s most likely that your child isn’t breaking enough of a sweat to need anything more than water for hydration. If they’re engaged in strenuous physical activity for longer than an hour in high-intensity sports like soccer, then there are a few alternatives that are better than sports drinks.
Infused waters are much healthier and provide even more nutritional value. Coconut water in particular is one of the best hydrating beverages for an athlete. Coconut water as few calories and is packed with electrolytes.
