Are sports drinks good or bad for you?
天气炎热出汗多，可以多喝运动饮料吗?
Sports drinks are electrolyte-enhanced beverages. Their main purpose is to restore water and electrolytes that are lost during heavy exercise and sweating. They will contain electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Many are carbohydrate-based, with added sugars like fructose, glucose and sucrose. Sometimes they contain caffeine.
运动饮料是电解质补充饮料。主要目的是补充在剧烈运动和出汗过程中流失的水分和电解质。运动饮料含有钠、钾、钙和镁等电解质，碳水化合物含量通常很高，添加了果糖、葡萄糖和蔗糖等糖。有时含有咖啡因。
There are also energy drinks that are often, and unfortunately, confused with sports drinks. Energy drinks typically contain large amounts of caffeine. Many contain other legal stimulants like taurine, guarana and L-carnitine. These energy drinks could reduce fatigue and enhance performance in the short term. However, they are not sports drinks and should not be used when the purpose is to replenish electrolytes and fluids.
人们常常把运动饮料和能量饮料混淆。能量饮料通常含有大量的咖啡因。许多含有其他合法兴奋剂，如牛磺酸、瓜拉纳和左旋肉碱。这些能量饮料可以在短期内缓解疲劳，有提神效果。然而，能量饮料不是运动饮料，如果仅仅为了补充电解质和水分时，不应饮用能量饮料。
Energy drinks can be dangerous when consumed in large quantities. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,499 adolescents ages 12 to 17 went to the emergency room for an energy-drink related emergency in 2011. High amounts of caffeine can induce irregular and rapid heartbeats. Individuals may become anxious and develop sleeping problems. Those consuming energy drinks instead of sports drinks or water may become dehydrated. Also, although many ingredients in these energy drinks are marketed as being “natural,” they may be present in much larger quantities than people normally consume.
大量饮用能量饮料可能产生危险。美国疾病控制和预防中心数据显示，2011年，1499名12至17岁的青少年因能量饮料相关紧急情况前往急诊室。大量的咖啡因会导致心律不齐和心跳加快。可能会导致焦虑并出现睡眠问题。用能量饮料代替运动饮料或水饮用，可能导致脱水。此外，尽管能量饮料中的许多成分被宣称是“天然”的，但它们的含量可能比人们平常的摄入量大得多。
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and adolescents do not use energy drinks.
美国儿科学会建议儿童和青少年不要饮用能量饮料。
Parents should keep in mind that there are other beverages that contain caffeine, including coffee and many sodas, and that many sports drinks contain very high levels of caffeine that would far exceed the daily recommended amount. Given that sports drinks really are intended to replace electrolytes and not to be used as a stimulant, it’s best for children to avoid sports drinks with added caffeine.
家长们应该记住，还有其他饮料含有咖啡因，包括咖啡和许多苏打水，许多运动饮料含有非常高水平的咖啡因，远远超过每日推荐量。考虑到运动饮料主要功能是补充电解质，而不是用作兴奋剂，儿童最好避免饮用添加咖啡因的运动饮料。
