What is gatorade

Marketing campaigns from sports drink manufacturers—including Gatorade—have often been targeted towards children. Similar celebrity campaigns have appeared since. Sports drinks are now a household staple and are frequently handed out at sports matches. However, the vast majority of children do not exercise at a level of exertion or length of time that requires the performance-boosting ingredients in sports drinks.

For most children, a plain bottle of water will provide the hydration they need during a youth basketball game or high school field hockey event.

For the children and adults who do not really need a sports drink for athletic purposes—yet are drinking them regularly—negative health consequences can arise. Here are a few to consider:. At this time, there is no firm conclusion that food dyes or artificial food coloring causes ADHD. The FDA still maintains that these additives are safe. In addition to the anecdotal evidence of the Florida Gators' success while using Gatorade, many researchers have studied sports drinks and athletic performance.

Sports drinks —including Gatorade—have been shown to help with hydration and energy during intense or long-duration exercise. However, most people even those who exercise regularly do not exert themselves at a level that requires a sports drink. These products primarily become useful when you are exercising intensely for more than 60 to 90 minutes. In those cases, not only will the sports drink help with hydration, but it will also replenish some of the electrolytes lost through sweating.

Some studies have shown that sports drinks also help to keep athletes hydrated better simply because they taste good, which can encourage them to drink more. Also, once you pass over an hour of strenuous exercise, research has shown that providing carbohydrates for energy improves performance. Certainly, it's valid to choose to indulge in Gatorade just because you enjoy drinking it—and doing so occasionally is unlikely to cause any ill-effects. Drinking a bottle every day, on the other hand, without changing anything else in your diet or exercise routine, could add up to many extra pounds over a year.

The extra calories per Gatorade per day 51, over the course of the year divided by the approximately 3, calories it takes to gain a pound adds up to In response to concerns over its high sugar content, Gatorade now offers Gatorade Zero, which has no sugar and only 10 calories, and G2, which has half the sugar and about half the calories of the original.

These products use the artificial sweetener sucralose best known by the brand name Splenda and acesulfame potassium in place of sugar. While many studies suggest that artificial sweeteners are safe for consumption in moderate amounts, other research has found potentially detrimental effects.

For example, a review article concluded that artificial sweeteners may alter the gut microbiome, be associated with weight gain, and alter satiety cues. More research needs to be done in order to validate causation. At this time, the FDA stands by the safety of the ingredient and approves its use in food. Both of these low and no-sugar product lines provide the same electrolyte re-fueling without the added calories and can be a happy middle ground for those that want an endurance boost without all the sugar.

For other uses, such as most short workouts and for everyday drinking, water is truly your best bet for staying hydrated. Get nutrition tips and advice to make healthy eating easier. Potera C. Diet and nutrition: The artificial food dye blues.

Environ Health Perspect. Color Additives Questions and Answers for Consumers. Food and Drug Administration. Updated January 4, You can find 0-calorie, low-sugar, protein and organic options as well as Gatorade powders, shakes and bars. The following chart examines the nutrients of some of the most popular Gatorade sports drinks in a ounce serving. Note that Gatorade sports drinks are fat-free, which is why the table below does not include the macronutrient.

G Zero, Gatorade's zero sugar options, uses sucralose, a zero-calorie artificial sweetener that's found in Splenda. It's important to stay hydrated, especially while exercising.

While drinking water can help you accomplish just that, drinking Gatorade can help as well. Staying hydrated helps you maintain optimal athletic performance, which can drop if you lose as little as 2 percent of your body weight due to sweating, drops if you lose as little as 1 percent of your body weight due to sweating, according to U.

Since Gatorade tastes sweet and palatable, it may encourage you drink more than if you were drinking plain water. With this line of thinking, Gatorade may promote extra hydration. Carbohydrates provide the fuel your body needs to function every day, but they're especially important for supporting muscle activity. When you exercise for more than an hour, drinking beverages that contain 13 to 19 grams of carbs per 8-ounce serving helps boost your endurance, according to the American College of Sports Medicine ACSM.

Gatorade can be useful in this case, since it gives your body the energy it needs to continue to exercise. Electrolytes are salt minerals that conduct electricity and balance essential body fluids, per the U. National Library of Medicine. Electrolytes affect how your body functions in several ways, including:. Electrolyte imbalances, from dehydration or excessive sweating, can have serious health consequences.

Gatorade contains three electrolytes — sodium, potassium and chloride — to help replenish lost electrolytes and keep your body running smoothly and efficiently during intense exercise.

When we sweat, our bodies lose both water and electrolytes. In general, you won't need to replenish your electrolytes unless you're exercising for longer than 60 to 90 minutes, according to ACE Fitness. For this reason, unless they are professional athletes or fitness pros, most people don't really need beverages with electrolytes during exercise. Gatorade Thirst Quencher contains mg of sodium and mg of potassium, which is 17 percent and 2 percent of the daily values DV , respectively.

To prevent these symptoms from popping up in the first place, Rizzo recommends sipping a sports drink during exercise, and sipping a bit more after intense exercise. Many serious and elite runners use a powder to make their own, and many endorse Skratch Labs because they use a mixture of cane sugar and dextrose as the sugar [source].

Both are more natural sugars that get into your bloodstream quickly. But an even better option is to make your own. Not only can you control the ingredients, but DIY-ing your own at-home sports drink will also save you money. Rizzo highlights the important components that go into a sports drink, and why our bodies need them to re-hydrate:. This balance is essential for nerve, muscle, and brain functioning.

An imbalance may lead to an electrolyte disorder. Electrolytes and carbohydrates help athletes refuel and rehydrate. This is what makes sports drinks popular. Gatorade claims their product hydrates better than water because of these additional ingredients. Some research backs their claims. A report from the University of California at Berkeley says that sports drinks might be better than water for children and athletes who engage in prolonged, vigorous physical activity for more than one hour, especially in hot conditions.

However, you should note that people exercising for less than 60 to 90 minutes may not need Gatorade to maintain or improve performance.

In fact, Berkeley researchers say the sugar in sports drinks may be contributing to the child obesity epidemic by increasing caloric intake. When consumed often, the sugar content of Gatorade can also contribute to tooth decay , especially in children. The extra calories from a sports drink could contribute to weight gain.

The extra sodium could increase the risk of high blood pressure over time.