By Chloe McLeod, Dietitian
I'm Chloe and I'm joining our senior dietitian, Monica, to build the Dietetic team at BJC Health. I shall be contributing to the blog regularly on all things nutrition, from my thoughts regarding the latest research, various health conditions along with product reviews. So make sure you keep reading!
I've just spent four days in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport completing a Sports Dietitian course, so that I can become accredited as a Sports Dietitian. This means that I am able to provide you with the latest, cutting edge information on all things concerning sports nutrition - so I thought this would be a good topic to start on!
Sports Drinks
We have all seen sports drinks advertised, whether it be on TV, print or during sports games. Check out this youtube clip to find out where Gatorade came from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpCSvV70SCY
Pretty cool hey!
Thanks to Greg Cox for putting me onto that video!
But are they really necessary?
Most sports drinks contain electrolytes and carbohydrate (and water) as their main 'active' ingredients, and for elite athletes, such as marathon runners, NRL players or AFL players- or the gridiron players in that video, they are often an essential part of their nutrition regime, to ensure adequate fluid balance and hydration (water and electrolytes), and carbohydrate intake for energy.
However, if your exercise regime consists of less than 90 minutes per session, it is unlikely that you will require a sports drink.
In fact, it may be detrimental to achieving your goals.
All that extra energy may be just what's stopping you from losing those last few kilograms! Plus all that sugar can be damaging to your teeth, which may result in extra visits to the dentist!
If you have any questions, comments, or there's something you'd like to learn more about, don't hesitate to drop me an email: chloe@bjchealth.com.au, or call the clinic closest to you to book in to see me!
Ciao!