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What Should be in Your Sports Drink

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In this Mayo Clinic Minute, clinical dietitian Erica Goldstein discusses the study findings and offers tips on how to get more iron in your diet.

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“This is really important for people who are training for a longer event,” says Mayo Clinic sports dietitian Erica Goldstein. “People who are running, cycling or swimming for multiple hours at a time should choose a sports beverage carefully.”

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Goldstein explains what to look for when choosing sports drinks. Jeff Olsen reports.

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Whether running, cycling or swimming, when engaged in sporting activities for more than two to three hours at a time it’s important to replenish your body’s fuel store to rebuild muscle and ensure a necessary supply of energy for the future.

“Recovery is a hot topic now in sports nutrition and whether there is a two-hour window of recovery after training or participating in a race,” says registered dietitian and nutritionist Erica Goldstein, who works on Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus.

“The two-hour window is specific to endurance athletes, so the first thing I recommend to start the recovery process after an endurance run, ride or swim is to replenish carbohydrate stores,” says Goldstein.

“Additionally, most athletes who are training or racing for more than three hours at a time are likely burning protein for fuel as well as carbohydrates. So it’s important to restore protein as well, to help repair and rebuild new body proteins,” she says.

Drinking a carbohydrate-containing beverage that also includes protein soon after finishing is ideal, she adds. Chocolate milk meets these criteria.

It’s important, she adds, to take in the right amount of carbohydrates and protein to maximize recovery.

How much do you need?

After extended training or finishing a long race, Goldstein says athletes should consume 1-1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. Your body weight in pounds divided by 2.2 equals your body weight in kilograms.

For protein, approximately 20-25 grams of protein is ideal to consume at one time, within the first two hours of an event, to support maximal growth and repair. Good choices for protein include milk, whey protein or pea protein, which is often found in commercial beverages or as a powder. Dietary sources of protein include chicken, fish, eggs, or nuts and nut butters.

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Registered dietician and nutritionist Erica Goldstein offers a variety of tips to help athletes understand the best foods and options for carb loading during training.

“The top question I’m usually asked is what I should be eating during training,” says Goldstein, who sees patients on Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus.

First, it’s important to understand what a carbohydrate is, she says.

“Carbohydrate is stored in the body in the form of glycogen, which is basically links of glucose – or sugar – stored in large amounts. Glycogen can be broken down during continual exercise to provide energy for muscle contraction,” she explains.

Examples of carbs

Fructose, glucose and sucrose are three forms of carbohydrates. These can be found in a variety of foods, including: fruits, like bananas, raisins and dates; and starch, like potatoes, pasta and rice.

Of course, there are a variety of sports-specific gels, chews and performance bars developed for athletes.

How much do you need?

The body can only store so much glycogen, so it is essential to consume carbohydrates during prolonged exercise, usually greater than an hour, to continue to provide energy to working muscle. “Otherwise, you may compromise your ability to finish your training,” Goldstein says.

According to research, she recommends consuming carbohydrates based on the intensity and duration of training.

• 30 g after the first 60 minutes is enough for training lasting 60-90 minutes
• 60 g per hour after the first 2-2.5 hours
• 90 g per hour after 3 hours, dependent on high-intensity exercise (~75% of maximal effort)

Goldstein advises athletes vary the types of carbohydrate consumed. “Mix it up; see what works for your body and what you can tolerate,” she advises.

She also recommends reviewing food labels to determine total grams of carbohydrates in a product, as well as the specific ingredients (e.g., glucose, fructose, sucrose).

Journalists: Sound bites with Erica Goldstein are available in the downloads below.

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