What About Electrolytes and Sports Drinks?

These ones are an odd case, but the answer for most people is going to be that water is better. Drinks like Gatorade advertise themselves as being the right choice for active people, but that isn’t the whole truth. Electrolyte-containing drinks are incredibly useful for intense, professional athletes for one reason- your sweat is salty. Naturally, if you push yourself to your very limits, you’ll sweat a good amount. When you sweat, your body secretes water from within its system, but this also contains a small amount of salt dissolved in it- in this case, salt is an electrolyte. If you only drink water while you’re performing heavy exercises, you’ll lose those vital electrolytes, which can lead to hyponatremia- a salt deficiency in the blood, which can lead to low blood pressure. As such, more professional athletes have actually died from overhydration rather than dehydration.

So, a cut and dry case for Gatorade? Well, not quite. Sure, it is very handy for athletes, but most people will never reach the point where it becomes necessary. What matters more about Gatorade is that it has a huge amount of sugar inside it- only a small amount less than an equivalent serving of soda. Overconsumption of sugar is a much more pressing matter than overhydration, since the former can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart attack, and so many more complications. If you’re not a professional sportsman, it’s best to lay off the Cool Blue for now.