Tools and Equipment 5 Top Picks for Sports Drinks to Rehydrate By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. Learn about our editorial process Elizabeth Quinn Fact checked by Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS on June 07, 2020 Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). Learn about our editorial process Shereen Lehman, MS Updated on June 07, 2020 Print Staying hydrated is critical for athletic performance. For athletes to stay well hydrated it is recommended that they drink 1/2 to 3/4 cups of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. But plain water isn't always enough. That's when athletes often turn to a quality sports drink. If you are doing long endurance training or competing in events for more than an hour, it is helpful to use a sports drink to replenish lost fluid as well as sodium. Simply replacing water can lead to hyponatremia, or low sodium levels, which can be dangerous. Sports drinks are designed to replace those electrolytes or salts. Many also replace carbohydrates in the form of sugars so you can have your energy replenished. When Should Athletes Replace Fluids? Athletes who exercise for less than an hour can generally replace lost fluids with plain water, but sports drinks can be helpful for athletes who exercise at a fairly high intensity for 60 minutes or more. Fluids are easier to digest than solid food, and drinks containing 50 to 100 calories per 8 ounces help provide the right amount of energy for exercise. Energy can also be provided through energy gels, bars, and other foods, but for many athletes, fluids are the most convenient way to get those nutrients. The ACSM Position Stand for replacing fluid during exercise include the following recommendations: Drink 8 to 10 fl oz every 10 to 15 min during exercise.If exercising longer than 90 minutes, drink 8 to 10 fl oz of a sports drink (with no more than 8% carbohydrate) every 15 to 30 minutes. Avoid fluids with more than 8% carbohydrate because they are more difficult to digest, and may lead to stomach upset. So stay away from highly sugary drinks such as sodas and pure fruit juices. Here are some of the best-selling sports drink options on the market: 1 Gatorade Image via Amazon Calories in Gatorade: 50 (8 fl. oz)Carbohydrate: 14grSodium: 110mgPotassium: 30mg Gatorade was one of the first sports drinks, created for the University of Florida Gators in 1965, and it continues to be one of the best-selling ones. You will find it for sale worldwide. It was designed to replenish salt and carbohydrate. You can buy it in liquid form at most grocery or convenience stores, or in powdered form to mix with your own water. In addition to the original formula which replenishes sugar and sodium, the Gatorade Endurance Formula has more electrolytes. The G2 Low-Calorie Thirst Quencher is for those who want to have less sugar in their sports drink. 2 Cytomax Tetra Images/Getty Images Cytomax contains complex carbohydrate and electrolytes. Cytomax comes in powdered form. You add it to your water to mix up rather than buying it premixed. I prefer the orange because it isn't quite as bitter as the other flavors. The complex carbohydrates are included to take longer to metabolize so you don't have a big sugar high followed by a crash. Bottom line: it does the trick and keeps you moving. 3 Accelerade Image via Amazon Accelerade contains a 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein to speed the movement of carbohydrate energy into the muscle, and the ideal combination of simple and complex carbohydrates for rapid and sustained energy. It is gluten-free. It is another sports drink available in powdered form to add to your own water bottle. Sports drinks with protein have been touted and may be provided at races, but they have doubters as well, who think they are best as recovery drinks rather than being used during endurance activities. What to Eat and Drink After a Workout for Recovery 4 Endurox Image via Amazon Endurox is designed as a performance/recovery drink. The 4 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein in Endurox® is recommended for use after your workouts. In addition to the carbs and protein, Endurox provides all the vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids your body needs to recover. It contains glutamine, one of the favorite supplements for maintaining muscle mass and replenishing glycogen stores. This drink is available in powdered form, so you will mix it with water or juice. 5 Powerade Image via Amazon Powerade is another heavily marketed brand of sports drink that can be found pre-mixed in grocery and convenience stores and is also available in powdered form. It provides electrolytes as well as B vitamins and sugars. They also have Powerade Zero with zero calories for those who want only the electrolytes and not the sugar. Powerade Zero Drops are another option to add flavor and electrolytes to water without adding sugar. Make Your Own Sugar-Free Electrolyte Drink Disclosure E-Commerce Content is independent of editorial content and we may receive compensation in connection with your purchase of products via links on this page. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Taylor LW. Nutritional Guidelines for Athletic Performance: The Training Table. CRC Press; 2012. Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, et al. Exercise and Fluid Replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(2):377-390. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31802ca597