Are Sports Drinks Really Safe For Diabetes Patients?

Sports drinks are nothing but beverages that help maintain hydration levels during and after the workout. There are many varieties of sports drinks now available in the market that you may get depending on your health conditions.

Why Is Staying Hydrated Important?

Keeping yourself hydrated during exercise is extremely important, especially if you have diabetes. When you become dehydrated after a long hour of exercise, the amount of water in your bloodstream reduces and causes blood glucose to become more concentrated. 

Although the sugar level is not high in your bloodstream, the ratio of water and sugar has changed, leading your blood sugar levels to measure high. Therefore, keeping yourself hydrated during and after exercises is crucial for a diabetes patient. 

However, the question is whether you should consume sports drinks if you have diabetes or switch to other alternatives? 

What Do Sports Drinks Include?

Most sports drinks generally include electrolytes, carbohydrates and caffeine. 

• Electrolytes: During exercise, your body tends to lose potassium, magnesium, sodium chloride, calcium and phosphorus through sweating. The electrolytes found in sports drinks help replenish the levels of these nutrients and improve the nerves and muscle function in the body. They also help maintain healthy blood pressure levels and rebuild damaged muscle tissue. 
• Carbohydrates: Sports drinks generally contain 6% carbohydrates, meaning 6% sugar versus water. These carbohydrates are essential to energise your body but may cause trouble for a diabetes patient. 
• Caffeine: Some sports drinks also contain caffeine, which triggers the release of stored sugar from the liver. If you have diabetes, this release of extra sugar may spike your blood sugar levels instantly.   
• Artificial Colours and Preservatives: Many sports drinks also contain a variety of artificial colours, food colouring and preservatives that may adversely affect the health of a diabetes patient. 

Therefore, we may conclude that sports drinks are not an ideal beverage for a diabetes patient. 

Can Diabetes Patients Take Sugar-Free Sports Drinks?

Many sugar-free options of sports drinks are also now available in the market. However, these drinks contain sucralose or aspartame instead of dextrose or sucrose to give the beverage a sweet flavour. 

These artificial sweeteners included in the sports drinks do not raise your blood sugar levels instantly but can cause long-term negative impacts on your health. They may lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, cancer, inflammation, etc., all of which are the complications of diabetes.  

Should Diabetes Patients Avoid Sports Drinks Completely?

Sports drinks have a negative effect on the health of diabetes patients. Hence, doctors usually advise diabetes patients to avoid sports drinks, especially if they are average exercisers. Drinking a good quantity of water is enough to hydrate the body during and after the workout for a person who exercises moderately. 

However, if you practice lengthy types of exercises, such as hiking ice-casino, cycling, long-distance running, etc., then you may consume these sports drinks to balance the levels of electrolytes and carbohydrates in the body. In this case, it is best to drink the sugar-free version of the beverage. 

Can Water Substitute Sports Drinks?

The answer is yes. Drinking an adequate quantity of water throughout the workout can help you keep hydrated. Experts recommend drinking about 17 to 20 ounces of water two or three hours before exercising, 8 ounces of water 30 minutes before exercising, 7 to 10 ounces of water after every 20 minutes during exercise and 8 ounces of water within 30 minutes of finishing your exercise routine. 

However, these are just recommendations. The water quantity requirement may vary for each person, depending on age, exercise routine and health conditions. The key point here is that you should be mindful of drinking a substantial amount of water before, during and after exercising. 

Are There More Substitutes for Sports Drinks?

Apart from water, many other drinks can also substitute for sports drinks and help you stay hydrated. Some of these beverages include herbal teas, vegetable juice, low-fat milk, green smoothies, sugar-free lemonade, kombucha, etc. 

On a Final Note

Sports drinks may spike blood sugar levels in the body and therefore are not usually advised for diabetes patients. However, if one has to drink sports drinks, they may consume the sugar-free version of the beverage. There are many other substitutes for sugar drinks as well, such as water, herbal teas, green smoothies etc. Water, particularly, is one of the healthiest ways to keep yourself hydrated during exercising. 

References

• https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/fitness/sports-drinks-impact-on-glucose-blood-sugar
• https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/drinks-for-diabetics#best-drinks
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323211
• https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sports-drinks/
• https://uichildrens.org/health-library/sugar-sports-drinks