Not if it’s only a little bit. And not if it helps with your rapid rehydration. In fact, in some cases, sugar really is beneficial.
The Goldilocks sugar zone
Goldilocks would never have consumed too much sugar. Or too little. She’d have taken just the right amount to help rehydrate after a gym session or sports game.
Too much sugar?
You see, if Goldilocks slammed down a sports drink after a workout loaded with sugar (standard sports drinks are generally high in sugar at between 6–8%), then the absorption of electrolytes in her body would have slowed down and she would have been left feeling bloated. Blah.
Too little sugar?
If she had a drink with no sugar after her pump class, it wouldn’t activate the co-transport of glucose and sodium for her body to rapidly replace fluid and electrolytes she had lost through heavy sweating.
Juuust right…
But if she has a Hydralyte with glucose at a low concentration, or a Hydralyte Sports, with just 2% glucose concentration and essential sodium at the correct balance (it’s the combination that allows for the rapid rehydration), she’ll be juuuust right. And won’t experience any dodgy tummy discomfort either.
Hey, sugar, what do you do?
Sugar and electrolytes are basically besties. Fast and effective hydration is all about getting glucose and sodium molecules through the small intestine to absorb electrolytes. And sugar is what helps you absorb these electrolytes. Why thank you, sugar.
Not so sporty
The thing is, sugary sports drinks are typically high in kilojoules. Remember, Hydralyte Sports only has 2% sugar, because that’s all that’s needed to aid in rehydration. So if your goal is watching those kilojoules, you’ll need a calculator to count them all with some sugary sports drinks (which kind of defeats the whole purpose of getting to that pump class in the first place).
Burning calories
Even Goldilocks would be shocked at how long it takes to burn the excess kilojoules of some sugary drinks and sports drinks. With the rapid rehydration of Hydralyte Sports at only 2% sugar, it only takes 6 minutes of jogging to burn off its 192kJ. With an average soft drink or sports drink, you’d have to pound the pavement for 32 minutes to burn off its sugars. Have you got an extra half hour in your day to burn off what you just drank after your workout?
The right hydration
Rapid rehydration by replacing electrolytes after physical activity is critical (and also helps prevent cramping). Of course, water is awesome and you should aim to drink 8-10 glasses of water each day. Hydralyte Sports isn’t a water replacement but if you’re already dehydrated (which may be likely after a big workout), then rehydrating rapidly with an oral rehydration solution like Hydralyte Sports is a great way to restore your body’s electrolyte balance super quickly. So make Hydralyte Sports, with just the right amount of sugar, part of your workout routine. Because you want to feel just right, right?
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