Are Sugary Sports Drinks Bad For Athletes?

EndurElite Chief Endurance Officer Matt Mosman discusses if sugary sports drinks are bad for runners, cyclists, OCR, and other endurance athletes.

Ever wonder, as an endurance athlete, if sugary sports drink are bad for you?

• A recent Harvard study linked sugary sports drink consumption to premature death. However, you need to understand these findings from two different angles.
• If you are an inactive, couch surfer who consumes sports drinks just because they taste good, this means excess calories you are not burning off which could lead to obesity which is highly correlated to cardiovascular disease and premature death
• If you are an active endurance athlete the picture is much rosier when it comes to sugary sports drink because they serve as the most efficient source of fuel/hydration during exercise.
• Any sugar you consume is utilized/burned off to provide working muscles with energy.
• Take home point? Sugary sports drinks aren’t the devil in disguise when used for their intended purpose...FUEL DURING EXERCISE!
• For an in-depth look at sports drinks go here.