# Gatorade alternative that actually provides the electrolytes, etc AND also tastes good. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 15, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961 "2016-08-15T22:55:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/1 "2016-08-15T22:55:48Z")
I guess this goes in Cafe Society? So I’ve heard that Gatorade changed its formula and now is basically sugar water. I’ve been going through tons of it lately due to butt issues that need me to hydrate a _lot_, plus I have bad dry-mouth. Because some of the meds I’m on change my taste preferences, I don’t like the taste of water anymore. So what should I be drinking in order to actually give me the electrolytes that I might need? Hopefully something easily available and not too expensive. I’ve tried Pedialite, but the flavors are icky. BTW, if you do drink Gatorade, I highly recommend the [Limon Pepino](http://www.maxim.com/entertainment/cult-limon-pepino-gatorade) flavor. I’ve been going through at least 1 quart, maybe up to 2, per day, and it’s the only thing that refreshes me. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/2 "2016-08-15T22:58:33Z")
Brawndo, The thirst mutilator. It’s got electrolytes! ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/3 "2016-08-15T23:21:50Z")
Well, besides Gatorade (Pepsi), there’s Powerade (Coca Cola), and AllSport (Dr. Pepper). Powerade had a commercial (that Gatorade unsuccessfully sued them over) that claimed Gatorade had inferior/insufficient electrolytes, which is probably the original source of your impression of Gatorade as inadequate. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/4 "2016-08-15T23:38:57Z")
My experience is that Gatorade tastes terrible, _unless_ I’ve been sweating a lot, in which case it tastes good. Presumably, this is a result of my body’s natural efforts at maintaining the correct equilibrium. But if your health issues are causing even water to taste bad, then probably that’s also what’s causing Gatorade to taste bad, to you. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/5 "2016-08-15T23:43:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > My experience is that Gatorade tastes terrible, _unless_ I’ve been sweating a lot, in which case it tastes good. Presumably, this is a result of my body’s natural efforts at maintaining the correct equilibrium. > > But if your health issues are causing even water to taste bad, then probably that’s also what’s causing Gatorade to taste bad, to you. Oh, Gatorade tastes wonderful. Especially the above-cited Limon Pepino. I’m just worried that I’m not getting as many nutrients as I think I am. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/6 "2016-08-16T00:19:41Z")
Pedialyte. At least, I like the taste. And it does actually have the electrolytes. I don’t really think you can get them without the drink tasting somewhat salty. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/7 "2016-08-16T02:31:47Z")
If you don’t need the electrolytes (and my understanding is that few people do) but want something that tastes different than plain water, try Crystal Light. I drink Crystal Light Lemon Iced Tea but there are a bunch of flavors. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/8 "2016-08-16T02:43:33Z")
I doubt they removed the electrolytes. The company has to defend it’s product because of the high sugar content, the benefits of the electrolytes is all they have going for them. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/9 "2016-08-16T02:58:45Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > I guess this goes in Cafe Society? > > So I’ve heard that Gatorade changed its formula and now is basically sugar water. Not true, as far as I can tell. Gatorade Thirst Quencher ingredients: > [@](#): > > WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, BLUE 1. [This site](http://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/is-gatorade-dangerous-for-your-health.html/?a=viewall) examines the ingredients and doesn’t like the high sugar content. But the electrolytes are still there. > [@](#): > > But, after a long, hard workout, it’s important to replenish your body’s electrolytes, and this is where Gatorade can be beneficial for those who are extremely active. Sodium, potassium, and chloride all fall under the category of electrolytes, or salts, that your body requires to function properly. Electrolytes are vital in keeping your body’s fluid levels in balance and also assisting in proper muscle function while improving hydration. It’s important to gain back the electrolytes you’ve lost after working out — you lose between 900 to 1400 milligrams of sodium per liter of sweat, and this amount of sodium loss can affect your blood pressure just as negatively as the consumption of too much sodium. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/10 "2016-08-16T03:02:00Z")
I’ve been told by both a GP and my gastro to drink sports drinks. I need to take special care to stay hydrated for reasons I won’t go into. This is especially true in hot weather. After the GP told me, I started drinking Powerade Zero to avoid the glucose and the calories that come with it. It tastes pretty good. Then, when the gastroenterologist mentioned it, he mentioned that the glucose helped the bowel to absorb the water better. So I switched to the low calorie Wegman’s brand which has some glucose but not as much as the regular and which I can get for 69 cents for a 32 oz bottle. I like the taste, maybe you would. The low calorie Gatorade is similar if you can’t get the Wegman’s. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/11 "2016-08-16T03:40:15Z")
When Gatorade first came out it was much more like Pedialyte. It has gotten much sweeter over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/12 "2016-08-16T04:22:14Z")
I would suggest checking the options on Amazon. I originally went there looking for Nuun (also an electrolyte drink supplement) and there are far more brands than I would have believed possible, in an astounding array of flavors. Try searching for “electrolytes” under “Health” and you should get a lot of hits. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/13 "2016-08-16T04:24:57Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > I guess this goes in Cafe Society? > > So I’ve heard that Gatorade changed its formula and now is basically sugar water. Hasn’t it always been sugar water with some salts in it? [Here’s a picture of an old can](https://thedynamiclife.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/gatorade.jpg), and the first three ingredients seems to be “water, glucose, cane sugar.” If you’re doing serious grueling workouts, like, say, the Florida Gators did in football practice, you generally do want a good kick of sugar for post-workout recovery/carbohydrate replenishment. But we’re talking serious workouts here, not something like a half hour on the treadmill at a comfortable pace. At any rate, it doesn’t seem to me like the sugar concentration changed all that much over the years. From what I can find ([this reference in the mid-70s in Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=OuNXAAAAYAAJ&dq=gatorade+grams+sugar&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=gatorade+grams+sugar), the snippet on the search results page for that has the excerpt: “Gatorade is all glucose and has essentially around 12.5 grams in an 8-ounce glass”), the sugar content of Gatorade was 12.5g per 8 oz. back then. Now it’s 14g per 8 oz., so not that much difference–basically, about a third of a teaspoon more than it used to have. But I can’t find anything earlier than 1975. Maybe the very original concoction in the late 60s was less sugary. That said, you might want to try something like G2, which is their low calorie version that contains the sodium and potassium it looks like you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/14 "2016-08-16T05:31:26Z")
The sugar is kinda required, > [@](#): > > {Robert K.} Crane’s discovery of cotransport led directly to the development of oral rehydration therapy. This treatment counterbalances the loss of water and electrolytes caused by cholera via a glucose containing salt solution that accelerates water and electrolyte absorption. This is possible because cholera does not interfere with sodium-glucose cotransport. > > Oral rehydration therapy saves the lives of millions of cholera patients in underdeveloped countries since the 1980s. In 1978, The Lancet wrote: “the discovery that sodium transport and glucose transport are coupled in the small intestine, so that glucose accelerates absorption of solute and water, was potentially the most important medical advance this century.”[RIGHT][CITE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_K._Crane#Application_in_oral_rehydration_therapy)[/RIGHT] More details [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_rehydration_therapy#Physiological_basis), but the important part, > [@](#): > > {…} The co-transport of glucose into epithelial cells via the SGLT1 protein requires sodium. Two sodium ions and one molecule of glucose (or galactose) are transported together across the cell membrane via the SGLT1 protein. Without glucose, intestinal sodium is not absorbed. This is why oral rehydration salts include both sodium and glucose. For each cycle of the transport, hundreds of water molecules move into the epithelial cell to maintain osmotic equilibrium. {…} CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/15 "2016-08-16T05:49:13Z")
I do a lot of trail racing of half marathon through ultramarathon distances and have tried a lot of them as aid station fuel. The only one I’d say I actually find palatable is orange flavored Ultima. But it is a specialty product, you won’t find it in your regular grocery so far as I know. But when I’m in a condition to strongly care about flavor I probably don’t actually need the calories and/or electrolytes. The only one I’ll refuse no matter what is a brand I can’t remember that has a “bubblegum” flavor. Truly awful. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/16 "2016-08-16T11:02:59Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I started drinking Powerade Zero to avoid the glucose and the calories that come with it. It tastes pretty good. I used to drink **Powerade Zero** on a routine basis. Like three to four quarts a day. But I’ve lost the taste for it. It just tasted… _salty_, and it wasn’t hydrating me. I now drink water for hydration; I have found it actually works better than Powerade Zero in this respect. It’s also much cheaper (essentially free) and more convenient (no more lugging big bottles of the stuff from the store). ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/17 "2016-08-16T11:10:43Z")
There seem to be different kinds of Gatorade. I mostly see G2 which seems like just sugar water. I remember old Gatorade and it seemed salty. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/18 "2016-08-16T12:20:30Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I used to drink **Powerade Zero** on a routine basis. Like three to four quarts a day. But I’ve lost the taste for it. It just tasted… _salty_, and it wasn’t hydrating me. > > I now drink water for hydration; I have found it actually works better than Powerade Zero in this respect. It’s also much cheaper (essentially free) and more convenient (no more lugging big bottles of the stuff from the store). And that may work for you, but as I said, I was told by 2 different doctors to use sport drinks because of a specific medical problem. The OP apparently is in a situation similar to mine. I abandoned the Powerade Zero when I realized that the glucose i was trying to avoid actually serves a purpose and aids in absorption of the water and salts. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/19 "2016-08-16T12:26:35Z")
This is my favorite handout for people with gut issues who actually do need Oral Rehydration Solutions on a regular basis (most people do not, and are better off drinking water, or water flavored with things that don’t add calories.) [https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2014/04/Homemade-Oral-Rehydration-Solutions-12-8-14.pdf](https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2014/04/Homemade-Oral-Rehydration-Solutions-12-8-14.pdf) A good homemade broth is my favorite ORS. If you like the Limon Pepino flavor, I’d suggest slicing a bunch of cucumbers and adding them to a quart pitcher of water and letting it sit overnight. The add 6 Tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 a tsp of salt and as much fresh squeezed lime juice as you like. Yes, sugar is vital to a true Oral Rehydration Solution. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961/20 "2016-08-16T12:36:48Z")
Just a note about pedolyte, and you don’t like the taste, I have found the grape to be the best. As commented above expect a salty/electrolyte flavor if you want salt/electrolyte, because electrolyte is salt. I have also seen pure electrolyte powder and also sport drink electrolyte tablets (Nun’s IIRC) which may give more options. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gatorade-alternative-that-actually-provides-the-electrolytes-etc-and-also-tastes-good/762961.md?page=2)