Although the article by Cohen correctly highlighted the potential issues of inappropriate consumption of high carbohydrate (CHO) sports drinks, it failed to identify the potential performance benefits that the additional CHO in these drinks can provide to recreational athletes when used correctly.
This is particularly true for prolonged exercise (>90 min) where muscle glycogen stores can become depleted and exogenous CHO is required for exercise intensity to be maintained. 1 Recent recommendations 2 have suggested that individuals should consume between 30-60g/hr of CHO in sports lasting 1-2.5h, up to 90g/hr in exercise lasting >2.5hr, with sports drinks providing a suitable and easy method of ingesting potentially large amounts of carbohydrate.
Carbohydrate ingested during exercise through the use of sports drinks can also play an important role in meeting daily CHO requirements, which can be as high as 500g/day in a 70kg individual performing moderate endurance training of ~1hr/day. 3 Attainment of this intake is needed to sustain high levels of muscle glycogen 4 essential for repeated exercise training and performance. 5
References
1. Coyle EF, Coggan AR, Hemmert MK, Ivy JL. Muscle glycogen utilization during prolonged strenuous exercise when fed carbohydrate. J Appl Physiol. 1986 Jul;61(1):165-72.
2. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S17-27.
3. Burke LM, Kiens B, Ivy JL. Carbohydrates and fat for training and recovery. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):15-30
4. Costill D and Miller J. Nutrition for endurance sport: carbohydrate and fluid balance. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 1980; 1: 2–14.
5. Bergstrom J, Hermansen L, Hultman E, Saltin B. Diet, muscle glycogen and physical performance. Acta Physiol Scand 1967; 71:140–150
Rapid Response:
Re: The truth about sports drinks
Although the article by Cohen correctly highlighted the potential issues of inappropriate consumption of high carbohydrate (CHO) sports drinks, it failed to identify the potential performance benefits that the additional CHO in these drinks can provide to recreational athletes when used correctly.
This is particularly true for prolonged exercise (>90 min) where muscle glycogen stores can become depleted and exogenous CHO is required for exercise intensity to be maintained. 1 Recent recommendations 2 have suggested that individuals should consume between 30-60g/hr of CHO in sports lasting 1-2.5h, up to 90g/hr in exercise lasting >2.5hr, with sports drinks providing a suitable and easy method of ingesting potentially large amounts of carbohydrate.
Carbohydrate ingested during exercise through the use of sports drinks can also play an important role in meeting daily CHO requirements, which can be as high as 500g/day in a 70kg individual performing moderate endurance training of ~1hr/day. 3 Attainment of this intake is needed to sustain high levels of muscle glycogen 4 essential for repeated exercise training and performance. 5
References
1. Coyle EF, Coggan AR, Hemmert MK, Ivy JL. Muscle glycogen utilization during prolonged strenuous exercise when fed carbohydrate. J Appl Physiol. 1986 Jul;61(1):165-72.
2. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S17-27.
3. Burke LM, Kiens B, Ivy JL. Carbohydrates and fat for training and recovery. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):15-30
4. Costill D and Miller J. Nutrition for endurance sport: carbohydrate and fluid balance. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 1980; 1: 2–14.
5. Bergstrom J, Hermansen L, Hultman E, Saltin B. Diet, muscle glycogen and physical performance. Acta Physiol Scand 1967; 71:140–150
Competing interests: No competing interests