Spritzer instead of non-alcoholic beer after sports

Beer or Schorle: Which sports drinks are better?

07/21/2013

Especially in the summer heat recreational athletes must compensate for their nutrient losses after exercise. Many then resort to alcohol-free beer, but juice spritzer is much better suited, says a nutrition expert.

Spritzer with isotonic effect
Not only recreational athletes who need to balance their nutrient losses after exercise enjoy a cool non-alcoholic beer during the summer heat. However, the nutrition expert Jens Luther, expert of the consumer center Saxony, explains that juice spritzer would compensate the lost nutrients much better. However, this should not contain more than a third of juice. „The sugar in a juice spritzer has the same isotonic effect as the ingredients in the beer“, so Luther.

Not the right nutrients in the beer
Alcohol-free beer, which has become increasingly popular in recent times, is indeed isotonic, but that only means that the nutrients contained in it faster enter the body as with other drinks such as lemonade, water or juice. The name says nothing about what nutrients it contains. Luther explains that there are differences between juice spritzer and beer: „The beer contains nutrients such as potassium and vitamins, which the body does not lose as much during exercise.“ Instead, physical activity tends to consume sugar and eliminate sodium through sweating. „But that is not so in the beer, the nutrients it contains are less suitable.“

Spasms due to sodium loss
A juice spritzer was therefore much better suited. The body is given back by the sugar lost energy and if you add a pinch of salt, you can also equal equalize the sodium loss. The salt also helps the body to absorb the fluid better. The advertised specifically for athletes drinks but you can save confidently. Especially endurance athletes, such as joggers, should pay enough sodium in their sports drink to prevent muscle spasms. Because sodium losses are much more likely to cause cramps than magnesium deficiency.

Fluid intake via food
Basically, a lot of drinking is good for your health. But not everything that is said for proper fluid intake is correct. It is often read that you have to drink three liters a day to cover the fluid requirements. However, as food is also absorbed through food, such as fruit and vegetables, and even different temperatures affect the fluid balance, it does not always have to be that much. According to the recommendation of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) should generally „At least 1.5 liters per day are drunk, in heat it can be quiet 3 l and more.“ Thus, the summer heat in offices was better tolerated.

Seniors lose their thirst
Humans react to fluid loss with reduced physical and mental performance. Physical reactions are fatigue, lack of concentration, headache and thirst. Thirst is usually a reliable indication that the body needs fluid. However, as you grow older, you may lose that feeling, and some seniors may be at risk of dehydration. The largest fluid requirement should be covered by the recommendation of the German Society of Nutrition calorie-free drinks such as mineral and drinking water and unsweetened herbal and fruit teas.

Coffee and alcohol
The warnings in the past that coffee deprives the body of liquid, are now relativized. So it is now known that the diuretic effect is low and therefore one or the other cup does not matter during the day because of this. However, coffee is less suitable as a thirst quencher because of its cardiovascular and cardiovascular effects. Alcoholic beverages, on the other hand, are very diuretic and thus deprive the body of water. Therefore, it is advised to drink a glass of wine and a glass of wine at the same time.

Too much is unhealthy
But you can also drink too much. For example, the ratio of water and salts in the body can be unbalanced if you drink several liters of water in a short time. This could even lead to cardiac arrhythmia and the function of the kidneys could be impaired. It threatens in the worst case, a deadly water poisoning. Drinking too much can also lead to iodine deficiency. Researchers at the Institute for Child Nutrition at the University of Bonn have found this out in a comprehensive study investigating the relationship between iodine balance and fluid intake. (Ad)