Consumer Test: Sports drinks

by PADDY McGRATH, Daily Mail

Most sports drinks should ideally be drunk before, during and after exercise, although they will only really be beneficial in boosting performance in sports that last over an hour.

We investigate the top sports drinks on the market.

ISOSTAR


Lemon flavour powder, £6.29

for 425g

Isotonic drink which boosts reaction time and brain power.The reason, say its makers, is its 'Activator Complex' - a mixture of caffeine, vitamin C and taurine. An independent one-hour test showed that athletes consuming Isostar scored 20 pc better on concentration skills than those who drank regular isotonic drinks.

Score: 6/10

FEELFINE


20g sachets, £1.35 each.

Stockists: 01252 820044

New from Sweden, this helps you to recover from exhaustive exercise, general tiredness, PMT and even hangovers. It contains sodium bicarbonate to settle the stomach, vitamin C and a mix of B vitamins and amino acids to help restore blood-sugar and energy levels.

Score: 7/10

LUCOZADE SPORT


Lemon or orange flavour

concentrate, £4.75 for 1 litre

This is a favourite among sports stars and is very thirst quenching. It contains B vitamins, which are essential for converting carbohydrates into glucose and providing energy, and helps to replace some of the minerals and electrolytes which are lost in sweat.

Score: 8/10

GO ELECTROLYTE SPORTS FUEL


Blackcurrant, lemon and lime,

or watermelon, £1.50 for 120g

If you are exercising hard in warm weather, you may be better off with a hypotonic drink such as this one, formulated to provide carbohydrate at a lower concentration than the body's own fluid for ultra-speedy absorption. Top marks for taste and function.

Score: 10/10

BOOTS ISOTONIC


Lemon or grapefruit, 85p for 45g sachet

Like most specialist sports drinks, this isotonic drink is sweetened with fructose and aspartame. It has an unpleasant, syrupy taste which makes it less thirst-quenching than some of the other drinks tested, but it does its energyboosting job reasonably well.

Score: 6/10

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