A little sugar, a little salt and a healthy dose of electrolytes
make sports drinks an efficient way to rehydrate. Find out how
they work. Posted Tuesday, 23 September, 1997 In 1958, a salty-
sweet beverage named Bengal Punch made its debut at Louisiana
State University as the first sports drink (followed seven years
later by Gatorade). Since then, a booming industry has sprung
from this modest beginning. The drinks are everywhere, and
there's no escape from their hyperactive advertising. Putting
aside for a moment the pitchmen's implied promises of superhuman
athletic ability after just a few sips, it turns out that sports
drinks do in fact offer the everyday runner some real benefits.
Everyone's belly is different, though, and all bellies react
differently to different drinks. To avoid any unpleasant
suprises, be sure to experiment gradually with sports drinks
during training and especially before using it during a flat-out
race. What do they do? Among the chief benefits of sports drinks
are the carbohydrate