Getting enough fluid each day is essential even for nonathletes. It’s vital to overall health, and contributes to basic bodily functions, including temperature regulation, waste elimination, and joint movement, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While recommendations vary depending on age, activity level, and other factors, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that women get about 2.7 liters (L) of fluid per day and men get about 3.7 L per day. Food, being part water, will deliver approximately 20 percent of those amounts, which means women should aim to drink about 2.2 L — nine 8-ounce (oz) cups — of water per day, and men should aim for 3.0 L — 13 8-oz cups. You can get a more personalized recommendation by using a hydration calculator. But do sports drinks actually live up to their hyper-hydration claims? Are these beverages, as marketers would have you believe, actually a better way to meet your daily goals for fluid intake than plain water? Read on to find out.
Water vs. Sports Drinks: How Do They Compare?
A prominent claim made by many brands of sports drinks is that they contain electrolytes, which aid hydration. Electrolytes are natural minerals, such as sodium, calcium, and potassium, that help cells maintain fluid balance, and you lose them when you sweat, reports Cleveland Clinic. Plain water does not replenish these substances. Restoring electrolytes doesn’t necessarily lead to better hydration, however, and there is no conclusive evidence that people lose enough electrolytes through regular activity or even moderate to vigorous exercise to affect hydration levels, however. In addition, sports drinks tend to contain things other than water, such as sugar, food dyes, and preservatives (but check the shelves because it is possible to find brands without any of these ingredients). A 12-oz bottle of Gatorade (the smallest size), for instance, contains 21 grams (g) of added sugar, per Pepsico, the manufacturer. That means there is slightly less hydrating fluid, cup for cup, compared to plain water. One past study that compared the hydrating effects of three commercially available sports drinks with water concluded that none hydrated the body faster than regular water. Of course, that sugar serves a purpose for those participating in intense exercise that lasts more than one hour: It is a quick source of carbohydrates to replenish the stores your body has used up after intense exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). For those who drink sports drinks when they’re exercising at a lower intensity, for less than one hour, or not exercising at all, however, all that sugar not only fails to offer a benefit, but can actually be detrimental to health and weight.
Nutrition Facts of Sports Drinks
There are many different kinds of sport drinks on the market today. In general, sports drinks are beverages that are advertised to replace energy, water, and electrolytes lost during exercise. Some contain sugar while others are sweetened with low- or no-calorie sweeteners. Per cup of regular sports drinks, you can expect to get 65 calories, 16 g of carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 13 g sugar, 0 g protein, 0 g fat, 25 milligrams (mg) phosphorus, 37 mg potassium, and 97 mg sodium according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Sugar-free versions have zero calories and carbohydrates but still contain electrolytes. These usually contain artificial sweeteners.
Sports Drinks vs. Energy Drinks: Which Is More Hydrating?
Both sports drinks and energy drinks contain sugar as the second ingredient (after water), according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Sports drinks, however, definitely edge out energy drinks when it comes to hydration. That’s because, as Harvard points out, energy drinks contain more sugar than sports drinks. Energy drinks also contain a fair amount of caffeine. This translates to less water and, therefore, less hydration per cup in energy drinks.
Types of Sports Drinks and How Hydrating They Are
Regular Sports Drinks Commercial sports drinks are packed with added sugars, which makes them more akin to soda than to water. For example, you’ll find 19.5 g of sugar in a 12-oz sports drink and 36.8 g in the same sized cola, per the USDA. While they do contain some added electrolytes, the slight benefit of those does not outweigh the negative effects of the sugar and chemicals in these neon-colored drinks. Additionally, it’s important to note that the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting added sugar as much as possible and sticking to less than 25 g per day for women and 36 g or less per day for men. The AHA also states that sports drinks contribute 3 percent of the added sugar in a typical American diet. While sports drinks can be counted toward your daily fluid intake, they aren’t recommended as a go-to beverage. Sugar-Free Sports Drinks In addition to regular sports drinks, a number of sugar-free options have hit the market in recent years. These are meant to appeal to those looking to avoid added sugar. Past research, however, indicates that artificial sweeteners are not necessarily a healthier option than sugar. One small study of 13 young adults published in May 2022 in Physiology and Behavior compared a beverage made with a sweetener called isomaltulose, which is derived from honey, with one sweetened with traditional sugar (sucrose). The results indicated that the isomaltulose-sweetened drink provided better hydration and led to less urine production compared to the sugar-sweetened drink. One potential reason that’s been suggested by the Beneo Institute is that isomaltulose is digested and absorbed more slowly than a typical carbohydrate, this may decrease the amount of fluid lost after drinking a beverage with this sweetener. It is important to note, however, that isomaltulose is still an added sugar, and more rigorous research is needed.
Health Benefits of Sports Drinks Beyond Hydration
In addition to hydration in the form of fluid, sports drinks also contain some electrolytes mainly in the form of sodium, potassium, and magnesium notes the Cleveland Clinic. Having the right balance of electrolytes in the body is essential for optimal health and performance, making sports drinks an option for replenishing the electrolytes lost through sweat after a hard workout. That being said, these electrolytes do not increase the amount of hydration you’ll receive from the beverage and it’s important to note that the added sugars in sports drinks negate any health benefits offered by the electrolytes. One study, which tracked data on more than 7,500 adolescent boys and girls for seven years, found that those who consumed the most sports drinks had the greatest association with an increased body mass index leading to overweight or obesity, especially in boys. In other words, regular sports drinks may not be the healthy choice that big beverage companies want you to think they are.
Tips for Enjoying Sports Drinks to Maximize the Perks
To maximize the hydration perks of sports drinks, it’s important to drink them only when it’s appropriate. Based on past studies, the team physicians for the Carolina Panthers recommend water, heavily diluted sports drinks, and water with added electrolytes before and during exercise (even for intense exercise and workouts lasting more than 60 minutes). However, the carbohydrates and electrolytes in sports drinks can make a small amount of it the perfect drink for aiding recovery after your workout is complete. If you’re not exercising at all, sports drinks are an extra source of calories and added sugars that you don’t need. Nutritionally, they’re more akin to soda than to water and dietitians would recommend skipping them whenever possible.
Should You Try Sports Drinks to Stay Hydrated?
While water is the ultimate hydrator, sports drinks can be part of a hydration protocol during and after intense exercise. The ACSM notes that there is no performance benefit to having a sports drink for exercise lasting less than one hour. They do state, however, that athletes may find flavored beverages more palatable and, therefore, consume more fluid overall. During intense exercise that lasts one hour or more, replacing electrolytes and some carbohydrates may be beneficial and sports drinks may be a helpful method for getting those nutrients. Sports drinks aren’t nutritionally necessary if you aren’t exercising, so if you do choose to include them as part of your hydration routine, opt for those with a limited amount of sugar and enjoy them in moderation.
