Advisor(s)

Naomi Dower

Kelly Hendrick

Subjects

Biology

Abstract

Investigating Sports Drinks. Are they worth the money?

The sports drinks industry is a huge global business which shows no signs of slowing down. The inspiration to conduct this investigation came from an observation that there is an increasing consumption of sports and energy drinks within our community, particularly amongst children. The message from the advertisers is clear- athletes should replace lost body fluid with drinks that contain electrolytes, such as sports drinks. However, there are conflicting suggestions from conducting literature reviews; that, not only are these drinks unhealthy in terms of the high sugar content, but instead water and milk are sufficient to hydrate children and adults before during and after exercise. Indeed it is claimed that there are no beneficial effects of sports drinks for non-elite athletes and children. This investigation compares the electrolyte composition of a range of drinks marketed as sports drinks, as well as other drinks including milk and tap water. This was done by measuring the conductance, which is proportional to the electrolyte concentration. In addition an assessment of the reducing sugar present in each drink was undertaken using colorimetry. A comparison was also made of the relative cost of each drink. Overall the results yield some interesting conclusions.

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Investigating Sports Drinks. Are they worth the money?

Investigating Sports Drinks. Are they worth the money?

The sports drinks industry is a huge global business which shows no signs of slowing down. The inspiration to conduct this investigation came from an observation that there is an increasing consumption of sports and energy drinks within our community, particularly amongst children. The message from the advertisers is clear- athletes should replace lost body fluid with drinks that contain electrolytes, such as sports drinks. However, there are conflicting suggestions from conducting literature reviews; that, not only are these drinks unhealthy in terms of the high sugar content, but instead water and milk are sufficient to hydrate children and adults before during and after exercise. Indeed it is claimed that there are no beneficial effects of sports drinks for non-elite athletes and children. This investigation compares the electrolyte composition of a range of drinks marketed as sports drinks, as well as other drinks including milk and tap water. This was done by measuring the conductance, which is proportional to the electrolyte concentration. In addition an assessment of the reducing sugar present in each drink was undertaken using colorimetry. A comparison was also made of the relative cost of each drink. Overall the results yield some interesting conclusions.

 

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