Choozza - The right choice, everytime.
Use the sliders set the importance of each feature.
Click the button and Choozza will find the right product for you.
Scroll down to read the comparison details.
Be it Isotonic or Hypertonic - sport drinks are water loaded with goodies to boost your performance or shorten your recovery time after workout.
Which is the right sport drinks for you depends really on what you are trying to achieve.
This Choozza helps you find the sports drink that is best for your needs.
What's the perfect choice for you?
Last updated by Nimo, on 27/7/09
|
Isotonic drinks Isotonic drinks usually contain 6-8% carbohydrates and electrolytes - a concentration which is similar to that of most normal fluids in the human body. |
Hypertonic Drinks Hypertonic drinks are solutions with carbohydrate electrolyte concentration higher than the normal human body fluids. In general, these drinks contain large amounts of carbohydrates, over 8%, and help replenish muscle glycogen to enhance greater endurance. |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Everyday Consumption: Are these drinks good fit for everyday use? |
Isotonic drinks are quite alright for everyday consumption. An isotonic sports drink will normally contain 120-170 calories per 500ml (16.9 fl oz) of fluid. This is a good amount for a participant in moderate intensity activities with a duration of over an hour. As far as normal everyday consumption is concerned, the calorie amount in isotonic sport drinks is significantly less than the amount you find in other soft drinks or even orange juice which can easily have 230 calories for the same quantity. |
Hypertonic drinks are not very suitable for everyday consumption, as they have a very high calorie content. The 240-320 calories per 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) can be used to supplement daily carbohydrate intake if you need it. However, the real problem is that hypertonic drinks also have a high concentration of carbohydrates. When consumed, the catbohydrates in the drink draw water into the intestine. This can cause all sorts of problems, and it is therefore generally un-advisable for regular use. |
|
Energy Boost: Can this type of drink provide you with an energy boost throughout the workout? |
Isotonic drinks supply the body with fuel (simple carbohydrates) and electrolytes (critical for body function) to keep you functioning at peak levels during endurance events. Carbohydrates, such as glucose, are the body's preferred source of muscular fuel while exercising. Therefore, replacing the depleted carbohydrates becomes important if you hope to keep exercising for an extended period of time. |
Hypertonic drinks are not meant to be consumed throughout an active workout. They contain a high level of carbohydrates (larger amounts of glucose or sucrose) and therefore provide the muscles with a greater source of fuel. This type of drinks is not suitable for consumption during an exercise session, because of the high concentration of carbohydrates they contain. Taken during exercise, hypertonic drinks impair the delivery of fuel to the exercising muscles and interfere with the absorption of the fluids and electrolytes in the body. Hypertonic drinks are more suitable to supplement daily carbohydrate intake, or for post-exercise consumption to top up muscle glycogen stores. |
|
Carbs Loading: Sometimes you simply want to load your body with carbohydrates. This is usually true before a big endurance event. How well is the specific drink type suited for this? |
Isotonic drinks are suited for consumption during and after exercise, but are not so good for carb loading. The isotonic drinks do not contain high levels of carbonhydrates and this is not their main use. However, you can still use them if no other option is available. |
Hypertonic drinks contain large amounts of glucose or sucrose, and are best for carbs loading in the days prior to an endurance event. |
|
Low Calorie Content: You usually work out in order to burn calories, but sport drinks contain calories themselves. How many calories do those drinks have? |
Isotonic sports drinks do not boast a high calorie value. The various isotonic formulas normally contain about 120-170 calories per 500ml (16.9 fl oz) of fluid. This is a good, balanced amount for moderate intensity activities lasting for over an hour. All in all, the trade-off between the number of calories you consume with the isotonic drinks and the |
Hypertonic drinks contain a lot of calories. |
|
Fit for Short Workouts: Different sport drinks fit different forms of exercises. How does this drink fit short duration workouts? |
Isotonic drinks are well suited for when you are only going for a short workout. The drinks are absorbed slightly slower than water, and should be diluted for optimum use during shorter workouts. |
Hypertonic drinks contain high levels of carbohydrates which makes them unsuitable for consumption during short workouts. The drink may impair the delivery of fuel to the muscles and also the absorption of the fluid and electrolytes necessary for hydration during exercise. If consumed during exercise, these drinks may encourage dehydration or cause GI (Gastro-Intestinal) intolerance such as cramping, vomiting or bloating due to high particle concentration. The relatively slow absorption of these hypertonic drinks makes them less suitable for use during exercise, and in the event when a hypertonic drink is used during exercise, it should be consumed in conjunction with Isotonic drinks to replace lost fluids. |
|
Rehydration Efficiency: Sport drinks replenish your energy, but are they also good at replacing the fluids you lose during exercise? Apparently, not all drinks are a good fit in all parts of the workout lifecycle. |
Isotonic drinks allow for A relatively rapid absorption of the ingested fluid from the stomach
and small intestines. This promotes rehydration during exercise. The isotonic liquids are able to quickly replace fluids lost by sweating and supply a boost of carbohydrates which the body can use as energy. Because Isotonic drinks usually have a carbohydrates level of between 6 and 8% they are absorbed from the stomach at a rate which is only a little bit slower than water. Therefore, isotonic drinks are good for rehydration. |
Hypertonic drinks contain high levels of carbohydrates and are therefore absorbed in the body more slowly than isotonic drinks. The high levels of carbohydrates in a drink directly effect the rate of stomach emptying, making it much slower. Moreover, in order to absorb the hypertonic drink, water is drawn into the intestine to dilute it prior to absorption. This means that this type of drink could cause dehydration if used incorrectly. Research shows that when the carbohydrates concentration in a beverage increases above 8%, gastric emptying slows. Strenuous exercise by itself may impair gastric emptying, and as exercise intensity increases, the rate of gastric emptying decreases. Drinking beverages which have a carbohydrates content above 8% while working out, will not only undermine the delivery of fuel to exercising muscles, but may encourage GI intolerance (stomach cramps and vomiting). The hypertonic drinks are therefore inappropriate for use during exercise, and are recommended for consumption only several hours before or after working out. |
|
Fit for Post Workout: Should these drinks be consumed post workout for revitalizing the body? |
Isotonic drinks work well as a post-workout drink, because they help replenish muscle glycogen and any lost fluids. Note, however, that these drinks do not contain the proteins required to supplement the amino acids your body needs immediately following a long workout to rebuild and repair muscle tissue. |
Hypertonic drinks are best used after long endurance events to replenish glycogen stores. These drinks do not contain the proteins required to supplement the amino acids your body needs immediately following a long workout to rebuild and repair muscle tissue. |
|
Long Workouts: Different sport drinks fit different forms of exercises. How well does this drink fit long duration workouts? |
Isotonic drinks work well for long exercise sessions, replenishing fluids, electrolytes and carbohydrates. These drinks do not get absorbed in the body at the same rate of water, and should be diluted for optimum use. The isotonic drinks provide a combination of immediate energy from glucose, slightly delayed energy from sucrose and slower releasing energy from maltodextrin, making them ideal for training and competitions lasting longer than 90 minutes. |
Hypertonic drinks are relatively slow to absorb in the body. They are therefore inappropriate for consumption during exercise, regardless of its length. The hypertonic drinks may contribute to dehydration or cause GI (Gastro-Intestinal) intolerance such as cramping, vomiting or bloating due to high particle concentration. Nevertheless, they may be suitable for ultra distance events where high levels of energy are required. Hypertonic drinks can help maintain blood sugar levels in long endurance events, but should be consumed in conjunction with Isotonic drinks to replace fluids. |