Sports drink manufacturers claim that their products can help improve athletes' performance and speed up recovery. If you’re thinking about adding sports drinks into your routine, you might wonder how they will impact your body and the effect on your performance. We take a look at this so you can decide whether to add sports drinks to your routine.
What do sports drinks contain?
Every sports drink will have a different recipe, depending on the brand and manufacturer. There are, however, certain ingredients that stay consistent in the majority of sports drinks. The main ingredients are different types of sugar, salt and water. Typically you might see sports drinks labelled as isotonic or hypertonic; in simple terms, isotonic sports drinks mimic the levels of sugars in your blood which makes them easier to digest and less likely to cause stomach upset. Hypertonic sports drinks have very high levels of sugar, higher than the concentration in your blood. These are great for providing a hit of energy but can also result in an upset stomach and diarrhoea. 
What is their role in exercise?
Sports drinks are used to provide athletes with energy during or after a challenging workout. If you’re exercising for more than 60 minutes, your body may begin to run out of its glycogen stores. Glycogen is the form of energy used during exercise; it's readily available in your muscles to give you the energy needed to start your exercise. Your level of fitness will impact the amount of glycogen that's stored in your muscles. Untrained athletes store about 15 grams per kilogram of muscle mass, whereas professional endurance athletes can store 25 grams or more of glycogen per kilogram of muscle mass. That’s part of the reason why trained athletes find it much easier to work out and train for longer periods of time without becoming fatigued. Once your glycogen stores are depleted, you might find it hard to keep on training without becoming fatigued. Sports drinks provide the body with carbohydrates they can access quickly and turn into usable energy.
What is their role in recovery?
After a tough workout, your body will be depleted of glycogen, fluids and electrolytes. Sports drinks will help to replenish all of these, promoting quicker recovery. If you have a short period of time between training sessions, a sports drink that contains sodium can improve rehydration and give you the energy needed to train again. Electrolytes within sports drinks help to direct the water to the areas in the body where it's needed most. Electrolytes are also lost during exercise, and to improve recovery time, they can be replaced by drinking a sports drink. 
Are sports drinks always needed? 
Sports drinks are beneficial to athletes when they’re doing particularly long or intensive training sessions. If you’re doing a thirty-minute workout and your aim is to improve your fitness and lose weight, then a sports drink won’t be beneficial. The calories you consume could even be more than you burn during your short training session. In this case, you should opt to drink water to rehydrate and replenish the fluids lost during exercise. If you begin to train for longer and feel your body is fatigued after around 60-90 minutes, taking small sips of a sports drink could help you improve your performance and train for longer periods. You don’t necessarily need to consume a whole bottle of a sports drink to see the impact on your training, especially if you’re watching your calorie intake. Switch between sipping a sports drink and water for hydration to minimise your calorie intake. 
For endurance athletes, sports drinks can help them train for longer periods and improve their recovery rate. This ultimately means they can improve their overall fitness levels and performance as they don’t need to spend as much time resting and recovering and can push themselves further to achieve their personal best. Sports drinks must be combined with a training plan and a healthy diet consisting of protein, carbohydrates and the right nutrients to be effective. In addition, rest is still important; training too hard can lead to injuries; every athlete should allow their body enough time to rest and recover. 
Resources:

Energy Drink Mix - The Dots
Sports Hydration Drink - Taiga
Sports Water Bottles - Telegraph
What Are Carbohydrates - Business.blog

How Can Sports Drinks Help Performance?

From shows to festivals to small-scale meet-ups, countless auto events are held year-round, providing opportunities for car enthusiasts to meet and celebrate mutual passions. Usually organised over the course of a weekend at various sporting venues, race tracks and festival grounds, it may be high time you took yourself off to one of these fantastic events to revel in all things automotive. 
Get Close To Iconic Vehicles
Attending a car show means getting up close and personal with your dream ride, particularly regarding events allocated to specific manufacturers. From rare, museum-quality classic cars to exotic state-of-the-art track superstars, there is something for everyone. You may never own a supercar, but at a show, you’ll get the opportunity to experience the fantasy - you might even be lucky enough to book a test drive.
Meet New People
One of the primary benefits of any car event is the chance to meet like-minded folk who share your interests. Bonding over a mutual love of cars can establish lifelong friendships. With abundant networking opportunities, you could even exchange contact details with members of the aftermarket community - handy if you ever need advice or to source a specific part.
Admire Creativity
Many car owners attend auto events to showcase their modified models, and you’ll be astounded at the excess of creativity and technical resourcefulness. From visionary bodywork to vastly improved performance, many enthusiasts view the modification process as a true art form and use auto shows to display the fruits of their labour. You may even happen upon some inspiration for customising your own ride. 
Try Before You Buy
Although car shows and automotive trade events are separate entities, you may discover sale opportunities from fellow show attendees. Test driving a vehicle is the best way to ensure your personal tastes and needs will be met. Getting behind the wheel to experience a potential new ride may help you make some decisions about a purchase before you commit financially. After all, a new car is a serious investment. 
Showcase Your Ride
Preparing the perfect show-quality vehicle can be quite a laborious undertaking. If you’ve worked tirelessly to enhance your ride with alloy wheels, coilovers, and a brand-new paint job, you’ll be keen to show it off. The excitement and gratification of having your prized possession admired and photographed is unparalleled. You might even win a ‘Best In Show’ trophy!
Family Fun
Weekend car events often feature amusements and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy, including fairground attractions, disco tents, live music and more. Dragging your entire family to a car-central event may not align with their individual interests. Still, with plenty of activities available to keep everybody happy, you can guarantee fun and festivity for all. 
Enter Competitions
Many auto events feature a range of competitions where participants can pay a small fee to enter and win various prizes, from free entry to unique, high-performance cars. The chances of winning a dream car giveaway may be slim, but somebody has to come out on top, and that somebody could be you. Some competitions even hand a portion of the proceeds over to charity, so even if you don’t win a prize, your cash will go to a good cause. 
Camping Fun
Outdoor weekend-long auto shows often involve camping facilities, allowing you to experience the event in full. Whether you opt for a tent, motorhome or caravan, you can stumble back to your temporary living quarters after experiencing on-site entertainment, ready to be up bright and early for another day of activities and exhibitions.
Exclusive Deals
Event-exclusive promotions, including discounts, competitions and freebies, are often implemented by event organisers to encourage ticket sales and let’s be honest, they’re usually incredibly tempting. You might also come across discounts on costly components and source rare classic car parts from fellow enthusiasts that may not be available elsewhere. 
Expert Advice
Seeking reliable car advice from reputable sources can often feel like a gamble. If you’re a little dubious about accepting advice from strangers online, you may feel more comfortable discussing matters with legitimate experts and guest speakers at car events. Whether you’re after maintenance tips or ride-enhancing suggestions, you can guarantee good counsel from the auto show community. 
Resources:

Aftermarket Wheels - Diary.By
Coil Over - Wakelet
KW Suspension - Telegraph
Aftermarket Steering Wheels - Talium
Sport Steering Wheel - Smore
Removable Steering Wheel - HackMD

Features of Sports Cars