Reducing Unhealthy Normative Behavior: The Case of Sports and Energy Drinks

American adolescents consume more sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) than any other age group. Sports and energy drinks consumption among adolescents is higher than other SSBs. For sports drinks, there is uncertainty about their “healthiness” and also beliefs that these drinks may provide health benefits such as hydration, enhanced athletic performance, heightened mental alertness, and rapid recovery after exercise. Confusion about relative healthiness and expectations of health benefits suggest that factors that may encourage youth to avoid drinking sports and energy drinks, such as athletic status, psychological reactance, and SSB media literacy, may necessitate different approaches to promoting avoidance of sports drinks compared with avoidance of energy drinks. Using a nationally representative U.S. probability-based web panel augmented by a volunteer nonprobability-based web panel of 500 adolescent participants aged 14 to 18 years, we used the reasoned action approach to model intention to avoid sports and to avoid energy drinks. The result show there are similarities and differences in the determinants associated with adolescents’ avoidance of sports and energy drinks: attitudes and descriptive normative pressure are both related to increased avoidance for both types of drinks and perceived control over the avoidance behavior is positively associated for with intention to avoid for energy drinks. Sport identification, psychological reactance, and SSB media literacy also play a different role in the sports and energy drink models. Based on our results, the content of prevention messages in interventions to limit sports drinks will need to be quite different from those targeted at reducing energy drink consumption.

Recent patent applications in beverages enriched with plant proteins

Recently, many consumers have been adding plant-based beverages to their diets, due to different reasons. The addition of plant proteins to enrich these products in order to make them more nutritionally balanced has become a trend, mainly because of their lower prices and reduced environmental damage. Thus, the aims of the present patent review are to discuss the potential of, and challenges posed by, plant proteins to the beverage industry, as well as to check market trends, focused on raw materials and beverage types. Based on the results, pea, rapeseed, bean, peanut, chickpea, lentil, hempseed, sunflower seed, and cottonseed were among the most often addressed raw materials. Furthermore, this enrichment process is not limited to create products that mimic dairy, therefore expansion in plant proteins used to enrich carbonated beverages, sports drinks, or even juices is expected to happen. Thus, plant-derived proteins have been promising to high-quality beverage production, as well as to ensure food security, animal welfare, and low environmental impacts.

The Hydrating Effects of Hypertonic, Isotonic and Hypotonic Sports Drinks and Waters on Central Hydration During Continuous Exercise: A Systematic Meta-Analysis and Perspective

Background Body-fluid loss during prolonged continuous exercise can impair cardiovascular function, harming performance. Delta percent plasma volume (dPV) represents the change in central and circulatory body-water volume and therefore hydration during exercise; however, the effect of carbohydrate–electrolyte drinks and water on the dPV response is unclear. Objective To determine by meta-analysis the effects of ingested hypertonic (> 300 mOsmol kg−1), isotonic (275–300 mOsmol kg−1) and hypotonic (< 275 mOsmol kg−1) drinks containing carbohydrate and electrolyte ([Na+] < 50 mmol L−1), and non-carbohydrate drinks/water (< 40 mOsmol kg−1) on dPV during continuous exercise. Methods A systematic review produced 28 qualifying studies and 68 drink treatment effects. Random-effects meta-analyses with repeated measures provided estimates of effects and probability of superiority (p+) during 0–180 min of exercise, adjusted for drink osmolality, ingestion rate, metabolic rate and a weakly informative Bayesian prior. Results Mean drink effects on dPV were: hypertonic − 7.4% [90% compatibility limits (CL) − 8.5, − 6.3], isotonic − 8.7% (90% CL − 10.1, − 7.4), hypotonic − 6.3% (90% CL − 7.4, − 5.3) and water − 7.5% (90% CL − 8.5, − 6.4). Posterior contrast estimates relative to the smallest important effect (dPV = 0.75%) were: hypertonic-isotonic 1.2% (90% CL − 0.1, 2.6; p+ = 0.74), hypotonic-isotonic 2.3% (90% CL 1.1, 3.5; p+ = 0.984), water-isotonic 1.3% (90% CL 0.0, 2.5; p+ = 0.76), hypotonic-hypertonic 1.1% (90% CL 0.1, 2.1; p+ = 0.71), hypertonic-water 0.1% (90% CL − 0.8, 1.0; p+ = 0.12) and hypotonic-water 1.1% (90% CL 0.1, 2.0; p+ = 0.72). Thus, hypotonic drinks were very likely superior to isotonic and likely superior to hypertonic and water. Metabolic rate, ingestion rate, carbohydrate characteristics and electrolyte concentration were generally substantial modifiers of dPV. Conclusion Hypotonic carbohydrate–electrolyte drinks ingested continuously during exercise provide the greatest benefit to hydration. Graphical abstract

The Onset of Dental Erosion Caused by Food and Drinks and the Preventive Effect of Alkaline Ionized Water

In recent years, the incidence of dental erosion caused by the ingestion of acidic foods and drinks, including sports drinks, has been increasing in Japan and elsewhere. Therefore, the problems associated with this injury can no longer be ignored in dental clinical practice. The ingestion of these foods and drinks is important from the viewpoint of overall health and disease prevention. For example, fermented foods, such as Japanese pickles, enhance the nutritional value of foodstuffs and promote the absorption of nutrients into the body, and sports drinks are useful for preventing heat stroke and dehydration. Therefore, eliminating these intakes is not a viable solution. In this paper, we outline the mechanism of dental erosion caused by acidic beverages and also describe the effectiveness of alkaline ionized water (AIW) at preventing acid erosion. Given the fact that the complete elimination of acidic beverage consumption is highly unlikely, remedies such as the use of alkaline ionized water (AIW) may be helpful.

The Beverage Hydration Index: Influence of Electrolytes, Carbohydrate and Protein

The beverage hydration index (BHI) facilitates a comparison of relative hydration properties of beverages using water as the standard. The additive effects of electrolytes, carbohydrate, and protein on rehydration were assessed using BHI. Nineteen healthy young adults completed four test sessions in randomized order: deionized water (W), electrolytes only (E), carbohydrate-electrolytes (C + E), and 2 g/L dipeptide (alanyl-glutamine)-electrolytes (AG + E). One liter of beverage was consumed, after which urine and body mass were obtained every 60 min through 240 min. Compared to W, BHI was higher (p = 0.007) for C + E (1.15 ± 0.17) after 120 min and for AG + E (p = 0.021) at 240 min (1.15 ± 0.20). BHI did not differ (p > 0.05) among E, C + E, or AG + E; however, E contributed the greatest absolute net effect (>12%) on BHI relative to W. Net fluid balance was lower for W (p = 0.048) compared to C + E and AG + E after 120 min. AG + E and E elicited higher (p < 0.001) overall urine osmolality vs. W. W also elicited greater reports of stomach bloating (p = 0.02) compared to AG + E and C + E. The addition of electrolytes alone (in the range of sports drinks) did not consistently improve BHI versus water; however, the combination with carbohydrate or dipeptides increased fluid retention, although this occurred earlier for the sports drink than the dipeptide beverage. Electrolyte content appears to make the largest contribution in hydration properties of beverages for young adults when consumed at rest.

Effects of Isomaltulose Ingestion on Thermoregulatory Responses during Exercise in a Hot Environment

Isomaltulose is a low glycemic and insulinemic carbohydrate available as a constituent of sports drinks. However, it remains unclear whether thermoregulatory responses (sweating and cutaneous vasodilation) after isomaltulose drink ingestion differ from those of sucrose and water during exercise in a hot environment. Ten young healthy males consumed 10% sucrose, 10% isomaltulose, or water drinks. Thirty-five minutes after ingestion, they cycled for fifteen minutes at 75% peak oxygen uptake in a hot environment (30 °C, 40% relative humidity). Sucrose ingestion induced greater blood glucose concentration and insulin secretion at the pre-exercise state, compared with isomaltulose and/or water trials, with no differences during exercise in blood glucose. Change in plasma volume did not differ between the three trials throughout the experiment, but both sucrose and isomaltulose ingestions similarly increased plasma osmolality, as compared with water (main beverage effect, p = 0.040)—a key response that potentially delays the onset of heat loss responses. However, core temperature thresholds and slopes for heat loss responses were not different between the trials during exercise. These results suggest that ingestion of isomaltulose beverages induces low glycemic and insulinemic states before exercise but does not alter thermoregulatory responses during exercise in a hot environment, compared with sucrose or water.

Abstract MP54: Retail Soda Purchases Decrease And Water Purchases Increase After Six Years Of A Healthy Beverage Campaign

Introduction: Sugary drink consumption is a major risk factor for excess weight gain. In 2013, Howard County, MD launched a multi-component campaign to decrease sugary drink consumption. A previously published difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of supermarket retail beverage sales from 2012 (baseline) to 2015 documented a significant decrease in regular soda and fruit drinks sales in intervention stores compared to matched control stores. The present study extends this evaluation through 2018. Hypothesis: Sugary drink sales will continue to decrease and sales of non-sugary drinks will increase through 2018. Methods: Prior to the intervention, a retail sales tracking company identified a sample of supermarkets (N=15) in Howard County (Intervention stores) and assessed 52-weeks of top brand sales for each beverage category. These data were used to identify a set of matched Control stores (N=17) in an adjacent state. DID analyses were used to compare the weekly volume sales of each product (brand and package size) within each beverage category in the Intervention and Control stores from baseline (2012) to Year 6 (2018). Models were adjusted for relevant variables, including average price/ounce; average competitor price/ounce; and weekly local temperature. Results: DID analyses identified a significantly larger net decrease in average weekly volume sales of regular soda, fruit drinks, and 100% juice in the Intervention stores compared to the Control stores over six years (p < .001). See Figure for regular soda sales. After 2015, intervention stores also exhibited significant increases in sales of plain bottled water (p < .0001) and carbonated water (p < .001). In contrast, sports drinks, diet soda, and flavored waters did not consistently differ between conditions. Conclusion: A locally implemented, multi-component campaign reduced regular soda and fruit drink sales over six years. Additional efforts to reduce sales of sports drinks are warranted.

Alcohol-free beverages for functional purposes

Functional drinks are intended for systematic consumption as part of food rations; they preserve and improve health, as well as reduce the risk of developing certain diseases. Functional drinks contain ingredients that have the ability to have a positive effect on physiological functions and metabolic processes in the human body. The functional ingredients of alcohol-free beverages are: vitamins, macro- and microelements, dietary fiber, organic acids, phenolic and other compounds. Functional drinks include non-alcoholic energy drinks, fortified juices and sports drinks, therapeutic and therapeutic-table mineral waters.