Nutrition Facts for Popular Sports Drinks

Replenishing fluid and electrolyte losses are an essential part of training and recovery. Your rehydration needs may be different depending on the duration and intensity of exercise you are doing. Luckily, not all sports drinks are created equal. There is a wide variety of drinks available that have different amounts of total calories, carbohydrates, and electrolytes. If you are exercising for long periods of time (more than 1 hour) and/or exercising at a high intensity that causes you to sweat a lot, you may want to choose a sports drink that contains carbohydrates and electrolytes to replenish what you lost. If you are a recreational athlete who works out for 45 minutes to an hour at the gym every day, a better choice for you might be one of the lower-calorie beverages or even plain water. Keep in mind that the reduced calorie sports drinks contain artificial sweeteners so they should be consumed in moderation. After reading this, hopefully you will be able to determine which formula of sports drink is right for you.

Nutrient breakdown of common sports drinks, per serving:

• Gatorade: 50 kcals, 14 g CHO, 110 mg Sodium, 30 mg Potassium, 0 g Prot
• Powerade: 50 kcals, 14 g CHO, 100 mg Sodium, 25 mg Potassium, 0 g Prot
• Vitamin Water: 120 kcals, 33 g CHO, 0 mg Sodium, 0 mg Potassium, 0 g Prot
• Gatorade Recover: 110 kcals, 20 g CHO, 105 mg Sodium, 0 mg Potassium, 0 g Prot
• Gatorade Fit: 10 kcals, 2 g CHO, 110 mg Sodium, 30 mg Potassium, 0 g Prot
• Gatorade Endurance: 50 kcals, 14 g CHO, 200 mg Sodium, 90 mg Potassium, 0 g Prot
• G2: 20 kcals, 5 g CHO, 110 mg Sodium, 30 mg Potassium, 0 g Prot
• Powerade Zero: 0 kcals, 0 g CHO, 100 mg Sodium, 25 mg Potassium, 0 mg Prot
• Propel Zero: 0 kcals, 0 g CHO, 100 mg Sodium, 25 mg Potassium, 0 mg Prot
• Vitamin Water Zero: 20 kcals, 5 g CHO, 0 mg Sodium, 0 mg Potassium, 0 mg Prot

Guest Blogger: Jocelyn Johnson, USD Dietetic Intern