The researchers suggest sports drinks may be using misleading labels and advertising to promote health benefits that science has not fully proven.įor most people, including children and adolescents, the extra sugar, sodium, and calories found in sugary drinks are not necessary. They also link this to chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The University of California, Berkeley’s 2014 paper concludes that children’s increase in sugary drink consumption, including energy drinks, may be contributing to weight gain in adulthood.
Powerade and All-Sport contain 70 caloriesĪccording to the same information, Gatorade offers 14 grams (g) of carbohydrates per serving compared to 27 g in Coca-Cola and 25 g in orange juice. Extra sugar is more likely to cause health complications in people who exercise less often or only for an hour or less.Ĭentral Washington University compared calorie counts of Gatorade and other drinks per serving: Typically, serious athletes and people involved in long, strenuous activities can handle the added sugar, as they will burn it off, during their normal routines. In addition to adding electrolytes to the person’s fluid consumption, it also adds sugar. The manufacturers have designed Gatorade for serious athletes and those involved in extended, vigorous activities. Share on Pinterest Sugary drinks, such as Gatorade, may increase the risk of diabetes. However, scientists do not recommend Gatorade or other sports drinks, in most circumstances, for the average person or child, exercising or competing for less than an hour. Therefore, serious athletes competing or exercising for longer than an hour at a time may find Gatorade offers benefits that water does not. When these bodies fund research into their own products, reviewers widely regard it as a conflict of interest.įor example, an independent review of research from 2007 discovered that fully industry-funded research studies were significantly more likely to find favorable results than studies with no industry funding.Ī research review from the University of California, Berkley in 2014 points out that most researchers are basing their results on the performance of serious athletes. Of these, it is difficult to find research not funded heavily by industry stakeholders, including Gatorade. There is no shortage of research, largely funded by Gatorade and other sports drinks, to support these claims.Īccording to SugarScience by the University of California, Berkeley there are more than 300 research articles about sports drinks available. Gatorade was designed to help serious athletes perform better on the field. It can also replace electrolytes, during times of illness, such as stomach viruses. Gatorade, because of its electrolyte content, helps to restore the lost electrolytes and keep a person hydrated, during intense activity. When a person exercises, they lose not only water but also electrolytes through their sweat. The difference is that manufacturers add additional elements, such as sugar and electrolytes, to Gatorade and other sports drinks.Įlectrolytes are minerals, such as potassium and sodium, that have an impact on a person’s muscles, brain, and nerves. Share on Pinterest Research suggests that only serious athletes exercising for over an hour will benefit from drinking Gatorade.īoth Gatorade and water will help the body regain fluid lost through exercise and other physical activity. In this article, we take an in-depth look at the benefits and the risks of drinking Gatorade. Serious athletes and people who do heavy exercise may even see benefits from drinking Gatorade, as well as water. People can consume moderate amounts of Gatorade or other sports drinks and experience no negative effects. Still, this alone does not mean that Gatorade is bad for a person’s health. Drinking sugary sports drinks, such as Gatorade, is associated with: 
However, it also contains high levels of sugar, which can increase people’s health risks.Īccording to Healthy Eating Research in 2012, people’s intake of sugary drinks has increased significantly in the last 3 decades. Gatorade contains electrolytes to rehydrate people and provide energy. In 1967, the Gators won the Orange Bowl for the first time in years. 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. With this in mind, is drinking Gatorade good or bad for people’s health and sports performance?
It contains rehydrating electrolytes but also has a high concentration of sugar. Gatorade is sold as an exercise enhancement drink.
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