Comparison of Natural Mineral Water From Agrı Province With Sports Drinks

Abstract

Dehydration emerges due to lack of fluid balance in the body. In addition, minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium are lost because of dehydration. Athletes lose fluids and electrolytes through sweating during exercise, and replacing the lost fluid and electrolytes is crucial for the continuity of their sports performance. Sports drinks can be consumed by athletes to replace fluid and electrolytes lost during exercise and to improve performance. During this period, consumption of sports drinks minimizes dehydration by restoring the lost mineral and fluid balance. However, the composition of these products, their active ingredients, their effects on sports performance, and their risk factors are matters of debate. This study was carried out in order to compare sports drinks with the local mineral water that comes out naturally in the province of Agri. The mineral determinations of the local mineral water were made using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP- MS) instruments. As a result of the analyses, the average sodium (Na) value in the local mineral water was 26.6 ppm, and the magnesium (Mg) average was 7.782 ppm. No potassium (K) mineral was detected in Agri local mineral water. Calcium (Ca) mineral average was found to be 65.04 ppm, iron (Fe) mineral average 0.0068 ppm, and zinc (Zn) mineral average 0.02457 ppm. Agri natural mineral water contains minerals in similar amounts to sports drinks. Considering these values, it can be a natural alternative to sports drinks if potassium mineral and glucose is added to its content, so it can be an alternative to sports drinks.