When Counting Calories: Do You Really Need that Sports Drink after a Workout?

When Working Out, Make Every Calorie Count, Reach for a Bowl of Whole Grain Cereal, and Cut the Sports Drinks Out

When starting a new exercise regimen for weight loss, many of us may reach for that sports drink. Because of all the advertising out there, it’s commonly assumed that these products are necessary after a workout to give our body much-needed nutrients, whether it’s to build more muscle or to replenish essential electrolytes depleted during exercise.

Yet, a recent study shows this isn’t the case for the average person who’s working out to lose weight. In fact, when a dieter is watching their food intake and trying to make every calorie count, sports drinks can go. Researchers at the University of Texas found that a bowl of whole-grain cereal works just as well as sports drinks when it comes to recovery after exercise.

Study Summary:

Researchers compared the post-exercise effects of whole-grain cereal and milk, with carbohydrate-based sports drinks.

Their study was designed to reflect a typical exercise session (moderate exercise), not high-performance athletics as in other studies.

They found that refueling of muscles, or replenishment of glycogen, was equal between both groups.

They also noted that milk promotes protein synthesis, or muscle building, by providing easily digestible and high quality protein.

For those of us who are watching our weight, trying to lose weight, or who simply care about the quality of the foods we put into our body, this means we don’t have to turn toward glowing, anti-freeze-colored, artificially flavored, sweetened sports drinks to get the nutrients we need post-workout. We can enjoy a healthy, balanced breakfast, and choose to re-hydrate with either an icy cold glass of zero-calorie H2O, or a great-tasting, natural beverage such as green tea, chock full of antioxidants and low in carbs.