The juice on juice

A nutritional, medicinal, and highly flavourful guide to the perfect post-run drink

It’s hot out, you’ve finished your workout, you’re standing in front of the mini-mart fridge considering your options. Water isn’t quite enough, and you had a pre-run sports drink. Here’s something new: a juice blend called pomegranate blue. Sounds refreshing and, as a bonus, healthy. But is it?

“All juices are not created equal,” says Princeton University sports dietitian Mandy Clark, R.D. “Are you getting nutrients or are you drinking sugar water?” Indeed, some fruit-juice products contain only 10 to 15 percent juice; the balance includes as much as 27 grams of high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or even the healthful-sounding organic cane sugar. They may look like fruit juice, but technically they’re “fruit drinks,” and the distinction is important. Nutritionally speaking, fruit drinks are not much better than soda and should be consumed sparingly, according to the Beverage Guidance Panel, a group of health experts established to make recommendations on what and how much Americans should drink to stay healthy and control their weight.

The trick is to scrutinise the label for the words “100 percent juice.” “Choosing only 100 percent juice ensures you’re getting nutrients,” says Clark.

It’s worth the effort because fruit juices can deliver big benefits. Eight ounces of OJ, for instance, provides 120 percent of the Daily Value (DV) of vitamin C and is a good source of potassium and folic acid; fortified versions offer up to 35 percent of calcium or 25 percent of vitamin D. Pineapple juice has 100 percent of your vitamin C and 10 percent of your potassium for the day. The polyphenols in Concord grape juice have the same protective effect against heart disease as red wine, minus the buzz. Recent studies suggest that trendy drinks like pomegranate juice and goji berry extract offer huge amounts of antioxidants, and cherry juice has been linked to relieving muscle soreness. And a study in the September 2006 American Journal of Medicine suggests that drinking three servings of juice a week--your choice--may help fight dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Juice’s status as a high glycemic index beverage makes it a great postrun choice because it helps restock your carb supply. Blend it with yogurt (for a little protein) and you’ve got a perfect recovery drink. And because intense and prolonged exercise can compromise the immune system, citrus juices can help runners get their DV of vitamin C and keep their defenses strong.

Think before you drink
But hold on before you gulp down that second big glass of 100 percent pineapple-orange-strawberry blend. Juices pack a lot of calories compared with their whole-fruit sources. An eight-ounce glass of orange juice has 110 calories, while the fruit has only 65, which doesn’t sound like such a big deal until you realise how much easier it is to keep sipping than to peel another orange. And juices are less filling.

“If you eat the whole orange or apple, you get fibre, which is mostly lost during the juicing process,” says Clark. Whole fruit bulk makes you feel fuller than liquid calories. Plus, some nutrients are lost during the juicing process because they hide out in the skins, peels, pulp, and membranes of many fruits. Oranges, for example, contain five times the amount of the antioxidant flavanone in orange juice. To prevent from going overboard on calories, keep your intake of all drinks--milk, juice, smoothies--to no more than 14 percent of your daily total calories, recommends the Beverage Guidance Panel. For a 2,000-calorie day, that might be a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk (80 to 140 calories) and four to eight ounces of juice (50 to 120 calories).

You might be tempted to save calories by drinking one of the many new “light” juice options, but while they do cut calories, most have fewer nutrients and contain artificial sweeteners. If you opt for a light version, make sure it has at least 40 percent juice; this way you’re getting some nutrients.

Whichever juice you choose, you’ll want to save it for postrun. “Juice is not a good idea just before or during exercise,” says exercise physiologist Susan J. Hewlings, Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. “The glucose is too concentrated and can pull water into the intestines, causing cramping.”

Vegetable juice is the exception. The high sodium content, especially in tomato juice, could help stave off cramps during a run, says Clark. (Avoid it if you have hypertension.) Plus, vegetable juices are naturally lower in calories (50 to 70 per eight-ounce serving), and, while their nutritional value aren’t as impressive as citrus juices are, tomato juice provides the full DV of vitamin C, and some carrot juices can pack a whopping 700 percent of the DV for vitamin A.
Be sure to return the juice carton to the fridge; temperature, light, and time can decrease vitamin C’s efficacy. And when you have the option, choose a freshly squeezed juice--hands down it contains the most nutrients of any juice product. So next time skip the mini-mart and head straight for the juice bar.