Parents in a 2012 study1 [1] report that, while their kids frequently consume sports drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages (ie. juice, soda) during sport, they were unsure about whether the drinks were appropriate and under what circumstances.
Citing a recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Nutrition and Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness [2]2 that all children and adolescents avoid sports drinks because they increase the risk of obesity, the authors suggest that youth sports leagues take an active role in promoting water as the preferred beverage.
But is water always the right beverage choice? In what circumstances are sports drinks appropriate?
To shed some light on the subject of sports drinks, MomsTEAM asked consultant, speaker, Spinning instructor, and registered dietitian, Tammy Beasley, RD, CSSD, LD, CEDRD, and founder and creator of Rev It Up! [3], to weigh in.
Here's what Beasley told us:
Part of the problem, Beasley says, lies in the fact that the amount of true activity is not taken into account: just because a practice lasts two hours does not mean that the child has been ACTIVE for two hours solid. It is sport-dependent too. A soccer practice is going to be much more active than a baseball practice, in which the players are taking turns batting, and taking turns doing drills in the field.
Environment also plays a role:
"A rule of thumb I use often, says Beasley, "is water for first hour, then sports drink for replacement. If outside for a long duration, in hot humid environment, I recommend alternating water and sports drinks from the beginning (for example, a double header baseball game in midday heat).
Again, I don't think we should blame sports drinks in general for obesity issues; the blame lies in their misuse, from lack of education of appropriate placement," she says.
1. Thomas M, Nelson TF, Harwood E, Neumark-Sztainer D. Exploring Parent Perceptions of the Food Environment in Youth Sport. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2012;44(4):365-371.
2. Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate? Pediatrics 2011;127:1182-1189.
Links:
[1] https://www.momsteam.com/node/4983
[2] https://www.momsteam.com/node/3462
[3] http://revitupfitness.com/
[4] https://www.momsteam.com/node/3465
[5] https://www.momsteam.com/sports-drinks-for-sports-energy-drinks-never-says-new-report
[6] https://www.momsteam.com/sports-drinks/sports-drinks-improve-performance-in-stop-go-high-intensity-sports
[7] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/sports-hydration/fluid-guidelines/sports-drinks-best-at-keeping-sports-active-kids-hydrated
[8] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/replace-electrolytes-lost-during-sports-with-sports-drinks
[9] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/weight-loss-dark-urine-thirst-three-main-signs-athlete-is-dehydrated
[10] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/hydration-safety/fluid-guidelines/drinking-fluids-before-during-and-after-sports-important-for-children