News

Our monthly nutritional news letter with the latest research and thinking.

Weapons of mass stimulation

Upon reflection I could have chosen an easier topic for my 11th monthly news letter. Trying to pick my way through the minefield that is the energy/sports drinks market to produce a succinct piece has been an arduous task.

Let’s get this straight; Sports drinks taken at appropriate times in correct measures can clearly boost performance and recovery. The problem is there is so much for me to dislike about the whole industry and like a scab I just can’t stop picking at it.

Having looked into this over the last few years I am still confused by the terms ‘energy drinks’ and ’sports drinks’. Is there a difference? Red Bull for example clearly markets itself as an energy drink but it sponsors world wide sporting events and teams. It doesn’t provide electrolytes essential for maintaining proper hydration during exercise so it can’t really be considered a sports product. It also contains the controversial ingredient taurine. Red Bull promote its inclusion by claiming taurine loss “can occur in some physiological situations, such as high stress and physical exertion.” So is Red Bull marketing itself as a product for stressed individuals and the physically active? A great many individuals who pass through the nutrition clinic are highly stressed. Stress has become the leading health problem in Western society directly responsible for up to 90% of visits to primary care doctors. It might not surprise you to learn than at no point do we advise those individuals to consume any amount of sugary water containing taurine, caffeine and artificial sweeteners in order to address their stress issues.

Lucozade tries to help me out by making both energy and sports products. But Lucozade energy is marketed exactly like a sports drink for adventurers? There are many others on the market walking this blurred line between energy and sports products. Some like Powerade, fronted by Wayne Rooney and owned by Coca Cola don’t even have the decency to have a list of ingredients on line.

The vast majority contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and asulphamine K. The controversy surrounding these sweeteners has been raging for years and is best left for another news letter. At best they’re questionable and I can see no reason whatsoever for putting them into products that are aimed at promoting sports performance and vitality.

Children

Most worrying of all is that these products are aggressively marketed at the young and impressionable. There is very little research being carried out on the effects of long term usage of these products particularly by the young. The National Federation of State High School Associations in the USA made the following recommendations for young athletes.

• Energy drinks should not be used for hydration.
• Information about the absence of benefit and the presence of potential risk associated with energy drinks should be widely shared among all individuals who interact with young athletes.
• Energy drinks should not be consumed by athletes who are dehydrated.
• Energy drinks should not be consumed without prior medical approval, by athletes taking over the counter or prescription medications

I regularly visit a number of sports centres here in Bristol that are attended by school children throughout the day. They all have vending machines selling these products with no advice on their appropriate use. These aren’t even ‘young athletes’, they are school kids doing a little exercise. They don’t need energy drinks or sports performance enhancing products. They just need some fresh air and physical exertion. In fact I believe that these products should only be available to the over 16s.

What should a sports drink contain?

If you start your exercise in a well fed and well hydrated state I don’t believe you’ll need to take anything if you are exercising for less than an hour. If you’re going for more than an hour then you may benefit from a drink containing easy to digest sugars in the form of maltodextrin. It should also contain the electrolytes Sodium, Chloride, Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium to replace the electrolytes lost through perspiration, maintain hydration and to preserve muscle function. And absolutely nothing else unless you’re in a race situation in which case the addition of some caffeine during the latter stages might just get you over the finishing line with a PB. There are some companies out there making top quality products based on these principles, you just have to search for them.

What should an energy drink contain?

If you have having issues with fluctuating energy levels, poor concentration, reliance on stimulants and cravings for sweet foods then you might want to consider resolving your blood sugar imbalances rather than reaching for the quick fix. These can be addressed by better food choices and lifestyle changes. The use of energy drinks in everyday life simply isn’t sustainable.

Please note that due to supplier price changes the free food intolerance indicator tests must be submitted before March 31st. After that they will be £19.50

That’s it for this month. Happy eating to all of you

These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist