Centurion – The one question on everyone’s mind when it comes to the new sports drink Prime: Is it worth it?
Well, from a sporting or hydration perspective it’s a resounding – not really. But if you fancy paying over three times the price for a product similar to other offerings already on the market, then go right ahead.
The Sports Science Institute of SA (SSISA) yesterday revealed that Prime compares relatively well with other hydration drinks.
Like Prime, other 500ml hydration drinks, such as Energade and Powerade, are readily available. At Checkers outlets, Prime 500ml retails for R39.99, while the equivalent Powerade sells for R13.99, while Energade is the cheapest at R12.99.
SSISA said on its website: “The Prime Hydration drink is labelled as a sports drink and contains 10% coconut water, branch chain amino acids (BCAAs), electrolytes, Vitamin B and several antioxidants, with 2g of sugar per drink.
“Although the Prime website claims the hydration drink to be suitable for all ages, other sources have warned children under 15 years old from consuming it. Based on the nutrition label provided on the Prime website, the Prime Hydration drink compares with similar drinks in the sports/hydration category.”
It therefore appears the hydration version of Prime is not harmful, but its promoters are using advertising hype – and YouTube – to encourage its young target market to rush out and buy the drink.
The Prime Hydration drink is the only one of three products available from Prime in South Africa. Prime Hydration sticks and the Prime Energy versions are not yet available in this country.
SSISA said the most risky of the locally-available products is the Prime Energy drink.
“This drink contains a whopping 200mg of caffeine, which is significantly higher than its competitors, such as Monster Energy with 160mg per can, and Red Bull with only 80mg. When compared to a cup of coffee, which only has 40mg of caffeine, the high amount in a single drink is worrying.
“Regular consumption of energy drinks can lead to various health issues, including heart arrhythmias, headaches, high blood pressure, inflammation and chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity.”
There was also a distinct lack of information available on the contents of the energy drink, which was alarming, said SSISA.
“On the Prime website, there is a disclaimer regarding the age of use, warning anyone under 18 years old, pregnant or breastfeeding, not to consume the energy drink. Furthermore, what is even more concerning is that the website does not provide a nutrition label for the drink,” it said.
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