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Bella Breakdown

Gatorade may have helped Michael Jordan during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, but health experts don’t agree with the benefits. However, a study done by the British Medical Journal found that sports drinks are good for endurance and elite athletes, and pretty much no one else.

Instead of filling your body with the sugary drink, end your physical activity with these sports drink alternatives.

Chocolate Milk:
This was a surprising feature on a healthy list, but the same nutrients that make sports drinks so appealing are the same nutrients found in chocolate milk. Carbohydrates and protein.

Not only does chocolate milk has the perfect carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, but it also has a healthy amount of vitamin D, calcium, vitamin A and iron. Making it the “ideal post-workout recovery drink.”

Bananas and Raisins:
Food can have the same nutritional benefits as beverages and you’ll see by eating raisins and bananas that you never needed sports drinks. A study on sports gels found that when examining trained cyclists, snacking on raisins before workouts worked just as well to help athletes sustain their energy and performance.

Like raisins, when combined with sufficient hydration, bananas are just as effective for sustaining the performances and electrolyte balances of hard-working athletes.