Are there any concerns or considerations?

Unnecessary expense

Sports drinks are not needed at every training session and may be an unnecessary expense.

Unnecessary energy intake

Athletes need to consider their physique goals and total nutritional goals when deciding whether to consume sports drinks. In the case of athletes who have short- or long-term restrictions on dietary energy intake, overuse of energy-dense fluids such as sports drinks may create problems with energy balance and overall nutrient density of the diet.

Dental erosion

Sports drinks, like other carbohydrate-containing fluids such as soft drinks and fruit juices, have been shown to contribute to dental erosion. To help reduce the potential impact of sports drinks on dental health, athletes should consider the follow options when they are practical or able to be balanced with the sports nutrition plan.

• Minimise the contact time the sports drink has with the teeth and avoid holding or swishing the drink around the mouth. A straw or squeezy bottle can also minimise contact time with the teeth by directing fluids towards the back of the mouth.
• Use a water chaser immediately after consuming a sports drink to rinse the mouth out.
• Where practical, consume dairy products after the session or chew sugar free gum immediately after consumption of the sports drink.
• Avoid brushing teeth for at least 30 minutes after consuming sports drink to allow tooth enamel to re-harden.¹⁸

Gut discomfort

• Some athletes report that sports drinks cause gut discomfort or make them feel unwell. While some athletes may not tolerate sports drinks well, the following strategies can help to minimise problems.
  • Dehydration increases the risk of gastrointestinal problems during exercise and is often the cause of such complaints. Practicing fluid intake strategies during training can assist in preventing dehydration as well as helping to overcome problems such as dislike of the taste, mouthfeel of the drink and gastrointestinal discomfort.
  • ‘Gut training’ – deliberately consuming a gradually increasing volume and concentration of sports drink during workouts - can allow the gut to develop better capacity to absorb carbohydrate and feel comfortable.
  • The use of sports drinks with multiple transportable carbohydrates may assist in maximising gastrointestinal comfort, particularly when carbohydrate is consumed at high rates of intake (> 60 g/h).
• Individuals with fructose malabsorption or FODMAP intolerance should be aware of the fructose content of sports drinks containing multiple transportable carbohydrates.

Interference with opportunities for training adaptation

Some athletes may periodise their carbohydrate intake to help support training adaptations. This may include the prescription of workouts in which there is “low carbohydrate availability” (i.e. the session is undertaken with low muscle glycogen stores and/or after an overnight fast). This strategy may increase some of the important adaptive responses to exercise. Therefore, on some occasions, an athlete may deliberately choose not to consume a sports drink during the session or during the first part of a session.^19,20