Q & A > Carbonated Beverages
Dear Damage,
I thought this was such a great question, that I decided to post the answer on my blog. Check out the "journal" section of my site. But in regards to the specific question about the effect of carbonation on aerobic capacity, tell your friend that I couldn’t find any concrete research to prove her theory. There is plenty of evidence that carbonation and sugars can cause gas and cramping if consumed prior to activity. Also, I do believe that people who consume a lot of soft drinks tend to skimp on cool, clear water which would definitely be a problem for an athlete. I think athletes should also be concerned about the effect of the phosphoric acid on bones and calcium absorbtion. But as for aerobic capacity, it appears that the human body is pretty good at eliminating carbon dioxide from the bloodstream in a quick and efficient manner. If you do choose to consume carbonated beverages, just make sure you're also getting in plenty of nutrient rich foods and water as well.
Denise
Denise,
I was having a discussion with a friend the other day about the disadvantages of carbonated beverages. She claimed that carbonated beverages of all sorts were highly couterproductive to gains in aerobic development due to the displacement of oxygen with the carbon dioxide in the carbonation. Is this true, and are there other resons to avoid carbonated berverages when training such as the sugar substitutes?
Thanks for your help.