Page 40 - Mariners Cricket Club (Singapore) - Souvenir Magazine 2020

WHAT’S YOUR DRINK?

Dr Swarup Mukherjee, MD, PhD, FECSS
Associate Professor

Exercise and Sports Science,
Nanyang Technological University Singapore

xercise leads to heat generation elevating the
body’s core temperature. With continued exercise, a
Esignificant amount of stress can be imposed on our

body’s temperature regulating systems. Sweating is the
primary mechanism of heat loss especially in a hot and
humid environment. However, it comes at the cost of losing

fluid and electrolytes. Exercise performance starts getting adversely affected with fluid loss that
is equivalent to merely 1% of body weight. This means if a person weighing 75 kg loses 750 ml of

fluid, the ability to maintain exercise intensity may get compromised. If this loss increases to 2%
of body weight, apart from reduced physical ability, the cognitive and mental capabilities also
start getting affected. Functions like decision making, judgment, anticipation and reaction time
get compromised and can lead to increased risk of injuries in addition to affecting performance.
Therefore, hydration is a critical factor to support continued exercise performance, minimize fatigue
and mitigate risk of injuries. Adequate hydration reduces exercise stress on body’s functional

systems, enhances exercise efficiency as well as time to exhaustion.
To replace fluid and electrolytes and to replenish the lost energy, sports drinks are a popular

choice amongst physically active individuals across the world. The popularity of sports drinks is

reflected by the postulated growth of this industry to US$32 billion by 2027. To serve the needs
of the consumers, a range of sports drinks are available, and the manufacturing companies have
adopted various marketing strategies to promote the consumption of these drinks. For example,
sports drinks such as isotonic, hypotonic and hypertonic drinks have been claimed to serve different
hydration-related functions. While the sports drinks have been promoted to optimize athletic
performance, fluid and electrolyte replacement during and after exercise, the energy drinks have

been marketed with the focus on energy boost, enhanced mental alertness and concentration, and
reduce fatigue. Keeping in view the rapidly increasing physically active population especially in

endurance sports like long distance running, cycling and triathlon, it is beneficial for the exercise
enthusiasts and athletes, both recreational and competitive, to be aware of the composition, types
and specifi c benefi ts of different sports drinks available. Such knowledge enables the individual
to make an informed choice of sports drink and maximize its benefit in terms of supporting both

performance and recovery from exercise.

Sports drink and energy drink – what’s the difference?

Sports drinks are categorized as isotonic, hypertonic and hypotonic. Most commercial sport
drinks are isotonic, with the salt and sugar content of similar concentrations as the human body.
Hypertonic sports drinks contain a higher concentration of salt and sugar than the human body,
and hypotonic sports drinks contain a lower concentration of salt and sugar than the human
body. The main ingredients of a sports drink are carbohydrates (sugar), electrolytes and minerals.

There may also be some flavoring to enhance the palatability. Consumption of sports drinks may
reduce dehydration, replenish the electrolytes lost from perspiration and provide energy upon
breakdown of carbohydrates that is crucial for exercise performance. In comparison, energy drinks
function primarily as a pre-workout drink with a performance enhancing effect. They may contain

Mariners’ Cricket Club (Singapore) 40