Green Dilemma • Gatorade vs. vitaminwater

By Eric Bartels

Pamplin Media Group, Nov 12, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Here’s a question to chew on: Do nutritional choices constitute a sustainability issue?

We say yes, that participating in the effort to create a more sustainable world requires that you be alive and well, and that maintaining good health means conserving resources better used by others.

A lifestyle that includes a vigorous fitness regimen is, or course, a great way to get there. But what about replenishing your body following exercise? The market for sports drinks has exploded, presenting fitness enthusiasts with an array of choices. Which offers the most health-friendly option? Or is there an alternative of the none-of-the-above variety?

We ask simply, sports drinks or not?

Health benefits

Gatorade was developed by University of Florida researchers in 1965 for the school’s football team. It seems the Gators were faltering in the heat of early-season workouts.

The principles involved were simple. Players needed carbohydrates (sugar) to absorb fluids rapidly and refuel muscles. Electrolytes (salt) helped the body stay hydrated. Fortified by their new drink, the Gators began outlasting opponents in the withering Florida heat and won their first Orange Bowl a year later.

Sports drinks? Yes, their place in sports history is assured.

Added ingredients

The primary sweetener in Gatorade is high-fructose corn syrup, a sugar substitute that has been linked to obesity and a laundry list of other health issues. The healthier vitaminwater (yes, that’s how they spell it) leaves out the high-fructose corn syrup, but still sticks you with 50 calories per 20-ounce bottle, the same as a 32-ounce jug of Gatorade. It may not seem like much, but it can add up, especially if you’re drinking the stuff independent of your workouts.

Both products also contain a variety of emulsifiers, colorants and chemicals like ester gum, which is also used in pesticides.

“There is a need to rehydrate and get electrolytes,” says Valerie Edwards, a registered dietitian at Providence Portland Medical Center, “but you don’t have to use sports drinks to do it.”

Sports drinks? Not necessary.

Taste

Do vitaminwater and Gatorade taste better than plain bottled water or tap water? No doubt.

Sports drinks? For sugary sweetness, yes.

Buy locally

Gatorade and vitaminwater are anything but mom-and-pop operations. Coca-Cola snapped up Glaceau, vitaminwater’s creator, for a cool $4 billion in 2007. Gatorade has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001.

Whatever warm and fuzzy feel you have about these products, remember where your dollars go when you buy them.

Sports drinks? No thanks.

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