Gatorade may be good for you after strenuous exercising and sweating, but it has no place in general nutrition.
Gatorade is a brand name for a sports drink that was created to help football players at the University of Florida (the Florida Gators) rehydrate and replace lost electrolytes during practice or games. It was designed for athletes exercising and sweating heavily, especially in the Florida heat.
Gatorade may be a good choice if you are exercising or doing a physical activity and working up a good sweat. If that’s the case, Gatorade may be good for you because it replaces the electrolytes and fluids are losing through sweating and the calories that you are using for energy. But it’s not meant to be an everyday drink to relieve thirst. In fact, it has no nutritional value and the sugar may be adding calories you don’t need, which can lead to weight gain.
According to the Nutrition Facts label on a bottle of Gatorade, the ingredients are sodium, sugar, and potassium. There may also be food coloring dyes. Sodium and potassium are electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals that your body uses for important functions that include maintaining the body’s fluid balance, muscle, and heart health, as well as functions of your nervous system.
Electrolytes are not made by your body. They come from the foods you eat and the fluids you drink. Your body maintains electrolytes in a delicate balancing act to maintain body functions. Too many electrolytes—or too few—throws the body out of balance. When you lose electrolytes from sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting, you can have symptoms that could include fatigue, headache, cramps, nausea, and dizziness. Gatorade has sodium and potassium because these are the main electrolytes lost in sweat.
Most people who use Gatorade to replace fluids when exercising are not using up calories the way athletes do, so they don’t really need the added sugar found in traditional Gatorade. Gatorade Zero has no sugar for that reason. However, it is still sweetened with artificial sweeteners, which have been linked to weight gain because the sweetness can cause cravings for real sugar.
Regular, low-calorie, and zero-calorie electrolyte drinks may have food coloring dyes that have been linked to problems that include allergies, digestive problems, and behavioral changes in children. Gatorade Zero, like the original Gatorade, is only good for you if you are sweating a lot, but has no other nutritional value.
A nutrient is any substance that your body needs to maintain body functions, so both sugar and electrolytes are nutrients. One serving of sugar-sweetened Gatorade (12 ounces) provides 80 calories from 22 grams of sugar, which is almost as much sugar as 12 ounces of Coca Cola or orange juice.
Sodium is an important nutrient because it helps your body maintain fluid inside your cells. It also helps your cells absorb other important nutrients. But too much sodium is linked to elevated blood pressure and a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend limiting sodium to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day. A 12-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains 160 to 310 mg of sodium. The highest level is in Gatorade Endurance Formula.
Potassium is closely linked to the fluid balance of sodium. When sodium leaves the cells, potassium goes in so loss of either electrolyte can upset fluid balance. Most varieties of Gatorade contain 40 to 45 mg of potassium. The Endurance formula contains 140 mg. The recommended intake for adults is 3,400 mg per day for men and 2,600 mg for women.
Gatorade does replace fluids that you lose. However, if you are not exercising heavily and sweating, you can hydrate better and more safely with water. All electrolyte drinks can be bad for you if you drink too much, and you don’t need to replace electrolytes. Electrolytes are all about balance, so adding electrolytes you don’t need can upset that balance. Symptoms of electrolyte levels that are too high can include confusion, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, fatigue, headaches, weakness, nausea, vomiting, or constipation.
Unless you are losing electrolytes in sweat, adding more from an electrolyte drink could be too much. The best way to maintain the right balance of electrolytes is to get them through a healthy diet of whole foods, especially with fruits and vegetables. An electrolyte drink is not thirst- quenching. In fact, electrolyte drinks can increase your thirst.
What you should know about Gatorade and other electrolyte drinks is that there is no reason to use them unless you are exercising and sweating. Otherwise, the added sugars, food coloring, or artificial sweeteners have no benefits for nutrition, and the best way to hydrate is naturally with water.
The best electrolyte drink is one that replaces electrolytes with the least amount of added ingredients. Unless you are really burning up calories, you don’t need sugar or sugar substitutes. For a less strenuous workout you can try coconut water, which replaces some electrolytes without added or artificial sugars.
You can also make your own electrolyte replacement drink by adding half a teaspoon of salt to four cups of water. If you are planning to burn lots of calories and need an energy boost, you can add two tablespoons of sugar. A bit of freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice can add some flavor and potassium.
