The second part of the Lucozade Sport blog will shy away from the advertising side of the company and focus on the controversy that surrounds the use of sports drinks.
Staying hydrated is one of the most important and often neglected parts of sport. Even in day to day life, replacing fluid ensures adequate mental efficiency and general physical well being. As well as upholding good nutritional habits, consuming fluids regularly is essential for performance enhancement.
Hydration has come a long way. It used to be common practice for marathon runners not to consume any drinks whatsoever fearing fluid would weigh them down during races. This preconception has now thankfully vanished so exercisers everywhere can do so without putting themselves at unnecessary risk of dehydration (classified as a 2% reduction in body mass); side effects include fainting, dizziness and nausea.
You may be surprised to find out that there have been relatively few deaths caused by dehydration during exercise, however more are seen from drinking too much (hyperhydration) largely due to the body being unable to process the excess fluid (a condition known as hypontraemia, where blood sodium levels drop extremely low).
On a brighter note! Sports drinks where first introduced by a man named Robert Cade, university professor and coach of an American football team, The Florida Gators. He found that in the heat, his players lost an extraordinary amount of weight during games (up to 8kg!) most of this through water loss via sweating. He formulated a drink which comprised of salt, sugars and lemon juice to help the hydration abilities of his players. It proved successful and this formed the brand that is now known today as Gatorade.
Lucozade and other companies have followed this basic recipe with some adaptations to create their own brand. Controversy transpired when the advertising campaign ‘Last Men Standing’ was released in January 2014. The advert claimed Lucozade Sport improved performance and hydrated better than water during exercise. This was believed to breach previously agreed conditions regarding sports drinks linked with the European Food Safety Authority list of approved statements. The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) banned the advert just after release claiming there was insufficient evidence that proved this was true. See the advert which caused all the fuss-
The following points summarize the controversy between sports drinks and use for general public-
- Purely research based, there is a lack of evidence that advocates sports drinks are of benefit or are any better than water for improving exercise performance.
- For the average person who exercises they do not need the sugar or sodium content during activity as many do not work at the intensity required for replenishment. Your normal diet will meet these needs when it comes to preparing before exercise and refuelling after.
- As the drinks are high in sugar and salt some have pointed the finger at these companies to contributing to the obesity epidemic in western countries, especially for making the product so easily available to those who do not partake in exercise.
- The National Hydration Council stated that water is the best way to stay hydrated during exercise. Sports drinks are not needed unless the individual is taking part in high intensity physical exertion that is surplus to 60 minutes or more (many do not reach this level of activity on a regular basis).
- Some studies that do advocate the use of sports drinks draw up questionable conclusions and are from authors who have financial ties with the distributing companies [1].
It can be hard to understand how these drinks have gotten so mainstream. However the idea behind the beverages, the advertising ploys highlighted in part 1 and the general consensus of popularity means the drinks are here to stay for a little while longer.
Here are some general recommendations that you may choose to adopt in the future-
- If you take part in high intensity exercise that has a duration of over 60 minutes then the drinks can be of use to rehydrate and can be a source of quick energy to help performance (particularly long distance running such as marathon training as glycogen stores and fluids are heavily depleted)
- No need to consume for exercise under 60 minutes of low to medium intensity
- Recommend no consumption for everyday use. Water is an essential nutrient for the body and is the best way to stay hydrated (it’s free as well!)
- Exercise causes increased electrolyte loss in warm climates due to higher sweat rate, using these drinks can help prevent further imbalances
- If you have a balanced diet that meets your energy needs then there is no need to use them. You may be consuming unnecessary calories that contribute to weight gain
- Listen to your thirst! It’s a function of the body that tells you that you are dehydrated [2], drinking ahead of thirst can have serious consequences as noted earlier
So to finish, Lucozade are a very popular brand recognised by everyone. Even though they have very good marketing and advertising techniques, this does not necessarily mean they are of use! It is imperative that you make informed choices about what you eat and drink so next time you’re in a shop, ask yourself the question ‘do I really need this?’
I don’t know about you, but I feel like going for a run after all that!
I think I’ll stick to a bottle of water for now though..
Elliot Pottinger
Further Reading-
[1] An interesting discussion from Deborah Cohen on the use of sports drinks and the links researchers have with sports drinks companies http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e4737
[2] Waterlogged by Tim Noakes- a book that assesses hydration and drinking ahead of thirst http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/waterlogged
Tick Marketing 