But Gatorade contains high levels of sugar and food dyes, which may increase people's risk of certain health conditions, including weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Gatorade and other sports drinks are not inherently healthy or healthier than other beverages.
Drinking Gatorade benefits your health in many ways. It may help treat dehydration, offer vital nutrients that you lose through sweating, improve performance, maintain blood glucose levels, increase exercise capacity, and help prevent muscle cramping during exercise.
Choose Both!
Water may not provide the carbs and electrolytes than Gatorade does, but it also has zero calories. If you are only doing a low-intensity workout, water is the better choice. It's the more high-intensity workouts that require the extra perks of Gatorade.
Gatorade Fit is the newest electrolyte beverage from Gatorade and is formulated for those seeking healthy, real hydration with no added sugar.
“My rule of thumb is generally after an hour [of activity], you want to kick in with a sports drink,” says Rizzo. But this rule varies based on the conditions and how much you sweat.
Gatorade Cool Blue
Gatorade Cool Blue can replenish your electrolytes after a workout, a night on the town, or any time you're feeling dehydrated.
Therefore, serious athletes competing or exercising for longer than an hour at a time may find Gatorade offers benefits that water does not. However, scientists do not recommend Gatorade or other sports drinks, in most circumstances, for the average person or child, exercising or competing for less than an hour.
While it does contain some research-backed ingredients for improving exercise performance (electrolytes and sodium citrate), we don't recommend the product due to the inclusion of a number of questionable additive ingredients including artificial sweeteners and an artificial food dye.
The sodium and potassium in cola is much lower than Gatorade, with only 11.2 milligrams of sodium and 18.6 milligrams of potassium. It's important to note that the serving sizes when comparing Gatorade vs. soda are different, with Gatorade being 20 ounces and the soda 12 ounces.
“The basic deficiency in beverages such as Gatorade for illness-related dehydration is that there is too much sugar and not enough salt (sodium) or potassium,” said John D. Bowman, MS Pharm, pharmacy professor at Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy.
But just like anything, too many electrolytes can be unhealthy: Too much sodium, formally referred to as hypernatremia, can cause dizziness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Too much potassium, known as hyperkalemia, can impact your kidney function and cause heart arrhythmia, nausea, and an irregular pulse.
Immediately following your activity, you should consume at least 8 ounces of Gatorade to avoid dehydration. If you are sick and experiencing symptoms of dehydration, consider taking a few sips of Gatorade an hour to assess your body's tolerance and help with hydration.
Many top athletes' main interaction with Gatorade comes in the form of getting gallons of the stuff dumped on them in celebration. They don't actually drink the stuff. Gatorade's electrolyte replacement premise holds true for the particular needs of athletes.
Drawbacks of Excessive Gatorade
The acid in sports drinks has been shown to wear down tooth enamel. Plus, the sugars in the beverage can contribute to cavities.
Gatorade contains 160 milligrams of sodium and 45 milligrams of potassium per serving, whereas Powerade contains150 milligrams of sodium and 35 milligrams of potassium per serving. In comparison, Gatorade is slightly better at replacing lost electrolytes.
When the body has excess sodium that the kidneys must absorb and process, the body expels calcium. This calcium, in turn, leads to kidney stones and damages the kidneys. Drinking excess sports drinks like Gatorade increases the likelihood of this happening.
Gatorade Zero has zero sugar, but all the electrolytes of Gatorade Thirst Quencher and provides athletes with another hydration option to meet their needs. Does Gatorade Zero contain any carbohydrates? Gatorade Zero does not contain any carbohydrates.
The root of the problem lies in the carbohydrate source used in Gatorade products, which is 100% simple sugar.
Glacier Freeze is the only answer for hangovers and stomach viruses. Something about the taste and feel of Glacier Freeze makes you feel your body recovering. Mainly from a night full of vomiting.
Research shows that milk is one of the best beverages for hydration, even better than water or sports drinks. Researchers credit milk's natural electrolytes, carbohydrates, and protein for its effectiveness.
It hydrates you
This myth comes from a study funded by Gatorade that found people who drank their product were better hydrated than if they drank water—but only because they drank more fluids. If you drank the same volume of water versus Gatorade, you'd be equally hydrated.