Can I Drink More Sports Drinks After Exercise?

運動后可以多喝運動飲料嗎?

What are sports drinks? How are they different from energy drinks， and what ingredients do they each contain?

什么是運動飲料？它們與能量飲料有何不同？兩種飲料分別含有哪些成分？

It’s important to distinguish between sports drinks and energy drinks.

Sports drinks are electrolyte-enhanced beverages. Their main purpose is to restore water and electrolytes that are lost during heavy exercise and sweating. They will contain electrolytes like sodium， potassium， calcium and magnesium. Many are carbohydrate-based， with added sugars like fructose， glucose and sucrose. Sometimes they contain caffeine.

There are also energy drinks that are often confused with sports drinks. Energy drinks typically contain large amounts of caffeine. Many contain other stimulants like taurine， guarana and L-carnitine. These energy drinks could reduce fatigue and enhance performance in the short term. However， they are not sports drinks and should not be used when the purpose is to replenish electrolytes and fluids.

Energy drinks can be dangerous when consumed in large quantities. High amounts of caffeine can induce irregular and rapid heartbeats. Individuals may become anxious and develop sleeping problems. Those consuming energy drinks instead of sports drinks or water may become dehydrated. Also， although many ingredients in these energy drinks are marketed as being “natural”， they may be present in much larger quantities that people normally consume.

區分運動飲料和能量飲料很重要。

運動飲料是電解質補充飲料，其主要目的是補充在劇烈運動和出汗過程中流失的水分和電解質。運動飲料含有鈉、鉀、鈣和鎂等電解質，碳水化合物含量通常很高，添加了果糖、葡萄糖和蔗糖等，有時含有咖啡因。

人們常常把運動飲料和能量飲料混淆。能量飲料通常含有大量的咖啡因。許多含有其他興奮因子，如牛磺酸、瓜拉納和左旋肉堿。能量飲料因為這些成分，可以在短期內緩解疲勞，且有提神效果。然而，能量飲料不是運動飲料，如果僅僅為了補充電解質和水分，不應飲用能量飲料。

大量飲用能量飲料可能產生危險。大量的咖啡因會導致心律不齊和心跳加快。飲用者可能會變得焦慮并出現睡眠問題。用能量飲料代替運動飲料或水飲用，可能導致脫水。此外，盡管能量飲料中的許多成分被宣稱是“天然的”，但它們的含量可能比人們平常的攝入量大得多。

Is it good to have caffeine in a sports drink， and how much is too much?

在運動飲料中加入咖啡因好嗎？多少才算太多？

The primary reason for using a sports drink is to replenish electrolytes and fluids. Caffeine does not have a role in replenishing electrolytes， and in fact is a diuretic that leads to more fluid being lost， so in general， it’s best to stay away from sports drinks that have caffeine.

The negative impacts of caffeine are even more profound when it comes to young people. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 12 not consume any caffeine. Children aged 12 to 18 should not exceed 100 milligrams of caffeine every day.

飲用運動飲料的主要原因是為了補充電解質和水分。咖啡因在補充電解質方面沒有作用，事實上它是一種利尿劑，會導致更多的水分流失，所以總的來說，最好遠離含有咖啡因的運動飲料。

咖啡因對年輕人的負面影響更為深遠。美國兒科學會建議12歲以下的兒童不要攝入咖啡因。12至18歲的兒童每天攝入的咖啡因不應超過100毫克。

Who needs sports drinks， and who should stay away?

誰需要運動飲料？誰應該遠離？

Most people do not need sports drinks. Water is sufficient for hydration， and the food people eat usually contain the electrolytes they need. Athletes engaging in mild to moderate activity and children playing on the playground or engaging in recreational after-school sports generally do not need additional electrolyte replacement drinks.

If it’s hot outside， they need to be drinking lots of water before， during and after exercise. They can also aim to eat foods packed with nutrients and electrolytes. Some examples include watermelon， milk， cheese， bananas， coconut water and avocados. If they are engaging in heavier activity for longer， they could also eat a snack of salted nuts.

Individuals who should consider sports drinks are athletes who are doing vigorous exercise for at least an hour or longer. Whether they need it depends on the climate， type and intensity of exercise， and whether they are prone to sweat heavily.

大多數人不需要飲用運動飲料。喝水補充水分就足夠了，平時攝入的食物通常也含有人體所需的電解質。從事輕度至中度活動的運動員、在操場上玩耍或從事娛樂性課后運動的兒童通常不需要額外的電解質補充飲料。

如果室外很熱，他們需要在運動前、運動中和運動后大量喝水。他們還可以吃富含營養和電解質的食物，如西瓜、牛奶、奶酪、香蕉、椰子水和鱷梨。如果長時間從事重體力活動，也可以吃一些咸味堅果零食。

進行至少一小時或更長時間劇烈運動的運動員，應該考慮飲用運動飲料。他們是否需要飲用運動飲料取決于氣候、運動類型和強度，以及是否容易大量出汗。

Word Bank

induce /?n'dju?s/ v. 引起；導致

Doctors said surgery could induce a heart attack.

vigorous /'v?ɡ?r?s/ adj. 精力充沛的；充滿活力的

Take vigorous exercise for several hours a week.