In some cases yes, for general types of exercise lasting less than one hour, water is still the best sports drink around. Glucose-electrolyte solution drinks (also known as sports drinks) do have their place- mostly for high-intensity intermittent exercise, or for exercise lasting more than 45 minutes.
These products are a mixture of water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes. Electrolytes are dissolved minerals that form a salty soup in and around the cells. They conduct electrical charges that let them react with other minerals to relay nerve impulses, make muscles contract or relax, and regulate the fluid balance inside and outside cells.In hard workouts or athletic competitions lasting 45 minutes or longer, electrolytes are lost through sweat.
Where glucose-electrolyte solutions may have an edge over water is in their flavor. A lot of people don't drink water only because it doesn't taste good. Soldiers participating in a study at the U.S army research institute of environmental medicine were given the choice of drinking plain chlorinated water, flavored water, or lemon-lime glucose-electrolyte solution drinks. Most of the soldiers chose the glucose-electrolyte solutions or flavored water over plain water.
If you don't need to benefit from the extra carbs and electrolytes, one other way to sneak more water in and still get the flavor is to dilute your glucose-electrolyte solution or use one of the new flavored fitness waters. But remember, you will not get the performance-enhancement effect for exercise over one hour if you do this.
If you're an avid water drinker like me and really like water, you'll benefit just as much from water as you would from using glucose-electrolyte solution unless you're exercising an hour or more.
Designer Waters
Fortified Water - Featuring a splash of flavor and sweetness, these waters are fortified with predissolved vitamins and minerals. Fortified waters are not to be confused with sports drinks or glucose-electrolyte solutions, which are packed with more carbohydrate energy and higher amounts of electrolytes than speciality water contains.
Fitness Water - This product is flavored water with some vitamins, but with only around 10 calories per serving. Its meant to be used when you want some flavor in your water but don't need a glucose-electrolyte solution or extra calories.
Herbal Water - Fairly new on the water front are herb- enhanced waters. You can now drink water containing popular herbs such as echinacea, ginkgo biloba, siberian ginseng, ginger, or st. john's wort. These beverages are a good option if you want the benefits of medicinal herbs without popping pills or capsules.
Oxygen-Enriched Water - These beverages are said to be enhanced with up to 40 times the normal oxygen concentration found naturally in water. Available as flavored or unflavored they claim to boost energy by increasing oxygen saturation in the red blood cells.
Electrolyzed Water - This category describes water that has been separated into alkaline and acid fractions. The alkaline fraction is bottled for drinking with a PH of about 9.5 compared with other bottled waters, in which PH ranges from 6 to 8. Claims for electrolyzed include smoother taste, healthier water, improved hydration ability, electrolyte availability, and antioxidant properties.
Aside from smoother-tasting water, the scientific research into most of these claims is still in its infancy.
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