Case Analysis Ultimate_Writer

Xiaoyi Yin

Seidenberg, C. (2013, May 28). Gatorade vs. water: Which is better for kids? Washington Post.

Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/gatorade-vs-water-

which-is-better-for-kids/2013/05/28/19a54ff0-bf35-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html?utm_term=.858792db04dc

Young athletes consume sports drinks including Gatorade and Powerade, consumed by celebrity athletes as shown in the advertisements. These drinks are aimed at replenishing electrolytes lost through sweating. However, kids do not require the chemical food colors, and 34 grams of sugar contained in these drinks for the purpose of replenishing lost electrolytes. It is good for the kids to recharge after playing or practicing but much better with water alongside other healthier sources of electrolytes. Electrolytes are basically minerals such as potassium, calcium, and sodium. These minerals are required for the flow of water into the cells. Water and a piece of fruit would be a better substitute for Gatorade.

In comparison, “a 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade has 75mg of potassium, whereas clementine and banana have 131mg and 422 mg respectively” (Seidenberg, 2013. Paragraph 4). Also, a banana has more nutritional benefits as it provides vitamins B and C, 16 percent of manganese required daily for healthy bones, and 8 percent magnesium for the prevention of cramping. A clementine will provide folate in addition to calcium and magnesium alongside vitamin C.

The sugar in Gatorade is processed and thus will be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream of a child whose stomach is empty. Both bananas and clementines have fiber that will slow down the absorption of sugars in the bloodstream. Average sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade lack fiber. The quick absorption of sugars in the blood triggers the production of insulin that in turn converts sugar into fats that are stored in the body. Some sugars are stored in the liver, and even when the kid doesn’t seem fat on the outside, unnecessary fats are being deposited in their tissues. The fats alongside the confused insulin responses by the body are what predispose the children to a wide range of diseases.

The real danger does not lie in the consumption of a single sports drink. However, the children may develop a long-term habit once they set the expectations of a sports drink every time they play or practice. Taking into consideration the number of times that a child practices or plays throughout their school years, the habit can be dangerous to their health. Higher amounts of sodium are indeed lost through sweating as compared to the other electrolytes, whereas these fruits do not replenish it, and neither does the water. However, this is not a reason to consume the sports drink as the “American diet contains enough, if not too much, sodium and so the child will be just fine without the 270 mg of sodium in that same container of Gatorade” (Seidenberg, 2013. Paragraph 7). Moreover, the sports drinks were designed, not for the growing kids but the performance athletes.

It is thus imperative that the celebrities like LeBron James, Peyton Manning, and Venus Williams endorse water as opposed to the sports drinks. The same should apply when the football winning coaches are being celebrated whereby, water should be poured on their heads as opposed to Gatorade, and as such the kids may consider taking water and not the sports drink.