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Sports Drinks. Sports drinks are functional drinks specifically designed to help athletes and other active people hydrate before, during and after exercise. There are three types of sports drinks all of which contain various levels of fluid, electrolytes and carbohydrate: Hypotonic Isotonic Hypertonic Hypotonic Designed to quickly replace fluids lost during exercise, hypotonic drinks have very low carbohydrate content and a lower concentration of salt and sugar than the human body.

Isotonic Isotonic drinks contain similar concentrations of salt and sugar as in the human body, and are designed to quickly replace fluids lost during exercise but with an increase of carbohydrate.

Hypertonic These are designed to supplement the body's daily carbohydrate intake, and contain high levels of carbohydrate in order to provide maximum energy uptake. Ingredients Water Carbohydrate - glucose - maltodextrin - fructose Electrolytes - sodium, potassium - chloride.

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Sports drinks also have electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which the body loses through sweat. These keep the body's fluid levels in balance and help muscles work properly. These drinks, also known as fitness waters or enhanced waters, come in many flavors and with various combinations of supplemental vitamins and minerals.

They may contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, or herbal ingredients. Vitamin waters may look like a quick way to fill any nutrition gaps in a child's diet. But it's best for kids to get these nutrients from healthy meals and snacks.

Also, these drinks can provide too much of some vitamins and minerals, especially if kids already take a daily multivitamin. Getting more than the recommended daily allowance of some vitamins and minerals can be bad for kids' health.

Also, some vitamin waters contain herbal ingredients. The effects of many herbal ingredients such as ginseng or St. John's wort haven't been studied in children. Energy drinks are very popular with middle- and high-school students. And while some are clearly labeled as unsuitable for children, others are marketed to kids as young as 4, promising boosts in energy and nutrition and enhanced athletic performance.

Most energy drinks have lots of sugar and caffeine — sometimes as much caffeine as in 1 to 3 cups of coffee. Too much sugar can put kids in the fast lane to the dentist's office and also contribute to weight gain. Excessive caffeine comes with its own set of problems — especially in younger kids.

In some kids, large amounts of caffeine can have even more serious side effects, including fast or irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, hallucinations, and seizures. Many of these drinks also have other ingredients whose safety and effectiveness haven't been tested in children, including herbal supplements, guarana a source of caffeine , and taurine an amino acid thought to enhance performance and caffeine's effects.

For most kids, drinking water before, during, and after playing sports will keep them hydrated. Some athletes who exercise for long periods or in very hot weather can benefit from a sports drink that has sugar and electrolytes. It's best for kids to skip the energy drinks.