Staminade pioneered the Australian sports drink market with the first commercially manufactured and marketed sports drink in Australia. The product appeared on retail shelves in the late 1970s, launched with an advertising campaign fronted by tennis icon John Newcombe. Since those early days, two huge brands have dominated the Australian sports drink market after launching in the 1990s, but Staminade has held its own, particularly in powdered form on supermarket shelves.
What is a sports drink?
Sports drinks have earnt that name because they are specifically designed to provide the right balance of carbohydrates, electrolytes and fluid to adequately fuel exercise and provide fluid for hydration. When used in the recommended way they can provide performance benefits.
During strenuous activity, your body can lose up to two litres of sweat per hour. Electrolytes including sodium and potassium are lost through sweat and need to be replaced. If fluids are not kept within normal limits organ function can be impaired and drinking water alone cannot guarantee the desired bodily response, particularly in competitive sports.
Although we usually associate carbohydrates with starchy foods like pasta, they also exist in liquid form and provide a fuel source for muscles and the brain. Plus, carbohydrates contribute to the taste of sports drinks.
Sports drinks contain the electrolytes, sodium and potassium. The sodium content makes you thirsty and also increases absorption and fluid retention. It can also assist with salt replacement particularly if you have a heavy sweater. The potassium in sports drinks helps maintain electrolyte balance and can assist with muscle contraction during exercise. Sports drinks are recommended for use during exercise lasting more than 90 minutes by providing optimal fluid and fuel delivery. Sports drinks may also provide energy to working muscles and the brain, allowing athletes to perform for longer and more effectively in training and competition. They can also be used before and after exercise to aid preparation and recovery.
How many people consume sports drinks?
According to the latest findings from Roy Morgan Research, eight per cent of the population consume sports drinks like Staminade in any given seven days. Twice as many men (10 per cent) as women (five per cent) drink these beverages, while Australians aged under 25 (14 per cent) are more likely to consume them than any other age group. Unsurprisingly, people who play sports are noticeably more likely to consume sports drinks than other Australians. For example, 28 per cent of people who play baseball, 24 per cent of those who play rugby union, and 22 per cent of those who play Australian Rules football consume at least one sports drink in any given seven days, well above the national average of eight per cent.
How does Staminade compare to other sports drinks?
Staminade powder before, during or after exercise provides more energy and a longer, more effective performance. Staminade’s formulation contains the right balance of carbohydrates and electrolytes to rehydrate and replenish lost energy and lost electrolytes.
Most commercial sports drinks contain sodium levels of between 10 and 25 mmol per litre and potassium between 3 and 5 mmol per litre. Staminade is formulated to contain sodium and potassium levels at 16.4 mmol per litre and 4.8 mmol per litre respectively which are well within the desired standard. Staminade also contains magnesium.
Staminade also helps restore glycogen which is the main storage form of glucose in the body, located primarily in liver and muscle cells. Glycogen ensures body glucose concentrations are kept at sufficient levels to supply the brain. Staminade was the first sports drink powder sold in Australia with magnesium in its formula. Magnesium is one of the four most abundant elements found in the body. It’s essential for normal body function, helping cells utilise sugars to produce vital energy for cells’ mechanisms to work at optimum. It plays a vital role in the body’s energy metabolism.
Australian made sports drink
Steric bought the Staminade brand in 1996 and has been manufacturing Staminade at its Fairfield East plant in western Sydney. Lemon Lime flavour has been around for many years and is the top seller. Staminade is available in powder in supermarkets and ready-to-drink form is sold through the foodservice industry via Steric’s distributors. Contact Steric at https://www.steric.com.au/contact-us/ or 1800 008 155.