From BZ/dpa
Whether it’s a tennis tournament or a half marathon: If we really challenge our body, we have to refill fluids, sodium and energy from time to time. That’s what isotonic drinks are for. how good are they
Too little sodium, too many unnecessary additives: no isotonic drink received top marks from the study by the magazine “Öko-Test” (7/2023 issue).
The testers looked closely at the ingredients in 23 sports drinks. And discovered a few weaknesses in the process: the three best products are just “satisfactory”, eight fail the test. What’s going on there?
Isotonic drinks provide water, sugar and sodium
Right from the beginning: With isotonic drinks, the ratio of nutrients and liquid corresponds to that of blood. The result: the body can absorb the water from the drink very quickly.
Sports drinks also contain readily available carbohydrates – more precisely: sugar, which comes from fruit juices, among other things. The drinks also provide sodium, which is important for the function of our muscles – but which we lose through sweating.
However, most sports drinks do not contain enough of the mineral. The eco-testers make this judgment based on a recommendation from the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) for sports drinks.
Accordingly, 400 milligrams of sodium per liter is the minimum. Only four isotonic drinks in the test achieve it.
Mineral and vitamin supplements are superfluous
Points were deducted for many sports drinks because of additives that “Öko-Test” rated as superfluous. For example magnesium or calcium. If they are dosed too high, they can even put a strain on the body during sport, for example if they cause diarrhea.
According to “Öko-Test”, vitamin supplements are also unnecessary in sports drinks. Reason: The normal diet can provide sufficient vitamins. And: If you drink several sports drinks at the same time, you run the risk of even overdosing on individual vitamins.
Mix your own isotonic sports drink
So if you want a really good isotonic sports refreshment, you should think about preparing it yourself.
According to “Öko-Test”, you mix two parts of water with one part of juice, for example from apple or currant.
One gram of table salt should be added to the liquid per liter of drink, which corresponds to 400 milligrams of sodium. If you don’t have a precision scale, you can alternatively measure out four small knife tips or two large pinches of table salt.