ST. LOUIS — With the heat bearing down on St. Louis, we're all going to need to stay hydrated. So we wanted to verify if water or sports drinks are better to drink in the heat.
"In most cases staying well hydrated with water is what you need. That's the healthiest, safest way to go,” Dr. Scott Kaar said.
Kaar specializes in sports medicine at Saint Louis University. He says only athletes doing prolonged exercise in extreme heat need a boost from sports drinks.
"Only if you're sweating profusely and you're out for a long period of time,” he said.
Otherwise, he says our bodies just don't need the added sugar.
"You're better off getting your sugar from a well-balanced snack like some nuts or protein or a piece of bread or toast — something more wholesome — than getting those calories from a sports drink,” he said.
