Sports drinks are sugar, water, and salt. Originally designed for athletes, the largest growing segment of the sports drink market are non-athletes, including children. Most sports drinks have between 13 and 19 grams of sugar [equivalent to 3 to 5 packets of sugar] per 8 oz serving! That means for the average 20 oz Gatorade, your child will drink 40 grams of sugar (or 10 sugar packets), along with some artificial colors and flavors. So most sports drinks are far from REAL.

“Our most recognized national health watchdog -- the Institute of Medicine -- said sports drinks are equivalent to flavored water, noting their high sugar content... If the beverage industry is serious about the health of our kids, as it repeatedly claims to be, science and sound health should be the guiding principle.” ~ Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)

Do our children need these drinks to support their health while playing sports? What about during strenuous exercise? Do they need to rehydrate with fluid and electrolytes [water and salt]? The answer is no, water is all they need. Water and salt are only necessary if your child is involved in strenuous physical activity for more than 90 minutes (some experts say more than 5 or 6 hours).[1] Remember to count the minutes of continuous exercise, that means the number of minutes your child is in the game and moving, not on the sidelines. The vast majority of children, are not participating in continuous exercise for more than 90 minutes at a time. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink water BEFORE, during and after exercise.

"Frequent or excessive intake of caloric sports drinks can substantially increase the risk for overweight or obesity in children and adolescents." [2]

Nature’s REAL drink is water, pure fresh water.  In my practice, I reinforce to parents and their children to drink more water.  If you’re thirsty, you’re dehydrated. The goal is to drink enough water to stay well hydrated, which means the color of your urine is almost the color of water.

Sugar in sports drinks reduces the ability of the white blood cells to kill germs. This immune suppressing effect can start within 30 minutes and last for up to 5 hours. So giving your child (even watered down) juice throughout the day is suppressing their immune system the entire day! If you’ve found yourself in this trap, dig yourself out fast. You’ll find your child will be happier and healthier, and more likely an adventurous eater without his/her taste buds always preferring sweet. A great juice alternative is adding a slice of orange, lemon, lime, strawberry or apple to water. It adds flavor without all the sugar. See REAL Drinks for more fun ideas.

Water is the essential drink for children period. It’s REAL and you cannot beat its health benefits for the body.