The truth about sports products

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kev_off_the_tee

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Just wondering if anyone watched panorama last night on bbc which focussed on whether claims by sports products such as sports drinks or running shoes has any scientific backing?

I only watched as I've always bought a sports rehydration drink such as powerade thinking it quenched my thirst quicker than other drinks out there. I never used is as an energy drink as some claim to be.

According to scientific research by boffins with nothing better to do, sports drinks only work for elite athletes after several hours of working out, not for quenching your thirst and not for most of us regular sized blokes.

It also made me even more angry about running trainers and how getting fitted out and measured does absolutely nothing for you and you'd be better running barefoot. The reason for m anger, m wife spend £140 on a pair after being told she has a high arch and open gate step, all of which the boffins said made no difference to comfort and did not effect reduce the risk of injury, arrrrgh

Costco have some chiller sports bottles cheap which I'll be picking up in the morning, saving a small fortune in the long run.
 
I saw it

Wasnt surprised with the water "revelations" had heard similar before

The running shoes bit was less scientific and tbh dont think they presented the information that well. Yes running barefoot is how we're built but barely no one runs like that anymore as we are used to having the trainers. Go and run as you do currently and you'll cause a lot of damage very quickly barefoot if you dont change your style

As for the effect of a proper trainer fitting they make sense as they are fitted to how you currently run, the alternative is to buy an unfitted pair and fit your running style to what you choose to buy (sounds like custom fitting golf clubs to me lol)
 
When I ran endurance events I either used my own mix of OJ/water/salt or preferred to drink squash and eat food (flapjacks, jaffa cakes, bananas, jelly babies etc) but my cast iron stomach could take that. I tried the gels etc but they just upset my stomach.

Plain water in excess is very dangerous though so often at least the isotonic drink mix adds some salts etc back into the system.

Barefoot running has been around for ages but not suitable for the average runner imo. You saw how they had to run - up on tippy toes and looked very weird. I'd stick with cushioned or supportive trainers and know many runners who were stricken with say shin splints due to bio-mechanical issues and supportive runners solved them.

The researchers were on the look out for anything to refute the claims so had their own agenda just as much as the manufacturers had.

I did chuckle at the legend Tim Noakes trying to contain his mirth at zero calorie sports drinks though!
 
My daughter runs. County champ for age group.

I wait for special deals on basic supermarket "sports" drinks and buy a load at a time.

Either that or we fill a 750ml bottle from Sports Direct with Ribena.

Some parents must be spending a fortune.

From now on, only Jam Sandwiches too. :)
 
I liked the part when they made half the army run in fitted trainers and half in standard off the shelf and found no difference in injury levels between the groups.

I do agree with others that since we are so used to footwear that we would have to completely change our running style to consider barefoot, but think specialist trainers are for those with previous injury issues.
 
In the fifties we used to run on a cinder track wearing spiked soled shoes with a sole about 1/8th inch thick ( 3mm approx in new money ). You could feel every spike. It was murder. No trainers then only daps and the famous Donlop green flash.
 
daymond said:
In the fifties we used to run on a cinder track wearing spiked soled shoes with a sole about 1/8th inch thick ( 3mm approx in new money ). You could feel every spike. It was murder. No trainers then only daps and the famous Donlop green flash.
Click to expand...

In the 50's I was mastering walking on lino in a nappy.
 
I drink Lucozade etc for the sugar and it tastes nice.

Under no illusions that if you want to hydrate, water is the best way to go.

However...I hate programmes like this. Sometimes I don't need/want to know the truth. I think this is one of those times!
 
What I found interesting and I didnt watch all of it as I had to go out, but it was the revelation of the dehydration that the manufactures now make you think you are going to get dehydrated.

Also the bit about kids drinking a bottle of lucozade equivalent of so many spoons of sugar etc and how they are taking in more energy than they burn.
 
On the subject of energy drinks I know that when American sports players could be seen drinking out of Gatorade (sp) Bottles and the ice bins they were kept in .....Most of them were drinking flat coke as it was a better energy drink because of the sugar and caffeine.
 
Private companies in stretching the truth shocker lol! This is marketing. Most companies use this in some aspect. Golf manufacturers are masters at psychological marketing.
 
Neddy said:
I drink Lucozade etc for the sugar and it tastes nice.

Under no illusions that if you want to hydrate, water is the best way to go.

However...I hate programmes like this. Sometimes I don't need/want to know the truth. I think this is one of those times!
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I am of the opinion that these programs are just as bad as the items they are covering.

The marketing team for the item are exploiting every positive scientific study, ever positive smidgen of information and turning it into as big as claim as they can get away with.

Those "Debunking" type programs that usually have "The truth about" are done instead by journalists, they do the exact opposite and blow every tiny bit of evidence against out of all proportion.

The ACTUAL truth is somewhere in-between, as a consumer I know these products are not going to do EVERYTHING they claim (for me at a certain point in time) and impact me in any massive way as in golf there are far more factors affecting the flight of the ball than what drink I have with me.

I do know that a little mental boost from drinking something that is even only just marginally better than water (in certain situations) can have effects far beyond those actually directly occurring through consumption. It can trigger a series of psychological effects, releasing other natural chemicals that then have the pseudo (in relation to the true difference made by the product) effect.

So in conclusion I would not suggest anyone stops buying these drinks, they can made a difference, if only indirectly. They also taste better than water and can give a little sugar boost.

What I would be wary of is those that boast to be low in calories. "Hey I need those calories to play the bloomin sport for gosh darns sake!" Thats like selling fuel at a petrol station with no hydrocarbons in it! The drinks then just become chemically flavoured water with some additional things that give only marginal effects (that are probably unreleated to the exercise you are doing unless you end up under extreme circumstances).
 
ScienceBoy said:
I do know that a little mental boost from drinking something that is even only just marginally better than water (in certain situations) can have effects far beyond those actually directly occurring through consumption. It can trigger a series of psychological effects, releasing other natural chemicals that then have the pseudo (in relation to the true difference made by the product) effect.

.
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Err, what sort of "science" do you do, exactly?

These sports drinks will give you enriched piddle but not much else. They do not cause a cascade of mysterious psychological or physiological effects. The sort of substances you would need to take to stimulate an endorphin or serotonin release (if that his what you are alluding to) are probably best not discussed here and certainly don't occur in Lucozade.

And a sugar hit is well known to cause a reactive hypo soon after, so whatever short term benefit if achieved is followed by an equal and opposite dip.
 
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