True/False Subtitle

Sports drinks are the best kinds of fluids for athletes?

False - The best beverage is plain water. If electrolytes are lost, they can be replaced by eating food at the next meal. In extremely warm weather, a little extra salt can be added to the diet. Many sports drinks taste great and cause you to drink more than is needed. Sports drinks are also needlessly costly.

Sugary foods eaten before or during a workout supply quick and sustained energy.

False – Food eaten just before exercise reduces the blood glucose and temporarily impairs performance.

You do not need extra protein to build stronger muscles.

True – Excess protein is stored as fat. Muscle building comes through resistance training such as lifting weights.

Drinking liquids during exercise causes cramps.

False – Cool drinks are advisable during and after exercise to replace lost fluids.

You do not need vitamin supplements to provide extra energy.

True – Vitamins do not provide energy. They help regulate body processes and are most easily obtained from food.

Insulin is a hormone naturally produced by your body to help regulate blood sugar.

True – People with diabetes lack insulin, have insufficient amounts of insulin, or are resistant to insulin’s effects.

Sugars, such as table sugar, do not raise blood sugar any faster than other carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, or pasta.

True – Research studies show that (gram for gram) sugars, such as table sugar, do not raise blood sugar any more quickly than carbohydrates such as rice or pasta.

All people with diabetes must take insulin through pills, shots, or pumps in order to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

False – Many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose by following a careful diet and exercise program.

Diabetes only affects older people.

False – Diabetes can affect both the young and the old. In fact, type I diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood.

A pregnant woman should be eating twice as much food as she did prepregnancy, because she is eating for two people.

False – Although there is a need for additional nutrients, only 300 more calories are needed to support the rapid growth and changes of a fetus. (Three hundred calories are approximately the same number of calories found in 2 1/2 cups of milk, one bagel with cream cheese, or a tuna fish sandwich.)