Have you decided that you need a sports drink to improve your performance on stage and in class? Did you know that consuming a sports drink is a brilliant way of re-charging your glycogen stores and replacing electrolytes lost through sweat after 90 minutes of dancing??? Keep reading for my guide to the best sports drinks for dancers, including a couple of my secret top tips to help you know exactly what you’re looking for when you’re next ransacking the studio’s vending machines.
And that’s not all! If you’re looking to cut the cost that comes with buying commercial sports drinks by making your own versions at home, keep reading for a few quick, thrifty alternatives that I can guarantee will save the pennies…
Not sure whether you actually need a sports drink? Go check out my article Sports Drinks for Dancers… Do We Need Them? to find out!
What are the Best Sports Drinks for Dancers?
As the fitness industry continues to grow, more and more sports drinks are being manufactured, and for those of us who don’t know a great deal about them, making a choice between which one to buy can be really confusing and even a little overwhelming.
Keep reading for my personal checklist, which includes everything you should be looking for when you go to buy your sports drink…
The Green and Red Flags…
**FRIENDLY DISCLAIMER – ALL OF THE OPINIONS PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION ARE PERSONAL AND ONLY RELFECT THE VIEWS OF THEBALLETDOCTOR. **
In my personal opinion, when choosing a sports drink, you should always opt for…
- ORGANIC VERSIONS OF THE PRODUCT
Organic sports drinks tend to be healthier than their alternatives. This is because some of their ingredients may only have been lightly processed. For example, a sports drink that contains organic cane sugar as opposed to a zero-calorie sugar or sweetener is likely to be healthier, as the organic sugar cane will still contain some of the goodness from the original sugar cane plant.
- 4-7% CARBOHYDRATE CONCENTRATION
We need carbs to replenish our glycogen stores to help us maintain energy when performing. A 4-7% carb concentration is the best for absorption in the small intestines. Any lower is unlikely to be sufficient, and a higher concentration has been known to cause unwanted tummy cramps! For more on this, go check out my post Sports Drinks for Dancers… Do We Need Them?
- MAKE SURE YOUR SPORTS DRINK CONTAINS ELECTROLYTES
When we sweat, we lose electrolytes. A good sports drinks can replace these lost sodium and potassium electrolytes so that we can avoid symptoms such as confusion, sickness and cramps which can occur if we are in an electrolyte imbalance!
When choosing a sports drink, I always stay away from…
- ZERO-CALORIE OR LOW-CALORIE VERSIONS
A lot of low-calorie versions of sports drinks (or other products in general) tend to use sugar substitutes such as acesulfame k or sucralose. These have been known to cause bloating (as sucralose can lessen the amount of good bacteria in our gut) and an increase in blood sugar levels.
- GMO products
Honestly, there’s still a lot of studies being conducted on GMO foods, and from my own research there seems to be a lot of disagreements over whether GMO products can be damaging to our health and the environment. As far as I’m concerned, it’s probably safer to stay away from sports drinks containing GMO products until we can be 100% sure that they pose no risks!
All in all, I probably wouldn’t spend all day researching sports drinks to find the very best brand. As long as your drink of choice contains the essential electrolytes (mainly sodium and potassium) and isn’t artificially sweetened, then you’re pretty much on to a winner!
Are there any Alternative to Sports Drinks that you can make at home?
Let’s face it, sports drinks can be expensive, especially if you’re needing to buy them every day for class. Luckily, there are few alternatives to the typical, commercial sports products which will cost you a lot less, as well as some that you can even make at home.
Fruit Juice
Carol Et Al carried out an experiment documented in the ‘Journal of Food and Nutrition’, which determined whether there was any difference in athletic ability after consuming Gatorade, diluted apple juice or plain old water.
As you may recall if you’ve read my post Sports Drinks for Dancers… Do We Need Them? I mentioned that the carbohydrate concentration in fruit juice is a bit too high to be consumed whilst dancing. For this reason, the apple juice used in the study was diluted by 50% to achieve a concentration of approximately 6%- around the same as that of Gatorade. 10 participants of varying ages were asked to cycle for 1 hour. The results were as follows;
‘Results indicated that diluted fruit juice rated higher for fullness compared to a popular sports beverage (Gatorade), or water; comparable in physiological effects during exercise and was economically competitive.’
(DeNysschen, C., 2014. The Physiological Effects of Gatorade® Versus Diluted Fruit Juice during Exercise: A Preliminary Study. Journal of Food and Nutrition,.)
In other words, regardless of whether the participants consumed Gatorade or apple juice, there weren’t any real notable differences regarding their athletic performance. For example, the participants didn’t tire more quickly or sweat more profusely.
If you are someone who prioritises being thrifty, and don’t mind adding an extra task to the morning to-do list before leaving for the studio, making your own sports drink by diluting apple juice in water and adding some salts will save you a few pennies at little to no cost to your performance.
To read the full article, visit; The-Physiological-Effects-of-Gatorade-Versus-Diluted-Fruit-Juice-during-Exercise-A-Preliminary-Study.pdf (jscholaronline.org)
Coconut Water
Many dancers looking for a more natural alternative to commercial sports drinks have turned to coconut water.
Despite containing less sodium that most sports drinks, the potassium content in coconut water can often exceed double the amount of that which is present in sports drinks. This has proven to be very beneficial for dancers by helping muscle cramps and reducing levels of water retention!
Coconut water has a carbohydrate concentration of around 3.7%, which is a little lower than the 4-7% present in sports drinks. However, in my opinion, this variation is probably not going to make too much of a difference to your performance on stage or in class!
In all honesty, substituting coconut water for a sports drink is a swings-and-roundabouts kind of situation… Yes, you do have the increased potassium content alongside all the health benefits accompanying coconut water (such as its properties as a natural antioxidant and ability to help improve heart health). However, sports drinks do have a higher carbohydrate concentration, which could be more beneficial for dancers needing to refill their glycogen stores to maintain the energy they need to get through grand allegro!
Final Thoughts on The Best Sports Drinks for Dancers
Let’s face it, there are A LOT of sports drinks out there, and finding the best sports drinks for dancers may seem like a bit of a challenge! However, if you stick to my Green and Red Flags checklist, then I have no doubts that you will find a quality sports drink that works for you…
If you’re looking to save the pennies this year, try opting for coconut water, or have a go at making your own sports drink at home by diluting apple juice in water and adding some salt!
In the meantime, go check out my article Sports Drinks for Dancers… Do We Need Them? to find out why dancers need sports drinks too… See you there!
**FRIENDLY DISCLAIMER: All information, guidance or advice provided on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. The use of this information is at your own risk. **
