These drinks electrifying: get the record straight

The best athletes, athletes and those who attend occasional club love their sports and energy drinks - but they really produce the bullwhip effect?

According to Lola O'Rourke, a registered dietitian in Seattle, these functional beverages that offer endurance and mental clarity in a bottle are often responsible for stimulants - and may even harm you instead of help.

Here are comments from O'Rourke has reviewed these energy drinks.

Sports drinks vs. energy drinks - what's the difference?

Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade allow the body to refuel in items that were consumed by the muscles during exercise. They are intended for athletes who need to recharge after strenuous physical activity, but they are also popular among average consumers.

Energy drinks like Rockstar, Full Throttle, and Cocaine, offer a mixture of legal stimulants such as caffeine, carbohydrates, herbal extracts, and sometimes sugar. They target young people, students and fans of the sport.

What ingredients should I look?

Sports drinks typically contain sugar, water and electrolytes (especially sodium, potassium, phosphate, calcium and magnesium). O'Rourke advised to choose beverages low in sugar.

As for energy drinks, they usually contain caffeine, sometimes sugar, amino acids such as taurine and herbal extracts such as guarana, ginseng and gingko biloba - some ingredients are more known than others. The dietitian advised to choose beverages with low concentration of caffeine and do a search on the ingredients before consuming these drinks.

Who should eat?

The elite athletes who must make efforts for a long time can benefit from sports drinks, according to O'Rourke, but the athletes hand and average consumers do not need it for their daily tasks.

O'Rourke believes it is best to avoid stimulants contained in energy drinks or eaten in moderation until you are more knowledgeable about them.

What are the risks?

Athletes who abuse sports drinks could cause an overdose and cause disease by disrupting the balance of electrolytes, says O'Rourke.

She stressed, however, that energy drinks are at risk far more important.

"It might be safe to eat these mixtures at high doses of caffeine and medicinal plants that we know little," O'Rourke noted. In addition, caffeine can cause loss of calcium in the bones. She noted that the current trend in clubs and rave parties is to mix energy drinks and alcohol, the first producing stimulating effects and the second acting as a depressant on the nervous system. This "mixed message" could lead to cardiac problems.

What are the alternatives?

Everything we need for us hydrated, we stimulate and maintain our concentration is in our diet, says O'Rourke.

The followers of sport can stay hydrated with water. Whole fruits and fruit smoothies allow them to build their reserves of carbohydrates and protein to maintain endurance, according to O'Rourke.

For man or woman on the world, water and whole fruit will do.

"A balanced diet consisting of water-based products with whole grains, fruits contain antioxidants, and fiber-rich foods provide the nutrients you need to stay alert and full of vitality. "