Drinks machines save lives!
The kind of headline you would expect to see in your local tabloid paper but if you have been playing five a side football, been on a long run (especially in these humid conditions!) or been working out in a gym, this headline couldn’t be much further from the truth.
Keeping yourself well hydrated is in general an important factor for life, however it becomes exceptionally important during activity as this is the time when most fluids and important salts and electrolytes are lost from the body and they therefore need to be replaced.
Sport drinks are often the best and most preferred way to do this as the flavour often encourages drinking in comparison to the bland taste of just water and the fact that they are designed to replenish lost fluids and nutrients is there added bonus factor.
Research shows that the preferred way to consume any drink during or after an activity is cold. This is why drinks machines are their most useful. They can dispense bottled water and sports drinks to the individual taste which is useful to encourage rehydration. Of the sports drinks out there, I would recommend Lucozade Sport, Lucozade Hydroactive and Gatorade as being the better choices of sports drink out there, however beware as with all sweetened drinks of possible dental caries.
In my opinion water is always the best choice. Keep it natural.
