A lot of people are talking about this in the gyms, but everything indicates that this story has nothing to do with it. “Kidney calculations or stones are usually formed by excess calcium. As there is no calcium in the composition of isotonic drinks – created to replace mineral salts such as sodium, potassium and magnesium, which are expelled by the body during perspiration after intense physical activity – there is no risk of developing kidney stones”, says nephrologist Carlos Antônio do Nascimento, from Hospital Sírio-Libanês, in São Paulo. The problem only usually appears in people who have a diet rich in foods with calcium, mainly milk and derivatives. And it is a torment, causing severe pain, bleeding, urinary tract infection and even kidney failure. Isotonic drinks are not the fault of the notary, but that does not mean that they can be consumed like water. “A 70-kilogram adult who does intense physical activity can drink about 200 milliliters of the drink every 15 minutes. Those who don’t work out don’t need it, since they haven’t eliminated mineral salts. The excess of these elements is also bad for the body”, says physical education professor João Bouzas Marins, from the Federal University of Viçosa (MG). Too much potassium, for example, interferes with diuretics and heart medication taken by people with high blood pressure. And there is one last detail: as isotonics contain carbohydrates, those who “drunk” on these products run the risk of gaining weight. Diabetics and hypertensives should be extra careful. If you haven’t sweated, enjoy it in moderation.
