Six Situations Where Sports Drinks Are Useful

Sports drinks are great for rehydrating your body; athletes often use them as part of their workout routines to help replenish their bodies with the electrolytes and water needed for recovery. However, they’re also great for several other situations; we take a look at six situations where sports drinks are useful. 

During a festival

Dehydration is a common problem during festivals; people spend lots of time outside in the sun and heat with little access to shade. Staying well-hydrated is essential to ensure you enjoy the festival properly and don’t become unwell. Water is the primary drink you should use at festivals for hydration, but sports drinks are also useful to help you stay hydrated and give your body an extra energy boost. Sports drinks with electrolytes hydrate your body more effectively than drinking water alone, so taking a few in your bag will be beneficial for your festival experience. If you wake up in the morning feeling rough, try drinking a sports drink alongside your water, it may help you feel more hydrated and ready for the day. 

When you’re hungover

Unfortunately, even with the best intentions, hangovers often happen, and they can be very frustrating and painful. Sports drinks can be used to help with the rehydration process after too much drinking the night before. You might also find drinking a sports drink over plain water easier when you’re hungover. They won’t help with every element of your hangover and are in no way a miracle cure. Still, they can be useful if you’re feeling a little worse for wear after too many drinks the night before. 

After a bad night’s sleep

If you had a poor night’s sleep the previous night and need to wake up and face the day ahead, you might benefit from drinking a sports drink. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and sugar which can give you a boost of energy in a convenient form. In addition, some sports drinks also contain caffeine which can help to wake you up after a poor night’s sleep. Water is also vital for keeping your body hydrated, but try combining it with a sports drink, and you might feel more awake and energised for the day.

After vomiting or diarrhoea 

If you’ve recently had an episode of vomiting or diarrhoea, your body could be dehydrated and lacking in essential electrolytes. Sports drinks with electrolytes can help to replenish these sources and help you feel better quicker. It's also important that you eat healthy foods, drink enough water and avoid caffeine. When you do all of these things, you can help yourself recover more quickly and get back to feeling like yourself again. 

To improve your performance 

Athletes that take part in physical activity will lose lots of sweat and electrolytes during their training. This must be replaced properly to prevent dehydration and promote recovery. Athletes that become dehydrated will find their performance suffers, and they aren’t able to push themselves as much as they would if they were in better condition. Sports drinks are perfect for replenishing athletic performance and preventing dehydration-related issues. They can also be used after a workout to help with the recovery process.

During pregnancy 

It's really important that pregnant women stay hydrated; they actually need more water than women that aren’t pregnant. Sports drinks with electrolytes can be useful for keeping pregnant women hydrated, alongside drinking lots of water. However, pregnant women should be careful when consuming sports drinks as they contain lots of sugar, and some also contain caffeine. Providing they aren’t overused and the caffeine limits aren’t exceeded, they can be useful to help pregnant women stay hydrated, especially when access to lots of water is limited. 

Sports drinks are great for a variety of reasons, including the six mentioned in this article. In addition to these, you can enjoy sports drinks in moderation when you feel dehydrated and need a quick boost of energy. Just be aware that they contain sugar and extra calories that you won’t find in water. Water should always be a part of any rehydration programme; whether you’re an athlete or unwell, you shouldn’t rely solely on sports drinks.