Think Before You Drink

The month of August is a time when baseball championships are wrapping up and football practices are beginning. Younger children are squeezing in as much summer fun as they can between bike rides, soccer camps, basketball, and many other activities. Both children and adults will increase their heart rates and body temperatures. This creates a need for proper hydration.

Hydration & Rehydration

The most common avenues for rehydration are water and electrolyte replacement drinks, like Gatorade. Electrolyte replacement drinks are extremely common on every playing field. Hogan Family Dental wants to ensure you have the information you need to make the best choice when it comes to rehydrating your bodies and minimizing potential dental or other health issues.

Water

First, considering the amount of time spent exercising is critical to evaluate the best drink. When athletes exercise for 90 minutes or less the best choice for proper hydration is water.

If you or your child are an endurance athlete and will be exercising for two or more hours, a sugar enhanced sports drink may be recommended for proper hydration and electrolyte replacement. These electrolyte replacement drinks are specially designed for athletes that are losing copious amounts of sweat over a period of many hours. The best choice for rehydration is still water.

When choosing a drink, an athlete’s overall medical condition must also be considered. If you or your child has any medical condition such as diabetes, please be sure to visit with your dietician if you have questions regarding electrolyte and sugar content of beverage options.

Sports & Energy Drinks

Sports drinks and energy drinks should be considered towards part of a person’s daily sugar intake. The American Heart Association (AHA), the Food and Drug Association, and the World Health Organization encourage minimizing sugar consumption to prevent disease. Natural occurring sugars are not the issue; added sugars are the troublesome ones. These added sugars are found in many beverages, including sports drinks.

Calculating Sugar Content

Here’s how to calculate the amount of sugar per serving. Simply look at the number of servings per container and multiply that number by the grams of sugar per serving. You can divide the number of grams by four to find the number of teaspoons. One teaspoon of granulated sugar is equal to 4 grams of sugar.

Recommended Daily Sugar Intake

The AHA recommends that an adult male consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams) of added sugar per day and an adult woman consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day. Children are recommended to consume even less added sugar than adults!

Sugar intake recommendations correlate to calorie consumption. Consuming one 20oz bottle of a sports drink will either meet or exceed your daily added sugar allotment. Taking time to read the labels of popular sports drinks (and other beverages) is important to ensure you and your athlete are making the right choice when it comes to rehydration.

“High sugar intake is one of the main contributing factors to obesity in the country. Some people choose a sports drink thinking it’s the better choice, never knowing how sweet it really is.” – Lorenzo Rawls, NASM certified, Elite fitness trainer

Here is the regular sugar content for some 20 ounce beverages that are regularly seen and used at athletic activities:

We Care

Hogan Family Dental cares what you choose to drink for hydrating and rehydrating. We recommend choosing water as your first choice. We encourage you to minimize the amount of sugar you intake – because this affects you teeth, not just your overall health. Your teeth are more susceptible to dental decay and bacteria in the presence of sugar. This affect is magnified when sugar and acid are present together.

Contact Us

Please call Hogan Family Dental at (406) 234 – 2926 or email us to schedule your next checkup or to learn more about the affects of sugar on your teeth.