It’s hard to avoid the sun. Staying hydrated can potentially save your life during these high temperatures.
“A good rule of thumb would be to drink about a cup of water every 15 minutes, just constant hydration of water is going to be the key,” said Stacy Peters, director of Food and Nutrition at Grace Medical Center.
Although sports drinks are tasty, they say leave them to the athletes.
“The only reason to need a sports drink is if you’re an athlete and if you’re really working out and sweating and would need the electrolyte replacement,” Peters said.
One sports drink equals nine packs of sugar, Peters said.
In a regular sports drink, there are 35 grams of sugar, and according to the American Heart Association, only 25 grams of added sugar should be consumed per day.
Nutritionists say choosing water over sports drinks are a better option for your health.
“For the average person, water is sufficient. and you’re also getting hydration from other beverages that you’re drinking,” said Melanie Ridenour, a registered dietitian and nutritionist. “As far as sports drinks go, leave them to the athletes.
She says there is no advantage to drinking a sports drink if your exercise in the heat will be less than 60 minutes and of moderate intensity or low intensity.
And the brand of sports drinks do not matter either, nutritionists say.
“If you’re not doing those things, though, that’s too much sugar, typically,” Ridenour said. “We really get enough of those electrolytes, predominantly the sodium, from our foods and other beverages that we drink.”
