If you've been playing ball on the court or outside on the field, you should always be taking in lots of liquids. You lose a lot of liquid when you exercise because you sweat so much, so somehow that liquid needs to be replaced. To help you decide on how you replace those liquids, Kidzworld checked out the following sports drinks.
Gatorade: the original of the sports drinks. It was developed by scientists at the University of Florida in 1965. It was named after the University's football team, the Gators, because they were the first to test it out. Gatorade is mostly water, but it also has carbohydrates and sodium which you lose when exercising.
- The Goods: 13 flavors, including Fierce Grape and Fierce Berry. Players dump a bucket of the stuff over their coach whenever they win a championship. And they've got free games at their website. Check it out at www.gatorade.com.
Red Bull: Energy Drink containing a combo of vitamins, caffeine, carbohydrates and more. There were rumors that it was made from the balls of bulls, but that has since been disproven. The makers say drinking Red Bull can improve your concentration and co-ordination. I'm not so sure about that, but it does have a very unique taste. Kind of like part juice, part medicine, part something weird your grandma might make and put in a canning jar.
- The Goods: The Red Bull does give you a bit of a jolt which is nice, but it's got caffeine in it, so don't drink this as a way of replacing liquids. Stick with water or one of the other sports drinks instead. The funky can it comes in, and the fact they sponsor a kick-butt cliff diving tournament in Hawaii every year. To find out about that and other cool sports, go for a bullride over to www.redbull.com
PowerAde: made by the guys that bring you Coca-Cola. Pretty similar to Gatorade - but a little too sweet for some people's taste.
- The Goods: 7 flavors, including Green Squall. How they name themselves. Besides Green Squall, PowerAde offers up Arctic Shatter, Infrared Freeze, and Jagged Ice.
All Sport: Water, Carbs and Sodium from the gang at Pepsi.
- The Goods: 7 flavors, the coolest being Extreme Watermelon. Their bottle known as the Claw. Thirty-two ounces of liquid and the bottle is big enough that you can use it to whack your friend over the head with when your done re-hydrating.
Water: A natural substance, found in rivers, lakes and your taps. It's been around for billions of years and is necessary for human survival.
- The Goods: Very tasty drink. If you're looking to replace fluids after exercising, water is always a great option. While water doesn't have the carbohydrates that sports drinks have, you can replace those by eating oranges, bananas or other fruits. We need water to live. That makes it outlast any other fad or drink out there. Water gets a big thumb's up.
