Gatorade is sold as an exercise enhancement drink. It contains rehydrating electrolytes but also has a high concentration of sugar. There are benefits and risks of drinking Gatorade while exercising.
Gatorade is classified as a “sports drink.” Scientists at the University of Florida developed the drink in 1965 with the aim of boosting the performance of their football team, called the Gators. In 1967, the Gators won the Orange Bowl for the first time in years.
Gatorade contains electrolytes to rehydrate people and provide energy. However, it also contains high levels of sugar, which can increase people’s health risks.
According to
- weight gain
- high blood pressure
- raised risk of diabetes, obesity, and cancer
Still, this alone does not mean that Gatorade is bad for a person’s health. People can consume moderate amounts of Gatorade or other sports drinks and experience no negative effects.
Serious athletes and people who do heavy exercise may even see benefits from drinking Gatorade, as well as water.
In this article, we take an in-depth look at the benefits and the risks of drinking Gatorade.
Both Gatorade and water will help the body regain fluid lost through exercise and other physical activity. The difference is that manufacturers add additional elements, such as sugar and electrolytes, to Gatorade and other sports drinks.
Electrolytes are minerals, such as potassium and sodium, that have an impact on a person’s muscles, brain, and nerves.
When a person exercises they lose water and electrolytes through their sweat. The electrolytes in Gatorade help restore lost electrolytes and keep a person hydrated during intense activity. It can also replace electrolytes during times of illness, such as stomach viruses.
Gatorade was designed to help serious athletes perform better on the field. There is no shortage of research, largely funded by Gatorade and other sports drinks, to support these claims.
According to SugarScience by the University of California, Berkeley there are more than 300 research articles about sports drinks available. Of these, it is difficult to find research not funded heavily by industry stakeholders, including Gatorade. When these bodies fund research into their own products, reviewers widely regard it as a conflict of interest.
For example, a
A older research review from the University of California points out that most researchers are basing their results on the performance of serious athletes. 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 for the average person unless they are engaging in strenuous, long-duration exercise or they sweat heavily. Children should only consume sports drinks if they are being very physically active for more than one hour.
The manufacturers have designed Gatorade for serious athletes and those involved in extended, vigorous activities. In addition to adding electrolytes to the person’s fluid consumption, it also adds sugar.
Typically, serious athletes and people involved in long, strenuous activities can handle the added sugar, as they will burn it off. Extra sugar is more likely to cause health complications in people who exercise less often or only for an hour or less.
A 12 ounce (oz) serving of Gatorade contains
| Drink | Calories per 12 oz serving |
|---|---|
| regular soda | 155 |
| energy drink | 162 |
| fruit juice drink | 186 |
| regular orange soda | 195 |
| water | 0 |
While the calories in Gatorade are lower than in many other soft drinks, they still add to a person’s daily calorie intake and may be replacing calorie intake from more nutritious sources. Drinking water is a healthy alternative for staying hydrated, and it does not contain any calories.
For most people, including children and adolescents, the extra sugar, sodium, and calories found in sugary drinks are not necessary.
Children’s increase in sugary drink consumption, including energy drinks, may be contributing to weight gain in adulthood. There is also a link with chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Gatorade may be a good drink to complement water for athletes involved in intense exercise and activity. Gatorade may also be helpful to replace electrolytes lost during an illness that involves bouts of vomiting or diarrhea or after prolonged exposure to excessive heat.
However, Gatorade contains a lot of sugar, which may increase people’s risk of certain health conditions, including weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
For people not engaging in intense exercise, water is a healthy way to stay hydrated and limit calorie consumption.
More research is necessary to fully understand the positive and negative health impacts of Gatorade and other sports drinks.