What do isotonic drinks do?

The most important points in brief

• When exercising, you should avoid drinking beverages with a lot of sugar.
• Non-carbonated or medium water is recommended. But what about isotonic drinks?
• These are liquids that contain dissolved nutrients.
• The ratio of nutrients in isotonic drinks is similar to the composition of human blood.

It's not as complicated as the word "isotonic" might sound like. Because isotonic drinks usually only consist of water with vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. Our blood absorbs the ingredients faster - and that has a number of advantages. More on this below.

How do I actually recognize isotonic drinks?

That's easy. To put it casually: only where it says isotonic is isotonic. Don't make the mistake of assuming that a liquid declared as a sports drink is automatically isotonic. But there is also the opposite case, in which a drink is isotonic that you would not even suspect.

For example, if you mix an apple spritzer yourself for sport at home with three or four parts of water and one part of juice. This is not only the case with apple juice, almost every other fruit juice is also isotonic when diluted with water. And non-alcoholic wheat beer is also isotonic, although it is better to drink this drink only after training - and not for refreshment during a break from training.

The ingredients in isotonic drinks work quickly

Too much sugar in the drink, see “The most important points in brief”, is not recommended for sport, but a small amount is justifiable. It should be a little bit of taste, and that requires a minimum of aromas and a little sugar. That is perfectly acceptable. But what do isotonic drinks do in sport? The biggest advantage is that they quickly pass through the stomach. As a result, the carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins are redirected directly into the body - exactly where they are needed during training.

The loss of minerals caused by sport is compensated for directly. The burned energy reserves replenish the carbohydrates that are contained in isotonic drinks in the form of fructose, glucose or simple sugars. Incidentally, sodium is also added to the isotonic liquids. This replenishes the electrolytes lost during sweating.

Do you want to lose weight while exercising? Then better avoid isotonic drinks

Anyone who does sport regularly or is a competitive athlete can drink isotonic drinks with a clear conscience in order to keep their water and nutrient balance in balance during physical activity. Fruit juice spritzers are ideal for exercise, and alcohol-free wheat beer after exercise. Always drink in small amounts, as this is how the body can best absorb the nutrients it contains.

However, anyone who does sports with the noble goal of losing weight should be careful with isotonic drinks. Because the sugar contained or the fructose counteracts these efforts. Even wheat beer without alcohol is not a good idea in this case. Because this drink is not only isotonic, but also hypotonic - which means that the contained, undissolved particles get into the blood very quickly. If you want to lose weight through exercise, drinking water rich in sodium is best.