The Dangers of Sports Drinks {Plus What to Drink Instead}

Photo Credit: michelle.schrank

It’s a hot summer day. Your little man just finished his tee-ball game, and what does the mom who brought snacks hand out? A sports drink! Those boys have been playing hard, so of course, they need a little pick-me-up. 

Inwardly, I cringe whenever I see someone, especially a child, guzzle down a sports or electrolyte drink. It may rehydrate their bodies and balance their electrolytes, but it is also a toxic chemical cocktail ready to harm the body.  There are many dangers of sports drinks! 

What’s In Sports Drinks

Take a look at the ingredient list in Gatorade Thirst Quencher Orange:

WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, GUM ARABIC, SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, YELLOW 6

This is what most sports and electrolyte drinks (including Pedialyte) look like — some worse, some a little better. Here is a breakdown on the ingredient list, why they are used and how they affect your body.

Sugar

Too much sugar isn’t good for anyone, especially when it is stripped of all its minerals (which is true of most sugar). Frequently, companies are using genetically modified sugar beets to make sugar found in drinks. Sugar can overload your liver, decay teeth, and cause insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes. It is also highly addictive, among other things. 

Dextrose

Dextrose (also known as glucose) is used in medical applications when a patient is unable to consume enough liquids. It is also used as an artificial sweetener in foods. Excessive use of dextrose has been linked to obesity, diabetes, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), and a lack of sodium in the blood. Other side effects may also occur. 

Citric Acid

Citric acid is a preservative and has an acidic or sour taste in foods. It can be harmful if you have a history of electrolyte/mineral imbalances. To learn more about the scary side effects, read here. (Note: this pertains more to those who use citric acid as a supplement or medicine, but still something to keep in mind.) 

MSG can be found hidden in citric acid. Known side effects of MSG are:

• Headache
• Flushing
• Sweating
• Facial pressure or tightness
• Numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas
• Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
• Chest pain
• Nausea

Natural Flavor

Natural flavor is anything but natural. When you hear natural, you automatically think, “Hum, it’s natural, so it must be good for me.” Far from the truth, my friends! Natural flavor is a substance derived directly from a natural item. It can be sourced from vegetables, fruits, meats, spices, and dairy products. So far, so good, right? 

Here’s the thing — the substance is extracted, then chemically altered to taste like it would have before it was modified. The flavor that was extracted often has nothing to do with the food it was used in. One example would be castoreum — it is the natural flavor used in things like raspberry and vanilla ice cream, and it is derived from the anal glands of a beaver (if you see “vanillin” on the label — you’re eating beaver anal secretions!). Other hidden things like MSG can be found in “natural flavor.” 

Under the Code of Federal Regulations, the definition for natural flavor is: “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional” (21CFR101.22).

Salt

Salt is essential for your body and one of the most critical ingredients in electrolyte drinks.  Sadly, your typical table salt (umbrella popping into anyone’s mind?) is far from how God created it. Truly natural, good-for-you salt is “dirty” in appearance (i.e., not pure white). It is not chemically “cleaned” to become the white crystals we now consider salt. The process involves the use of aluminum, ferroan-cyanide, and bleach. All of its minerals are removed. When the minerals are intact, they can help balance blood pressure.  See more below about healthy salt! 

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Citrate is the sodium salt of citric acid. It is what gives drinks their salty and sour taste. It is sometimes used to regulate acid in drinks. It is also used as an emulsifier for oils when making cheese (think American Cheese), allowing the cheese to melt without becoming greasy. It is often used for flavor or as a preservative. It emulsifies the oils with the water that is sometimes added to drinks. There are scary side effects that include loose stools, nausea, upset stomach, and vomiting. 

Monopotassium Phosphate

Monopotassium phosphate (potassium dihydrogen phosphate, KDP, or monobasic potassium phosphate) is a source of potassium used as a food additive to emulsify oils and liquids that would otherwise separate.  It additionally acts as a thickener, acidity regulator, and stabilizer. It is also used as fertilizer and fungicide. 

Gum Arabic

Gum arabic is made from the hardened sap of two species of the acacia tree. It is used as a thickening agent and emulsifier, binding the sugar into the drink. There is a question as to whether it is a sustainably harvested product. 

Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate

Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate is an unnatural sugar (sucrose) used as an emulsifier and weighing agent, adding density to beverages. It is now being used instead of brominated vegetable oil.

Glycerol Ester of Rosin

Glycerol Ester of Rosin is an emulsifier that can be used as an alternative to brominated vegetable oil in citrus-flavored drinks. It gives a more authentic flavor to fruit-flavored water-based drinks. However, in rare cases, it has been found to cause allergic reactions. 

Yellow 6

Yellow 6 food dye has been linked to learning and concentration disorders in children. It can aggravate ADHD symptoms. There are also animal studies that demonstrate potential risks, such as kidney and intestinal tumors. In the UK, we must label foods containing them with warning labels! 

What to Drink Now?

Many excellent alternatives are easy to find or make.

Coconut Water

Coconut Water 

Coconut water is the liquid inside the coconut (not to be confused with coconut milk, which is made from meat). It is the perfect balance of electrolytes that your body needs. It has been nicknamed “Nature’s Gatorade.” It contains 5 essential electrolytes: 

1. Potassium: The most important positive ion (cation) inside your cells; potassium regulates heartbeat and muscle function. Coconut water contains 295 mg, which is 15 times the amount in the average sports drink 

1. Sodium: The most important positive ion in fluid outside your cells, and also the one most depleted with exercise, as you lose sodium through sweat and urine 

1. Magnesium: Important for maintaining the electrical potential of your cells, proper muscle function, and preventing calcium overload 

1. Phosphorus: Plays essential roles in bone health, but also in transferring energy throughout your body, helping your muscles contract, and regulating nerve function (partners with calcium) 

1. Calcium: Important for bone health (partners with phosphorous) (Source http://mercola.com) 

Coconut water can be used as an electrolyte on its own or added to homemade electrolyte drinks. 

Real Salt

Natural Salt from Redmond is a good source of electrolytes. I use it as my own homemade lemon sports drink. Whereas regular table salt has been chemically washed and stripped of all its minerals, Real Salt contains 60 trace minerals, and none have been stripped. These minerals included: 

• Sodium
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Sulphur
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Phosphorus
• Iodine
• Manganese
• Copper
• Zinc

You can buy their Re-lyte capsules, add a pinch of salt to your water (not my idea of a tasty drink), or use the salt in your homemade electrolyte drinks! 

Earthley Wellness Electrolyte Powder (Insert Link) is a great solution because it provides the important nutrients without the junk that’s in sports drinks. It is made with just three ingredients – organic maple sugar, Himalayan sea salt, and cream of tartar.  

When you use products straight from nature, like Earthley’s Electrolyte Powder, coconut water, or Real Salt products, you are giving your body what it needs without bringing any harm to your body. You won’t experience the same effects from using either of these products; you will experience better effects! Your body doesn’t have to sort through the toxic chemicals to use the minerals as it does with store-bought sports drinks. Instead, your body gets them exactly how God created them. I find it incredible that He makes just what we need without artificial ingredients. 

Are you ready to try making your own sports drinks? Here are some recipes to get you started! 

Are you ready to give making your own sports drinks a try? Here are some recipes to get you started!

• Electrolyte Concentrate Ice Cubes @ Modern Alternative Mama
• Electrolyte Drink (Sports Drink Replacement) @ Modern Alternative Mama
• Refreshing Orange Lemonade @ The Nourishing Gourmet
• Honeydew Lime Electrolyte Drink @ The Nourishing Gourmet
• Watermelon Coconut Electrolyte Drink @ An Appetite for Joy
• 6 Electrolyte Drinks @ The Herbal Trading Post
• Vintage Remedies Homemade Electrolyte Drink @ Holistic Homemaking
• Dehydration Aid @ Hybrid Rasta Mama
• Electrolyte Vanilla Cream “Soda” @ Nourishing Simplicity

Were you aware of the dangers of sports drinks? Have you ever made your own electrolyte drink before?