Contents:
- Medical Video: What's So Harmful About Sodas & Sugary Drinks?
- What is the effect on health if you drink soda during exercise?
- 1. Does not replace lost electrolytes and minerals
- 2. Causes indigestion
- 3. High sugar content
- 4. Make it thirsty easy
- So, what can you drink while exercising?
Medical Video: What's So Harmful About Sodas & Sugary Drinks?
Carbonated drinks do taste very fresh and tasty. Especially if it's served cold. So fresh, many professional athletes drink soda during sports. The reason is, most energy drinks are indeed carbonated right now. So it seems legitimate for athletes or people who like sports to drink soda during sports.
However, is it really safe if you consume soft drinks before, after, or while exercising? Or is this habit risky for health? Find out the answer below, let's.
What is the effect on health if you drink soda during exercise?
Contrary to what has been believed, drinking soda during exercise is not a recommended practice for doctors and health experts. If you consume soft drinks while exercising, you will actually face more risks than the benefits. Here are the effects on the body if you drink soda during exercise.
1. Does not replace lost electrolytes and minerals
Unlike plain water or ordinary mineral water, soft drinks do not contain enough electrolytes and minerals. In fact, before exercising, your body must be able to maintain fluid balance in the body. Therefore, you need enough electrolyte and mineral intake so that you do not lack fluids.
Likewise, after you exercise, the body has lost a lot of electrolytes and minerals. So, drinking soda will not be able to replace both so you are more prone to dehydration.
2. Causes indigestion
Soft drinks are not good for your digestive system. You can imagine, if digestion is disrupted, your performance is certainly decreased when exercising. Soda itself is known to trigger gas flatulence as well as gastric acid reflux (GERD).
This is because in your digestive system, carbonation and caffeine are acidic. In addition, gas from carbonated soft drinks will also add pressure to the stomach. You will also experience abdominal pain or bloating.
3. High sugar content
In a can of soda, you can get about 35 grams of sugar. If you drink soda during exercise, your blood sugar levels will immediately jump.
However, because you exercise and sugar is immediately converted into energy, the body can immediately use almost all of the sugar in the blood so that after exercising your blood sugar actually drops dramatically.
Blood sugar can also go straight down because after you drink a soda that is high in sugar, the hormone insulin is produced more in the body. This hormone will digest sugar. As a result, blood sugar becomes low. This condition is called hypoglycemia.
4. Make it thirsty easy
In addition to making blood sugar levels unstable, carbonated drinks that are high in sugar can also make you easily thirsty. The reason is, the total carbohydrate from sugar in soft drinks is very thick, which is 11 to 13 percent. Because the sugar content that enters the body is so thick, the body becomes difficult to absorb fluids.
As a result, even if you drink enough soft drinks, you're still thirsty.
So, what can you drink while exercising?
If you really want to find fresh drinks to exercise, water is still the best choice. Water or mineral water can replace lost body fluids without side effects that harm the body.
To make it taste better, you can also add a slice of lemon, mint or cucumber in your drinking water. Lemon, cucumber, and mint can add to the intake of complex carbohydrates that are good for increasing energy, without having to worry about blood sugar ups and downs.
