While some sports drinks have only well-known minerals and added ingredients, others throw in a host of questionable ingredients. Some major brands of sports drinks will add a whopping dose of caffeine, which can make you jittery and cause nausea or vomiting in some people during intense workouts. Others add supplements that have an uncertain effect, such as chromium, which may or may not help your body.

Before purchasing a sports drink, look carefully at the calorie content on the label. Be sure to check the serving size as well, as some bottles can contain up to 3 servings of the drink. If you are trying to lose weight, drinking a sugary sports drink may be counterproductive, even though you are exercising to burn calories. Even if your drink has only 100 calories, imagine how much longer you will have to be on the treadmill to work that off on top of your usual workout.

Most sports drinks come in a variety of flavors, from lemon-lime and orange to a somewhat unidentifiable blue. Rather than being reminiscent of juice, these flavors mostly taste like fruit punch or similar artificially flavored drinks. Because of the sodium in most sports beverages, additional flavoring may be used to cover up the salty taste. Even so, some drinks have a perceptible salt flavor.

Some experts suggest that sports drinks should be used to prevent rather than treat dehydration and fatigue. Try drinking about a quarter of the bottle before you start exercising, and drinking more every 15-20 minutes. Do not wait until you are parched or exhausted to start drinking, it is an excellent way to end up fainting or over-exerting yourself.