In 1958, Bengal Punch made its debut at Louisiana State University as the first sports drink. It was followed seven years later by Gatorade. The market for drinks with sports benefits has been growing ever since. The drinks, and their advertising, are everywhere. Since then, a booming industry has sprung from this modest beginning.

    Putting aside the promises of better athletic ability after just a few sips, it turns out that sports drinks do in fact offer athletes some real benefits. It's best to experiment gradually with sports drinks during training and especially before using it during a flat-out race.

    The leading benefit of sports drinks are the carbohydrates they provide to help the body replace the energy-producing glycogen a runner expends during exercise. Before there was Gatorade or Bengal Punch, runners carried flat soda with them to get the same type of energy boost (which is still practiced today).  The problem is that they contain too many carbohydrates. Drinks with more than eight percent carbohydrates can cause upset stomachs.

    Carbohydrates, in concentrations of six to eight percent, also help the body absorb the sports drink up to 30 percent faster than water. This is great for fast re-hydration. Some sports drinks, as well as some sodas and juices, have a sugar content that actually slows absorption, however, so it's best to check the labels.

    Sports drinks also contain electrolytes, including sodium and potassium, which can be lost with sweat. Sodium in particular is helpful in speeding absorption of the drink. While it is not at all clear that your body actually loses very many electrolytes during running, studies have shown that electrolyte-replacement drinks do cause the body to retain more fluid than plain water.