system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
I believe that sports drinks are just overpriced substitutes for water and dont help performance. CMV

I am an american football player on the college level and for all of my life we've had controversy over water vs gatorade and we were never allowed gatorade at the games because are coaches said that it had no real functionality and was just a placebo, what proof shows that they benefit/ are needed?
gpt
journal of sports medicine abstract
>The effectiveness of commercially available sports drinks.
Coombes JS, Hamilton KL.
Source
Centre for Human Movement, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia.
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of commercially available sports drinks by answering the questions: (i) will consuming a sports drink be beneficial to performance? and (ii) do different sports drinks vary in their effectiveness? To answer these questions we have considered the composition of commercially available sports drinks, examined the rationale for using them, and critically reviewed the vast number of studies that have investigated the effectiveness of sports drinks on performance. The focus is on the drinks that contain low carbohydrate concentrations (<10%) and are marketed for general consumption before and during exercise rather than those with carbohydrate concentrations >10%, which are intended for carbohydrate loading. Our conclusions are 3-fold. First, because of variations in drink composition and research design, much of the sports drinks research from the past cannot be applied directly to the effectiveness of currently available sports drinks. **Secondly, in studies where a practical protocol has been used along with a currently available sports beverage, there is evidence to suggest that consuming a sports drinks will improve performance compared with consuming a placebo beverage.** Finally, there is little evidence that any one sports drink is superior to any of the other beverages on the market.



here is another
>Dehydration rates and rehydration efficacy of water and sports drink during one hour of moderate intensity exercise in well-trained flatwater kayakers.
Sun JM, Chia JK, Aziz AR, Tan B.
Source
Changi Sports Medicine Centre, Changi General Hospital, Singapore. jermie@singnet.com.sg
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
The aim of this study is to investigate the amount of water loss and percentage dehydration experienced during 1 hour of paddling on the kayak ergometer so as to help coaches and athletes tailor a suitable and adequate rehydration regime. Also, rehydration efficacy between water and a well established, commercially available sports drink (Gatorade, Quaker Oats company, USA) was investigated in this cross-over study. Materials and
METHODS:
Ten national flatwater kayakers were monitored in a controlled setting while paddling the kayak ergometer for 1 hour at an intensity sustainable for long distance marathon. They rehydrated themselves ad libitum with provided beverage. Post-void towel-dried body mass was measured before and after the exercise with percentage dehydration calculated. Body core temperature (tympanic temperatures), ratings of perceived exertion and thirst index were monitored every 15 minutes. The amount of fluid consumed, urine output and urine specific gravity were obtained after exercise.
RESULTS:
**The results [mean +/- standard deviation (SD)] showed that kayakers underwent 1.10 +/- 0.52% dehydration while rehydrating with water as compared to 0.72 +/- 0.38% while rehydrating with Gatorade. Also, athletes on water rehydration had higher rating of perceived exertion (RPE) at the 30th and 60th minute mark of the exercise. Overall, athletes undergoing water rehydration lost significantly more body mass (0.70 +/- 0.39 kg) as compared to rehydrating with Gatorade (0.46 +/- 0.27).**
CONCLUSION:
**Although the hydration efficacy of Gatorade proved superior to that of water, the athletes' hydration habits with either fluids did not provide adequate hydration.** It is recommended that specific strategies be developed to address dehydration and rehydration issues of kayakers in Singapore.