Believe the hype: Energy drinks work

ENERGY drinks really do help athletes improve their endurance and levels of performance, Scottish research has suggested.

A study of young sportsmen and women found that consuming the drinks before and during exercise meant they could play in team games for longer than those who had not used the products.

The researchers said the study highlighted the importance of hydration and energy intake for performance during intense sporting activities.

The Edinburgh University study recruited students aged 12 to 14 to help assess the effectiveness of sports drinks.

The team measured the performance of the 15 youngsters during exercises designed to simulate the physical demands of team games such as football, rugby and hockey.

The group, who were recruited from George Watson's College in Edinburgh and other schools, were tested using one particular brand of energy drink called High5. The solution contains carbohydrates, sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.

The performance of students using the product was compared with that of players when they drank a non-carbohydrate placebo solution.

The researchers, writing in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, found that taking the 6 per cent carbohydrate-electrolyte solution helped the young people continue high-intensity, stop-start activity for up to 24 per cent longer than those using the placebo drink.

But the research showed that there was no evidence the drinks made people run faster during intermittent exercise in team sports.

HIT THE BOTTLE

The number of energy drinks on the market has grown significantly. They include:

High5: This was the product used by the Edinburgh University researchers and contains carbohydrate, sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium to help prevent dehydration and provide energy.

Lucozade Sport: It contains carbo-hydrates and vitamins.

Powerade: Designed, say its makers, to "help prevent dehydration and delay the onset of muscle fatigue during exercise".

It contains a combination of fast-acting carbohydrates, minerals and electrolytes.

Popular sports drinks such as Lucozade Sport and Powerade help replace fluid and electrolytes - key minerals in the body - lost through perspiration.

According to product research company Mintel, the sports and energy drinks market is worth 1 billion in the UK and their biggest consumers are young males.

Dr John Sproule, head of the Institute of Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences at the university, who led the research, said: "The importance of hydration to improve performance during exercise for adults is well known.

"This research helps us further understand how adolescents respond to hydration and energy supply during exercise.

"The consumption of carbohydrate-electrolyte solution was found to significantly enhance capacity during simulated games play, and this could contribute to improved performance in adolescents."

Dr Sproule's daughter Laura, a student at George Watson's College who took part in the study, said she had previously used sports drinks while taking part in activities such as hockey, tennis and athletics.

The 14-year-old said she would continue to drink them, though she said it was difficult to tell how they had affected her performance during the research.

"I would choose them over water and other types of juice," she said.

Fife-based nutritionist Carina Norris said people needed to be wary of drinking sports drinks just because they tasted nice, as some could be high in calories.

She said the majority of people could stay hydrated during exercise with just normal water, while sports drinks were useful for those taking part in a lot of high-energy sports.