Sports drinks, oral rehydration solutions and electrolyte mixes

Does Gatorade hydrate you?

Hydrates about as well as water at rest — some smaller trials found more

Yes. At rest a sports drink held on to fluid about as well as water in the largest trial — Powerade as sold in the UK, at 1.02 against water's 1.00 — and several smaller resting trials, one of them testing Gatorade itself, found a sports drink held more than water. Sodium is what helps the body hold on to a drink, and a bottle of Gatorade carries about a quarter of the sodium in the WHO rehydration formula. It earns its sugar in exercise lasting more than about an hour or built on hard intervals, especially in the heat or if you sweat heavily.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}

Count your bottle

Sports drink (Powerade): 1.02¹; 2-hour hydration index, largest trial; water = 1.00
Oral rehydration solution: 1.54¹; The same trial: 55 mmol/L of sodium against the sports drink's 21
Sugar in a 20 fl oz Gatorade: 34 g⁶; 140 calories in the same bottle
Sodium in that bottle: 270 mg⁶; In the same 20 fl oz (591 mL) bottle, about 457 mg/L

Last reviewed 25 September 202639 sourcesWritten from the studies, not from other websites

The measurement

Is Gatorade better than water?

Not in the largest trial: the sports drink there, Powerade as sold in the UK in 2014, scored 1.02 against water's 1.00, a gap well inside the test's own repeatability of about 18%. Several smaller resting trials, one of them testing Gatorade itself, did find a sports drink held more fluid than water, and others found no difference; they are under "Other trials" below. Where a sports drink earns its place is exercise lasting more than about an hour or built on hard intervals, especially in the heat. In the large trial only four drinks beat water: skimmed milk at 1.58, oral rehydration solution at 1.54, full-fat milk at 1.50 and orange juice at 1.39. The index is urine passed after plain water divided by urine passed after the test drink, two hours after drinking a litre of it, so anything above 1.00 means more of the drink stayed in. In that trial 72 healthy men each drank water and three of the other twelve drinks on separate mornings, about 17 to a drink. The Powerade carried 21 mmol/L of sodium and 3.9 g of carbohydrate per 100 mL.

This pageAbove waterNo differenceWater = 1.00

Skimmed milk1.58
Oral rehydration solution1.54
Full-fat milk1.50
Orange juice1.39
Cola1.23
Diet cola1.08
Cold black tea1.07
Hot black tea1.03
Sports drink1.02
Still waterreference1.00
Lager0.99
Sparkling water0.98
Coffee (hot, black)0.91

Significance as marked on the paper’s Figure 2: ** P<0.01, * P<0.05 vs waterWhiskers are 1 SD

BHI = urine after still water ÷ urine after the test drink, 2 h after drinking ended. 72 healthy, recreationally active men aged 18-35, rested, fasted overnight and euhydrated. 1 L of each drink over 30 min in four equal portions; urine collected hourly for 4 h after drinking ended. Each man drank still water plus 3 of the 12 other drinks on separate mornings. Cold drinks 4-6 C, hot tea and coffee 60 C.¹Funding: Funded by a grant from the European Hydration Institute (EHI). Prof Maughan chairs the EHI Scientific Advisory Board (not the Institute itself); Dr Watson has also received EHI funding.

Show the data table

Two-hour beverage hydration index for every drink tested, with standard deviations and how each was reported
Drink	Index2 h	Correctedwater content	SD	vs water	n
Skimmed milkTesco, 0.1% fat	1.58	1.44	0.60	Above water	17
Oral rehydration solutionDioralyte, made up with Highland Spring water	1.54	1.50	0.74	Above water	17
Full-fat milkTesco, 3.6% fat	1.50	1.32	0.58	Above water	17
Orange juiceTesco Everyday Value	1.39	1.24	0.64≈	Above water	16
ColaCoca-Cola	1.23	1.09	0.54≈	No detected difference	17
Diet colaDiet Coke	1.08	1.08	0.24≈	No detected difference	16
Cold black teaPG tips	1.07	1.07	0.59≈	No detected difference	17
Hot black teaPG tips	1.03	1.03	0.24≈	No detected difference	15
Sports drinkPowerade	1.02	0.98	0.24≈	No detected difference	17
Still waterHighland Spring	1.00	1.00	—	Reference drink	72
LagerCarling	0.99	0.94	0.31≈	No detected difference	17
Sparkling waterHighland Spring	0.98	0.98	0.20≈	No detected difference	17
Coffee (hot, black)Nescafe Original instant	0.91	0.90	0.31≈	No detected difference	17

≈ marks a standard deviation read from the paper’s figures rather than its text. “Corrected” adjusts each drink for its own water content, which is the fairer comparison and the one that moves orange juice below significance.

What this number is not

— About 17 drinkers per test drink against a pooled water arm, so small differences such as coffee vs water cannot be detected.
— Rested, already-hydrated young men drinking 1 L in 30 min; the result describes a 2-4 h window, not all-day hydration.

Can the Beverage Hydration Index be used to decide what drink is best? - Stuart Galloway

IOC Diploma Sports Nutrition · starts at 0:07 · Watch on YouTube

Stuart Galloway co-wrote the trial behind this page's 1.02. In under a minute he explains that the index was measured in rested, already-hydrated people, so it cannot tell you what to drink mid-session, when you want fluid delivered fast rather than held.¹

Where the video goes further than the evidence

He says a sports drink beats water during exercise, but this page backs one over water only for long sessions, hard intervals, heat or heavy sweating, and has no data ranking exercise drinks by the index.⁸

Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.

Gatorade vs water

When is a sports drink worth it, and when is water enough?

Gatorade vs water comes down to the session rather than the drink. Water covers most of what most people do; the cards below are where the sugar or the salt in a sports drink starts to matter, for better or worse.

Under an hour, water is enough
That is the athletic trainers' own position, not ours: water covers activity under about an hour, and it is longer sessions and hard intervals, especially in heat or other extreme conditions, where carbohydrate and electrolytes start to earn their place. How much you need varies enormously. Sweat rates in adults run from 0.5 to 4.0 litres an hour, and sodium losses from 0.2 to 7.3 grams an hour, which is why your own number beats any rule of thumb: weigh yourself before and after a session, or use the sweat rate calculator.⁸
What the older guidance put numbers on
The 1996 ACSM stand recommended 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate an hour from a 4 to 8% drink, with 0.5 to 0.7 g of sodium per litre, for intense exercise lasting more than an hour. The 2007 stand that replaced it aims mainly at keeping fluid losses under 2% of body weight and tells you to build the plan around your own sweat rate. A 20 fl oz Gatorade works out at about 6% carbohydrate, inside that range, and 457 mg of sodium a litre, just under it.^10,9,6
If you are watching sugar
A 20 fl oz Gatorade carries 34 g of sugar and 140 calories, about 20 g per 12 fl oz, a little over half what the same volume of Coca-Cola carries at 39 g. The zero-sugar version keeps the same 270 mg of sodium per bottle and drops the sugar to nothing, which is the sensible swap if you want the electrolytes without the syrup.^6,11,12
If you are on a sodium-restricted diet
One LMNT stick is 1,000 mg of sodium and one Liquid I.V. stick is 500 mg: a meaningful share of a day's sodium in a single drink, and the entire point of the product. If somebody manages your diet, check with them before you add one.^13,14
If a clinician has capped your fluid
Heart failure, kidney disease and some medications come with a fluid target, and in that situation what matters is the volume going in, not what is dissolved in it. Follow the number you were given rather than anything derived from studies in healthy adults.
More is not safer
Exercise-associated hyponatraemia is blood sodium below 135 mmol/L, and it comes from drinking past your sweat losses, sports drinks included, because they are still dilute compared with blood. Among Boston Marathon runners whose blood was tested, 13% were hyponatraemic, and what predicted it was gaining weight during the race and finishing in over four hours, not what they had been drinking. Replace what you lost, not more.^8,15

Sick, not sweaty?

Vomiting and diarrhoea take salt and minerals with the water, and a sports drink is not built to put them back: the WHO rehydration formula carries 75 mmol/L of sodium, against about 20 in a Gatorade. An oral rehydration solution is the right tool, and a pharmacist can recommend one. How much of it depends on age, weight and how much has been lost, so this page puts no number on it. Talk to a pharmacist or clinician, especially for a baby, a child or an older adult.^7,16,6,17

Composition

How much water, sugar and salt is in a sports drink?

A generic sports drink, its low-calorie version and an oral rehydration solution from USDA's data, on one scale with water as the baseline. Switch the serving to the bottle you actually buy.

Serving size

Showing 500 mL · 16.9 fl oz of each.

Composition of two sports drinks, an oral rehydration solution and water per 500 mL serving, from USDA FoodData Central
Drink	Waterby weight	Water in itper serving	Calories	Sugars	Protein	Sodium	Potassium	Calcium
Sports drinkFDC 2710771	93.4%	489mL16.5 fl oz	136kcal	27.5g	0g	204mg	79mg	5mg
Sports drink, low calorieFDC 2710774	97.9%	497mL16.8 fl oz	41kcal	6.6g	0.3g	228mg	66mg	0mg
Oral rehydration solutionFDC 2710775	96.4%	505mL17.1 fl oz	52kcal	12.8g	0g	529mg	404mg	52mg
Water (for comparison)FDC 2710707	99.9%	507mL17.1 fl oz	0kcal	0g	0g	20mg	0mg	15mg

USDA publishes composition per 100 grams, so each serving is converted through the item's own density, about 1.0482 g/mL for a sports drink, which is why a 12 fl oz bottle weighs 372 g but delivers about 347 mL of water. Those densities come from rounded household portion weights, so treat them as good to a couple of percent. The oral rehydration solution has only one USDA household portion, a single fluid ounce, so its density comes from that. All four rows are caffeine-free in USDA's data, and those zeros are real values rather than missing ones.¹⁸

Which USDA entries these are

Sports drink: Sports drink, NFS — FDC 2710771, Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) 2024-10-31
Sports drink, low calorie: Sports drink, low calorie — FDC 2710774, Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) 2024-10-31
Oral rehydration solution: Fluid replacement, electrolyte solution — FDC 2710775, Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) 2024-10-31
Water (for comparison): Water, tap — FDC 2710707, Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) 2024-10-31

Is Gatorade Zero good for hydration?

The same salt, none of the sugar
A 20 fl oz bottle carries 270 mg of sodium and 80 mg of potassium, as the regular version does, with 0 g of sugar and 10 calories against 34 g and 140.^12,6
Its water reaches the blood as fast
In rested, fasted adults, water from Gatorade Zero reached the blood as quickly as water from Powerade Zero over the first hour, and in a sister study Powerade Zero kept pace with regular Gatorade. Regular Gatorade did leave a little less urine at the hour, 268 mL against 336. The trials were funded by Entrinsic and built to test an amino-acid drink, with these as controls.¹⁹
No hydration index yet
No trial has put Gatorade Zero through the two-hour index. It is far more dilute than the regular drink, 49 against 343 mOsm/kg, and the nearest thing that has been indexed, a sugar-free electrolyte water with similar sodium, scored 1.12 at two hours and 1.15 at four, above water but not statistically different from it. The same electrolytes with sugar added scored 1.15 at two hours, which was significant, but the two drinks did not differ from each other, and most of the gain over water came from the electrolytes.^19,3
What the sugar was for
In a session past an hour, carbohydrate is part of the point: the 1996 ACSM stand put it at 30 to 60 g an hour for intense exercise, and the athletic trainers say longer or harder sessions may benefit from it. Gatorade Zero has 1 g in a bottle, so it hydrates without fuelling.^10,8,12

Your glass

How much water does a bottle give you?

Pick a drink and a size to see the water it actually delivers, the sugar and calories that come with it, and where it lands against your daily goal.

Which one

Units

How much

500 mL · 16.9 fl oz

Your daily goal

68 fl oz. Not sure? The intake calculator works it out from your weight.

500 mL of sports drink delivers

489mL of water

16.5 fl oz · 93.4% water by weight

Share of your goal24.5%

Counted as volume rather than water content, it is 25% of the goal, which is how Water Goose logs it: the whole glass, with no hydration multiplier. The guidance is making a narrower point: EFSA and NASEM both count the water a drink carries toward your total intake, rather than the volume of the glass. This page explains the science; the app keeps the logging simple.^20,21

Calories: 136kcal
Sugars: 27.5g
Protein: 0g
Sodium: 204mg
Potassium: 79mg
Calcium: 5mg

In Water Goose a sports drink, sugar-free or not, logs as Sports drink at full volume, like every drink, with no hydration multiplier. There is no oral rehydration solution preset (Sports drink is the closest) and no preset for a powder or a tablet, so log the water you mixed it into as Water.

Composition from USDA FoodData Central, converted through each drink’s density.¹⁸ Work out your daily goal

Questions

What else do people ask about Gatorade and hydration?

Is Gatorade more hydrating than water?

Not in the largest trial: the sports drink there, Powerade, scored 1.02 on the beverage hydration index against water's 1.00, well inside the test's own noise, while an oral rehydration solution with more than twice the sodium scored 1.54. Several smaller resting trials, one of them testing Gatorade itself, did find a sports drink held more fluid than water; others found no difference. Gatorade earns its place in exercise lasting more than about an hour or built on hard intervals, especially in the heat, where its sodium and sugar start to matter.^{1,2,3,4,22,23,8}

Can I just drink Gatorade instead of water?

You can, and you would stay hydrated: USDA puts a generic sports drink at 93.4% water, and at rest a sports drink held on to fluid about as well as water in the largest trial (Powerade, 1.02 against 1.00), with some smaller trials, one of Gatorade itself, finding more. But a 20 fl oz bottle also carries 34 g of sugar and 140 calories, and the athletic trainers' guidance says activity under an hour needs nothing but water. As an everyday drink, water or Gatorade Zero does the same job without the sugar.^{18,1,2,3,4,6,8}

Can I count Gatorade as water intake?

Yes. NASEM counts the water in beverages toward your total water intake, and a sports drink is 93.4% water. The NHS is pickier: it names sugar-free drinks among those that count and suggests swapping sugary ones, which favours Gatorade Zero. Separately, Water Goose logs a sports drink at its full volume, like every drink, with no hydration multiplier. That keeps logging simple; it is not a claim about the science.^21,18,24

Does Gatorade dehydrate you?

No. In the trial that measured thirteen drinks, a sports drink produced no more urine than water over two hours, and in a later trial regular Gatorade left slightly less urine after an hour than a sugar-free sports drink did. Its sugar makes it a little more concentrated than blood, which slows how fast it leaves the stomach, but slower is not the same as dehydrating.^1,19,25,26

Does Gatorade Zero hydrate you?

Yes, as far as anyone has measured. In a trial that tracked labelled water into the blood, Gatorade Zero delivered it as quickly as Powerade Zero, and in a sister study Powerade Zero kept pace with regular Gatorade. It carries the same 270 mg of sodium per bottle with none of the sugar. No trial has put it through the two-hour hydration index, and in a long session it gives you no carbohydrate to burn.^19,12,6,10

Should I drink Gatorade when I'm sick or dehydrated?

If you are losing fluid through vomiting or diarrhoea, an oral rehydration solution is the better-built drink: the WHO formula carries 75 mmol/L of sodium, against about 20 in Gatorade, and the NHS says a pharmacist can recommend one. How much to drink depends on age, weight and what has been lost, so this page gives no amount. Ask a pharmacist or clinician, especially for a baby, a child or an older adult, who are more at risk.^7,6,17

Does Powerade hydrate you, and is it different from Gatorade?

Yes, about as well as water: Powerade, the UK formula of 2014, was the sports drink in the thirteen-drink trial, the one that scored 1.02. Per litre, the US Powerade label carries more sodium than Gatorade's, 676 mg against 457, though both sit far below an oral rehydration solution.^1,27,6

Powerade vs Gatorade, label against label

Do electrolyte powders like Liquid I.V. or LMNT work better?

Not by any clean measure. They are far saltier, about 46 mmol/L of sodium for Liquid I.V. mixed as directed against roughly 20 for a sports drink, and sodium is what most reliably improves retention. But the tablet and drop trials are small and partly paid for by the makers, so the evidence is thinner than the marketing.^{14,6,28,29,30,31}

LMNT vs Liquid I.V., compared label by label

Can you drink too much sports drink?

Yes. Drinking well past your sweat losses can push blood sodium below 135 mmol/L, and a sports drink does not protect you from that, because it is still dilute compared with blood. Replace what you lost, not more.⁸

The rest of the evidence

Do other trials find sports drinks beat water?

Sometimes. Eight other teams have run much the same test, in older adults, in athletes, and with tablets, drops and amino acids in place of sugar. High-sodium solutions beat water fairly reliably. Ordinary sports drinks sit on the line: above 1.00 in most trials, statistically apart from water in some and not in others, and in one trial only at three or four hours rather than two. Each card leads with what the study found; the protocol, the numbers and who paid for it are one click down.

At restHydration index

Two oral rehydration solutions beat water; the sports drink did not (Sollanek 2018)

²²

Both oral rehydration solutions, but not the sports drink, gave a BHI above water.

Method, results and caveats

Body mass and sex did not influence the BHI.

40 euhydrated, fasted adults (17 men, 23 women). Standard 1 L BHI protocol per the abstract; repeated-measures comparison of water, an amino-acid ORS, a glucose ORS and a sports drink.

What each group drank in Sollanek 2018, and what was measured
Waterreference	Not reported in the abstract
Amino-acid oral rehydration solution (AA-ORS)	1.15 (SD 0.28)Not in the abstract; a later paper (Millard-Stafford 2021) reports about 55 mmol/L sodium.
Glucose oral rehydration solution (G-ORS)	1.21 (SD 0.28)Not in the abstract; a later paper (Bechke 2022) reports osmolality of about 267 mmol/kg and says the effect persisted to 240 min.
Sports drink	1.09 (SD 0.26)Not reported in the abstract.

— Abstract only; composition and time window are not verified beyond it.

At restHydration index

Gatorade, Pedialyte and two amino-acid drinks all beat water, in young and older adults (Clarke 2019)

Every test drink had a BHI significantly above 1.0 at both 2 and 4 h in young and older adults.

Method, results, caveats and funding

Older adults retained more fluid overall, and the authors suggest a 4-h BHI for older people.

12 young (23 ± 3 y; 7 men, 5 women) and 12 older adults (67 ± 6 y; 5 men, 7 women). Randomised crossover; 1 L of distilled water or test drink over 30 min; urine at 0, 60, 120, 180 and 240 min. Label composition, measured osmolality.

What each group drank in Clarke 2019, and what was measured
Distilled waterreference	Young adults' 4-h urine 1443.1 ± 97.0 g (SEM). Time in positive fluid balance: young 73.6 min, older 118.0 min.
G-20Gatorade	BHI significantly above 1.0 at 2 and 4 h in both age groups (values in figures only). Time in positive fluid balance: young 94.7 min, older 156.5 min.
AA-30enterade Advanced Oncology formula	1.2 (SEM 0.13)Highest BHI in older adults. Time in positive fluid balance: young 88.4 min, older 147.0 min.
G-45Pedialyte	BHI significantly above 1.0 at 2 and 4 h in both age groups (values in figures only). Time in positive fluid balance: young 73.2 min, older 152.2 min.
AA-60enterade Anti-Diarrheal formula	1.24 (SEM 0.1)Highest BHI in young adults. Young 4-h urine 1228.7 ± 108.9 g vs water 1443.1 ± 97.0 g. Time in positive fluid balance: young 103.9 min, older 124.7 min.

— Mean ± SEM, not SD; do not compare spreads with SD-based studies.
— n=12 per age group; most per-drink BHI values are only in raster figures.
— Partly funded by Entrinsic Health Solutions.

Funding: Partially funded by an unrestricted gift from Entrinsic Health Solutions.

At restFluid retained

Of five drinks, water was the one people kept least of, young or old (Wolf 2019)

³²

Water had the lowest retention in both age groups.

Method, results and caveats

Older adults retained more than young adults for every drink except ENT-8 at 4 h (P=0.73).

Same participants and trials as Clarke 2019 (12 young, 12 older adults). 1 L over 30 min; fluid retention over 4 h.

What each group drank in Wolf 2019, and what was measured
Waterreference	Lowest retention in both age groups.
Gatorade	Na 0.460 g/L; K 0.125 g/L
ENT-5 (enterade, 5 amino acids)	Na 0.736 g/L; K 0.390 g/L
Pedialyte	Na 1.035 g/L; K 0.780 g/L
ENT-8 (enterade, 8 amino acids)	Na 1.380 g/L; K 0.780 g/L

— Retention values are in figures only.
— The abstract's sodium values for Pedialyte and ENT-5 are swapped; the Methods values above agree with Clarke 2019.

At restHydration index

A sports drink matched water; a milk-based drink beat both (Berry 2020)

²³

The milk permeate drink retained more fluid than water and the sports drink; the sports drink's BHI did not differ from water.

Method, results, caveats and funding

12 young adults (6 men, 6 women; about 23 y). Randomised crossover; 1 L at 16-20 C over 30 min; BHI at 120 and 240 min.

What each group drank in Berry 2020, and what was measured
Waterreference	4-h urine 1423 ± 277 mL
Carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink (CES)	1.04 (SD 0.09) at 2 h4-h urine 1332 ± 234 mL. Cumulative urine was lower than water at 120, 180 and 240 min (p≤0.03), although its BHI never differed from water.
Milk permeate-based solution (MPS)	1.29 (SD 0.15) at 2 hHigher than water and the sports drink at all time points. 4-h urine 1191 ± 194 mL.

— n=12; mean substitution for 2 missing trials.
— Funded by Dairy Management Inc.

Funding: Funded by Dairy Management Inc.

At restHydration index

Electrolytes with sugar beat water; electrolytes alone fell short (Millard-Stafford 2021)

Adding carbohydrate to about 21 mmol/L electrolytes raised BHI above water from 120 min; electrolytes alone did not reach significance; no differences among the three test drinks.

Method, results, caveats and funding

19 participants (15 men, 4 women). Randomised crossover; 1 L at 10-12 C over 30 min; 240 min. Composition measured after the study; Na and K headers read 'mmol' with no volume.

What each group drank in Millard-Stafford 2021, and what was measured
Deionised waterreference	Osmolality 2.2 mOsm/kg; Na 0.3, K 0.5 mmol; 0 kcal
Electrolyte water (E)	1.12 (SD 0.24) at 2 hOsmolality 87.6 mOsm/kg; Na 21.7, K 3.1 mmol; 0 kcal; Mg 5.1 mg/L, Ca 12.9 mg/L, vitamins
Carbohydrate-electrolyte drink (C+E)	1.15 (SD 0.17) at 2 hSignificant vs water at 120, 180 and 240 min (p=0.007, 0.018, 0.006). Not different from E or AG+E.
Alanyl-glutamine + electrolytes (AG+E)	1.14 (SD 0.2) at 240 minSignificant vs water at 240 min only.

— Mostly men.
— Funded by Coca-Cola.

Funding: Funded by Coca-Cola.

At restHydration index

In male athletes, two sports drinks and a rehydration solution all beat water (Yun 2022)

⁴

All three drinks gave a higher BHI than water from 2 h onwards (BHI values shown only in figures).

Method, results, caveats and funding

Male athletes (36 recruited; 31 observations analysed). Crossover; 1 L over 30 min; hourly urine for 4 h; BHI.

What each group drank in Yun 2022, and what was measured
Waterreference	Cumulative urine 638 g (1 h), 959 ± 271.7 g (2 h), 1110 g (3 h), 1189 ± 293.6 g (4 h).
Oral rehydration solutionLingtea	Cumulative urine 543 g (1 h), 791 ± 217.5 g (2 h), 893 g (3 h), 956 ± 230.6 g (4 h). Retained more than SpD2 at 3 and 4 h.
Sports drink 1 (SpD1)Lingtea	Cumulative urine 486 g (1 h), 771 ± 209.0 g (2 h), 928 g (3 h), 1001 ± 230.3 g (4 h).
Sports drink 2 (SpD2)Otsuka Pharmaceutical	Cumulative urine 557 g (1 h), 830 ± 183.5 g (2 h), 978 g (3 h), 1057 ± 215.2 g (4 h).

— Male athletes only.
— Ratios of group-mean urine are not individual-level BHI, so none are given here.
— Funded by Lingtea, which makes the ORS and SpD1.

Funding: Grants from Lingtea Co., Ltd., which makes the oral rehydration solution and one of the sports drinks tested.

At restHydration index

An isotonic drink matched water at two hours and pulled ahead by four (Bechke 2022)

³³

The isotonic drink did not differ from water at 2 h but retained more at 3 and 4 h.

Method, results, caveats and funding

22 adults (50% women). Crossover; 1 L over 30 min; 240 min; control was distilled water (Deer Park).

What each group drank in Bechke 2022, and what was measured
Distilled waterreference	Cumulative urine 0.6327 L (60 min), 1.094 L (120), 1.292 L (180), 1.405 L (240).
Isotonic beverageHOIST	1.06 (SD 0.15) at 2 hCumulative urine 0.6157 L (60 min), 1.043 L (120), 1.202 L (180), 1.299 L (240). Net fluid balance higher than water by 90 mL at 180 min and 106 mL at 240 min.

— Funded by QCK, LLC, the maker of HOIST.

Funding: Funded by QCK, LLC (grant 20-0081), the maker of HOIST.

At restHydration index

Nuun tablets edged out water; a double dose added nothing (Pence 2020)

³⁰

Fluid balance was better than water for both doses at 2, 3 and 4 h (p≤0.04).

Method, results, caveats and funding

A double dose did not improve BHI further than a single dose.

18 active adults (8 men, 10 women). Crossover; 1 L over 30 min; 4-h urine; BHI.

What each group drank in Pence 2020, and what was measured
Waterreference	Body mass loss 0.57 kg
Nuun, single doseNuun (3 tablets in 1.4 L; 1 L drunk)	BHI above water in planned contrasts at 2 h (p=0.05) and 4 h (p=0.02), with non-significant omnibus tests (p=0.13 and 0.06). Body mass loss 0.38 kg (p=0.02 vs water).
Nuun, double doseNuun (6 tablets in 1.4 L)	4-h contrast vs water p=0.09. Body mass loss 0.43 kg (p=0.08).

— BHI values are in figures only.
— Funded in part by Nuun.

Funding: Provided in part by Nuun & Company, Inc., and the University of Memphis.

At restHydration indexDifferent protocol

Electrolyte drops sipped over four hours kept more than water sipped the same way (Boyd-Shiwarski 2025)

³¹

Electrolyte drops sipped over 4 h retained more fluid than water sipped the same way; the comparison with the Nuun bolus is confounded by the different drinking patterns.

Method, results, caveats and funding

30 adults (14 men, 16 women; 18-45 y). Non-randomised, fixed order (Buoy, then water, then Nuun). Water and Buoy: 1 L sipped at a metered rate over 4 h. Nuun: 1 L over 30 min. 6-h urine collection. Mean ± SD in the text; figure error bars are 95% CI.

What each group drank in Boyd-Shiwarski 2025, and what was measured
Water, metered over 4 hreference	Fluid balance at 360 min -0.05 ± 0.32 L.
Electrolyte drops, metered over 4 hBuoy (18 mL/L)	1.64 (SD 0.75) at 360 minRetained more than water sipped the same way. Fluid balance at 360 min +0.28 ± 0.28 L.
Electrolyte tablets, 1 L over 30 minNuun Sport (2 tablets/L)	1.11 (SD 0.37) at 360 minFluid balance at 360 min +0.03 ± 0.20 L.

— Non-randomised, non-standard drinking pattern and a 6-h window.
— Buoy paid for part of two authors' time.

Funding: Buoy paid for part of two authors' time.

Two resting trials of a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink. In Berry 2020 its 2-hour index of 1.04 did not differ from water, although cumulative urine was lower than after water from two hours on; in Millard-Stafford 2021 it scored 1.15, significantly above water.^23,3 Open full size

Mechanism

How does a sports drink help you hold on to water?

A sports drink is not doing anything clever. Sodium is the lever, carbohydrate is a slower second lever, and a standard bottle sits near the bottom of the useful range for both. Two of the findings below are also a warning about the measurement itself: less urine is not always more hydration.

Moderate evidenceRandomised trial
At rest and already hydrated, drinks with 27 or 52 mmol/L of sodium produced less urine and better net fluid balance than drinks with 7 or 15 mmol/L.²⁸
27 and 52 mmol/L vs 7 and 15 mmol/L sodium (p<.05); 1 L drinks; 4 h.
Caveat: Abstract only.
Moderate evidenceRandomised trial
After exercise, the share of a drink the body kept rose with its sodium content, and only the saltiest drinks returned people to fluid balance.²⁹
n=6, 1.9% body mass lost, drank 1.5 times the loss (2045 ± 45 mL). Net fluid balance at 5.5 h: sodium 2 mmol/L -689 (124) mL; 26 mmol/L -359 (87); 52 mmol/L -2 (79); 100 mmol/L +98 (67). Values in brackets are SEM. 52 mmol/L is about 1.2 g of sodium per litre.
Caveat: Abstract only; n=6. This sodium level is well above typical sports drinks.
Moderate evidenceRandomised trial
Drink volume and sodium interact: you must drink more than you sweated to rebalance fluids, but without enough sodium the extra volume just becomes urine.³⁴
Low sodium 23 mmol/L vs high sodium 61 mmol/L; volumes 50, 100, 150 and 200% of the 2.06% body mass lost. Median urine over 7.5 h, low sodium: 493 mL at 100%, 867 mL at 150%, 1361 mL at 200%. High sodium: 260, 602 and 1001 mL.
Caveat: Abstract only.
Moderate evidenceRandomised trial
Both carbohydrate content and osmolality slow how fast a drink leaves the stomach, and carbohydrate content matters more. A concentrated glucose drink took several times longer to empty than a dilute one.²⁶
600 mL test drinks, n=6. Half-emptying time: 40 g/L glucose (230 mosmol/kg) 17 ± 1 min; 40 g/L glucose polymer (42 mosmol/kg) 14 ± 1 min; 188 g/L glucose polymer (237 mosmol/kg) 64 ± 8 min; 188 g/L glucose (1300 mosmol/kg) 130 ± 18 min. Values are mean ± SEM.
Caveat: Abstract only. 188 g/L is about 18.8% carbohydrate, roughly twice a typical cola.
Moderate evidenceRandomised trial
After exercise, a hypertonic 10% glucose drink left much more fluid sitting in the stomach than a 2% drink, which explains part of its lower early urine output.³⁵
n=8, about 1.8% body mass lost, drank 150% of the loss. At 120 min, 0.3% of the 2% drink and 42.1% of the 10% drink remained in the stomach (p<.001). Retained at 240 min 52% vs 64%. Once gastric residue was accounted for, net fluid balance was better with the 2% drink at 60 and 120 min.
Caveat: Abstract only.
Weak evidenceRandomised trial
Adding electrolytes alone, at sports-drink levels, did not consistently raise the beverage hydration index above water. Combining them with carbohydrate, or with a dipeptide, did increase retention.³
n=19. Carbohydrate plus electrolytes 1.15 ± 0.17 at 120 min (p=0.007); alanyl-glutamine 2 g/L plus electrolytes 1.15 ± 0.20 at 240 min (p=0.021). Electrolytes alone gave the largest absolute net effect (over 12%) but were not significantly different from water.
Caveat: Funded by Coca-Cola; mostly men.

How concentrated these drinks actually are

Osmolality is what decides how fast a drink leaves the stomach and how water moves in the gut. Blood sits at roughly 275–295 mOsm/kg²⁵. Drinks near that range empty quickly; concentrated ones sit far above it.

Measured osmolality of the drinks on this page
Drink	Osmolality	Spread	n
Carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink³Test drink 'C+E', 5.8% carbohydrate	441.8mOsm/kg	SD 0.8	—
Oral rehydration drink, premixed³⁶Speedlyte, wild orangeFive bottles measured 406-410 mmol/kg; the manufacturer claims 188.	406mOsm/kg	—	—
Sports drink¹⁹Gatorade Thirst QuencherNa 19, K 3, Cl 12 mmol/L (measured); 60 g/L carbohydrate (manufacturer).	343mOsm/kg	unspecified 33	—
Sports drink³⁶Gatorade orange, premixedReported as about 334 mmol/kg. Rose by 108 mmol/kg after 60 days at about 31 C, the largest rise of any product tested.	334mOsm/kg	—	—
Carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink²³6% carbohydrate, Na 20 mmol/L	326mOsm/kg	SD 3	—
Oral rehydration solution, premixed³⁶Pedialyte Classic, mixed fruitReported as about 313 mmol/kg, above the old WHO value of 311. Rose by 41 mmol/kg after 60 days at about 31 C.	313mOsm/kg	—	—
Sports drink³⁷Powerade Mountain Blast (2016-17)Down from 391 in 2005.	285mOsm/kg	—	—
WHO/UNICEF reduced-osmolarity ORS (specification)¹⁶A formulation specification, not a measurement: Na 75, Cl 65, glucose 75, K 20, citrate 10 mmol/L. It replaced an ORS of 311 mOsm/L with 90 mEq/L sodium.	245mOsm/L	—	—
Oral rehydration solution, premixed, amino-acid based³⁶enterade AD ORS, orangeThe only premixed product inside the 200-260 mmol/kg target, before and after hot storage.	211mOsm/kg	—	—
Oral rehydration solution, powder made up per instructions³⁶Dioralyte Relief (rice-based)The only powder outside 200-260 mmol/kg; the authors attribute this to poorly soluble rice powder.	145mOsm/kg	—	—
'Isotonic' drink with no carbohydrate or sugar on its label³⁸Sample 12Sold as isotonic but strongly hypo-osmolal. Measured sodium 88 mg per 100 mL (38.4 mmol/L).	99mOsm/kg	SD 5	—
Sugar-free electrolyte drink³Test drink 'E'	87.6mOsm/kg	SD 0.5	—
Sugar-free sports drink¹⁹Powerade ZeroNa 18, K 2, Cl 19 mmol/L (measured).	61mOsm/kg	unspecified 3	—
Sugar-free sports drink¹⁹Gatorade ZeroNa 19, K 3, Cl 9 mmol/L (measured).	49mOsm/kg	unspecified 1	—

Labels

How much sodium is in a sports drink, per litre?

Published panels for Gatorade, Gatorade Zero and, as the benchmark, one oral rehydration solution. These are label values for one flavour and package, not laboratory measurements, and none of the brands had any involvement in this page. Per litre, Powerade's US label carries more sodium than Gatorade's; the electrolyte drink comparison lines up Powerade, Liquid I.V., LMNT, Prime and more at the same volume.

Published nutrition panels for branded products, per the serving each label states
Product	Serving	Calories	Sugars	Protein	Sodium	Potassium
Gatorade⁶Thirst Quencher, Lemon-Lime	1 bottle (20 fl oz, 591 mL)	140	34 g	0 g	270 mg	80 mg
Gatorade¹²Gatorade Zero, Glacier Cherry	20 fl oz (591 mL)	10	0 g	0 g	270 mg	80 mg
Pedialyte³⁹Classic, Mixed Fruit	33.8 fl oz (1 L)	70	13 g	—	1,080 mg	780 mg

Labels checked 2026-09-15. A dash means the label does not publish that value — it is not a zero. Formulations and panels change, so treat these as a snapshot and check the carton in your hand.

Gatorade Thirst Quencher, Lemon-Lime: 34 g added sugars.
Gatorade Thirst Quencher, Lemon-Lime: The gatorade.com FAQ also says a 20 oz serving has about 270 mg of sodium.
Gatorade Zero, Glacier Cherry: Sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Pedialyte Classic, Mixed Fruit: 13 g added sugars; chloride 1240 mg; zinc 7.8 mg.
Pedialyte Classic, Mixed Fruit: About 47 mEq sodium per litre. The page's '60 mEq vs 45 mEq' footnote describes AdvancedCare Plus, not Classic.

Read the panel, not the front

Per litre, the three rows are two different kinds of drink. Gatorade works out at 457 mg/L (19.9 mmol/L) of sodium and Gatorade Zero at the same 457 mg/L (19.9 mmol/L), the same salt in the same bottle with the sugar taken out. Pedialyte Classic, an oral rehydration solution, carries 1,080 mg/L (47 mmol/L), more than twice as much, and the WHO formula carries 75 mmol/L. If you are buying for sodium, the per-litre figure worked out from the panel is the number to compare, not anything on the front of the bottle.^6,12,39,16

Receipts

Where every number on this page comes from

Where the composition comes from

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. Built 2026-09-15 from the published CSV releases, never hand-typed.

Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) · 2024-10-31

— Drinks and prepared foods use FNDDS (foods and drinks as consumed) whenever FNDDS has a code for the item.
— Raw produce and dairy foods use Foundation Foods when the entry is current (listed in foundation_food.csv), stands for the food generally rather than one cultivar or colour, and reports water, energy and potassium, plus fiber for plant foods. Otherwise SR Legacy.
— A Foundation pick with no household portions uses the portions of the SR Legacy entry for the same food (portionsSource).
— Fluid milks use FNDDS, whose composition matches the Foundation analyses (crossCheck) and which has consistent drink portions.
— SR Legacy fills any remaining gap. No proxy is used where USDA has no sensible entry (see missing).

What this evidence cannot tell you

— The Beverage Hydration Index measures short-term retention, not 24-h hydration: for each person it is urine after still water divided by urine after the test drink, anchored 2 h after drinking 1 L over 30 min.
— Most participants were young, healthy, euhydrated, fasted, rested men given a single 1 L dose. Older adults retain more water and respond differently.
— Post-exercise retention percentages come from dehydrated people drinking 100-150% of the body mass they lost. They are not comparable to BHI values and must not share a scale with them.
— Clarke 2019 reports mean ± SEM while most studies report SD, so spreads are not directly comparable.
— No resting BHI data were found for soup, smoothie, lemonade or coconut water. Energy-drink evidence comes from one modified-protocol study. The only hydration-index data for soda are cola and diet cola in Maughan 2016; the other soda studies cited (Grandjean 2000 over a day, Chapman 2019 during exercise in heat, García-Arroyo 2016 in rats) measured different outcomes.
— Many of these studies are industry funded: the European Hydration Institute, Entrinsic, Dairy Management, Nuun, Coca-Cola, Buoy, Lingtea, QCK, the Almond Board, 8 POiNT, VitaCoco, Liquid I.V., Innate-Essence, ITO EN, the Dutch Beer Institute, the Centro de Información Cerveza y Salud and ISIC all appear as funders.
— Commercial formulations change over time. Compositions are as measured or labelled at the time of each study and are not current labels.

Who paid for the research

Hydration research is heavily industry funded. That does not make a study wrong, but you should know who paid before you weigh it. Water Goose took no money from anyone named here, and no brand saw this page before it went up.

— Maughan 2016: Funded by a grant from the European Hydration Institute (EHI). Prof Maughan chairs the EHI Scientific Advisory Board (not the Institute itself); Dr Watson has also received EHI funding.
— Clarke 2019: Partially funded by an unrestricted gift from Entrinsic Health Solutions.
— Millard-Stafford 2021: Funded by Coca-Cola.
— Yun 2022: Grants from Lingtea Co., Ltd., which makes the oral rehydration solution and one of the sports drinks tested.
— Funnell 2024: Funded by Entrinsic Beverage Company LLC and Entrinsic Bioscience LLC, which were involved in the study design; two authors (Kenefick, Cheuvront) are Entrinsic Bioscience employees, and the senior author (Lewis James) has current Entrinsic funding and past PepsiCo funding and consultancy.
— Berry 2020: Funded by Dairy Management Inc.
— Pence 2020: Provided in part by Nuun & Company, Inc., and the University of Memphis.
— Boyd-Shiwarski 2025: Buoy paid for part of two authors' time.
— Bechke 2022: Funded by QCK, LLC (grant 20-0081), the maker of HOIST.
— Sollanek 2019: Funded by Entrinsic Health Solutions, maker of enterade (one of the drinks tested), which also donated the enterade; two authors are paid consultants to the company.

References

Every number on this page points at one of these. Product labels were checked 2026-09-15.

1
Maughan RJ, Watson P, Cordery PAA, Walsh NP, Oliver SJ, Dolci A, Rodriguez-Sanchez N, Galloway SDR. A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index. Am J Clin Nutr 2016;103(3):717-723.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Funded by a grant from the European Hydration Institute (EHI). Prof Maughan chairs the EHI Scientific Advisory Board (not the Institute itself); Dr Watson has also received EHI funding.
Read from the LJMU green open-access accepted manuscript (https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/12468/); the publisher page was blocked. ISRCTN13014105.
2
Clarke MM, Stanhewicz AE, Wolf ST, Cheuvront SN, Kenefick RW, Kenney WL. A randomized trial to assess beverage hydration index in healthy older adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2019;109(6):1640-1647.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Partially funded by an unrestricted gift from Entrinsic Health Solutions.
NCT03559101. Data reported as mean ± SEM, not SD.
3
Millard-Stafford M, Snow TK, Jones ML, Suh H. The beverage hydration index: influence of electrolytes, carbohydrate and protein. Nutrients 2021;13(9):2933.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Funded by Coca-Cola.
4
Yun HJ, Lee JY, Jeon M, Oh SE, Park JH, Yoon J. The effects of fluid absorption and plasma volume changes in athletes following consumption of various beverages. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2022;14(1):207.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Grants from Lingtea Co., Ltd., which makes the oral rehydration solution and one of the sports drinks tested.
5
Evans GH, James LJ, Shirreffs SM, Maughan RJ. Optimizing the restoration and maintenance of fluid balance after exercise-induced dehydration. J Appl Physiol 2017;122(4):945-951.
StudyRead: abstractOpen source
6
PepsiCo Product Facts. Gatorade Thirst Quencher Lemon-Lime, 20 fl oz (label embedded on gatorade.com). Label last updated 12 September 2026.
Product labelRead: official pageOpen source
Product page: https://www.gatorade.com/sports-drinks/gatorade-thirst-quencher/lemon-lime
7
World Health Organization. The treatment of diarrhoea: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers, 4th revision. Geneva: WHO; 2005.
GuidelineRead: full textOpen source
8
McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al. National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for the Physically Active. J Athl Train 2017;52(9):877-895.
GuidelineRead: full textOpen source
9
American College of Sports Medicine; Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, Maughan RJ, Montain SJ, Stachenfeld NS. Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39(2):377-390.
GuidelineRead: abstractOpen source
10
Convertino VA, Armstrong LE, Coyle EF, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996;28(1):i-vii.
GuidelineRead: abstractOpen source
Superseded by the 2007 position stand.
11
Coca-Cola US. Coca-Cola Original product page, nutrition facts and FAQ.
Product labelRead: official pageOpen source
The only 12 fl oz panel on this page belongs to Coca-Cola Caffeine Free; 12 oz figures for Original come from the page FAQ.
12
PepsiCo Product Facts. Gatorade Zero Glacier Cherry, 20 fl oz (label embedded on gatorade.com).
Product labelRead: official pageOpen source
Product page: https://www.gatorade.com/sports-drinks/gatorade-zero/glacier-cherry
13
LMNT. Citrus Salt drink mix, label image and product page.
Product labelRead: official pageOpen source
Neither the label nor the product page gives a water volume per stick. LMNT's science site does: 1 g of sodium (one stick) per 16–32 oz of water (https://science.drinklmnt.com/did-you-know/hydrate-for-endurance-sports).
14
Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Lemon Lime, product label image.
Product labelRead: official pageOpen source
Use the flavour-specific label, not the generic 'Nutrition Facts Panel' image the same page embeds.
15
Almond CS, Shin AY, Fortescue EB, et al. Hyponatremia among runners in the Boston Marathon. N Engl J Med 2005;352(15):1550-1556.
StudyRead: abstractOpen source
16
WHO/UNICEF. Oral rehydration salts: production of the new ORS. WHO/FCH/CAH/06.1. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2006.
GuidelineRead: full textOpen source
Read from a GiveWell-hosted copy of the document.
17
NHS. Dehydration. Health A to Z. Page last reviewed 1 May 2026.
GuidelineRead: official pageOpen source
Read 2026-09-25. Says that if you are being sick or have diarrhoea you need to replace the sugar, salts and minerals lost, and that a pharmacist can recommend oral rehydration solutions; babies, children and older adults are more at risk. Its line that caffeinated drinks dehydrate you is not used here: it conflicts with the caffeine evidence on the soda page.
18
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central (SR Legacy and Foundation Foods).
DatasetRead: official pageOpen source
Water content is not the same thing as a net hydration effect.
19
Funnell MP, Juett LA, Reynolds KM, et al. Iterative assessment of a sports rehydration beverage containing a novel amino acid formula on water uptake kinetics. Eur J Nutr 2024;63(4):1125-1137.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Funded by Entrinsic Beverage Company LLC and Entrinsic Bioscience LLC, which were involved in the study design; two authors (Kenefick, Cheuvront) are Entrinsic Bioscience employees, and the senior author (Lewis James) has current Entrinsic funding and past PepsiCo funding and consultancy.
20
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for water. EFSA Journal 2010;8(3):1459.
GuidelineRead: full textOpen source
Read from the DTU Orbit copy of the published PDF; Wiley was blocked.
21
Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. Chapter 4: Water. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2005.
GuidelineRead: full textOpen source
Cite this directly for adequate intakes: Maughan 2016's introduction misstates the women's figure. On alcohol it concludes the diuresis is transient; it makes no explicit 'all drinks count equally' statement.
22
Sollanek KJ, Tsurumoto M, Vidyasagar S, Kenefick RW, Cheuvront SN. Neither body mass nor sex influences beverage hydration index outcomes during randomized trial when comparing 3 commercial beverages. Am J Clin Nutr 2018;107(4):544-549.
StudyRead: abstractOpen source
NCT03262597. Full text blocked; the abstract does not state the BHI time window, and drink composition is known only from later papers.
23
Berry CW, Wolf ST, Murray B, Kenney WL. Hydration efficacy of a milk permeate-based oral hydration solution. Nutrients 2020;12(5):1502.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Funded by Dairy Management Inc.
24
NHS. Water, drinks and hydration. Page last reviewed 17 May 2023.
GuidelineRead: official pageOpen source
Next review was due 17 May 2026, so the review is overdue as of September 2026.
25
Sadowska A, Świderski F, Rakowska R, Waszkiewicz-Robak B, Żebrowska-Krasuska M, Dybkowska E. Beverage osmolality as a marker for maintaining appropriate body hydration. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig 2017;68(2):167-173.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Polish market products. This is the source of the 275-295 mOsm/kg range (it describes the isotonic drinks tested), not Maughan 2016.
26
Vist GE, Maughan RJ. The effect of osmolality and carbohydrate content on the rate of gastric emptying of liquids in man. J Physiol 1995;486(Pt 2):523-531.
StudyRead: abstractOpen source
Values are mean ± SEM.
27
Powerade (Coca-Cola). Powerade Mountain Berry Blast nutrition facts.
Product labelRead: official pageOpen source
28
Maughan RJ, Watson P, Cordery PAA, Walsh NP, Oliver SJ, Dolci A, Rodriguez-Sanchez N, Galloway SDR. Sucrose and sodium but not caffeine content influence the retention of beverages in humans under euhydrated conditions. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2019;29(1):51-60.
StudyRead: abstractOpen source
Abstract describes a double-blind crossover design. Numeric BHI values are not in the abstract. Peden 2024 describes the sucrose result differently (only the 20% drink raising BHI).
29
Maughan RJ, Leiper JB. Sodium intake and post-exercise rehydration in man. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1995;71(4):311-319.
StudyRead: abstractOpen source
Values are mean (SEM).
30
Pence J, Bloomer RJ. Impact of Nuun electrolyte tablets on fluid balance in active men and women. Nutrients 2020;12(10):3030.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Provided in part by Nuun & Company, Inc., and the University of Memphis.
31
Boyd-Shiwarski CR, Ray EC, Subramanian H, Zharichenko N, Monroe A, Mahajan A. Nutrients 2025;17(3):585.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Buoy paid for part of two authors' time.
Electrolyte drops vs tablets and the beverage hydration index; the full title was not recorded in the evidence file. NCT05768789. Non-randomised, fixed visit order.
32
Wolf ST, Stanhewicz AE, Clarke MM, Cheuvront SN, Kenefick RW, Kenney WL. Age-related differences in water and sodium handling after commercial hydration beverage ingestion. J Appl Physiol 2019;126(4):1042-1048.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Companion paper to Clarke 2019 (same participants). The abstract's sodium values for Pedialyte and ENT-5 are swapped relative to the Methods; the Methods values agree with Clarke 2019.
33
Bechke EE, Zaplatosch ME, Choi JY, Adams WM. Nutrients 2022;14(6):1286.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Funded by QCK, LLC (grant 20-0081), the maker of HOIST.
Isotonic beverage (HOIST) versus water; the full title was not recorded in the evidence file.
34
Shirreffs SM, Taylor AJ, Leiper JB, Maughan RJ. Post-exercise rehydration in man: effects of volume consumed and drink sodium content. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996;28(10):1260-1271.
StudyRead: abstractOpen source
35
Clayton DJ, Evans GH, James LJ. Effect of drink carbohydrate content on postexercise gastric emptying, rehydration, and the calculation of net fluid balance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2014;24(1):79-89.
StudyRead: abstractOpen source
36
Sollanek KJ, Kenefick RW, Cheuvront SN. Osmolality of Commercially Available Oral Rehydration Solutions: Impact of Brand, Storage Time, and Temperature. Nutrients 2019;11(7):1485.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Funding: Funded by Entrinsic Health Solutions, maker of enterade (one of the drinks tested), which also donated the enterade; two authors are paid consultants to the company.
37
Mettler S, Weibel E. Osmolality, pH, and titratable acidity of sports drinks on the Swiss market. SEMS Journal 2018.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
Survey October 2016 to January 2017. Per-product tables are images; only values quoted in the Discussion are used.
38
Skarlovnik T, Lamut A, Hostnik G, Gole B, Bren U. Osmolality and Tonicity of Isotonic Beverages. Foods 2024;13(10):1483.
StudyRead: full textOpen source
The EFSA 270-330 mOsm/kg isotonic criterion is as cited by the authors (EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2211, not opened).
39
Pedialyte (Abbott). Pedialyte Classic Mixed Fruit, 1 L nutrition information.
Product labelRead: official pageOpen source
The '60 mEq vs 45 mEq' footnote on this page describes AdvancedCare Plus, not Classic.

How the index values were read

Nine of the twelve BHI standard deviations, and eight of the twelve means, are only in the figures; they were read from the figure's vector data and match the text values to about 0.01. The abstract says the BHI was corrected for water content, but the 1.58, 1.54 and 1.50 values are the uncorrected BHI. Every drink in that trial was compared with a pooled water arm rather than with another test drink, so the chart shows each drink against water, not a ranking of the drinks against one another.¹

Is Gatorade better than water?

When is a sports drink worth it, and when is water enough?

Under an hour, water is enough

What the older guidance put numbers on

If you are watching sugar

If you are on a sodium-restricted diet

If a clinician has capped your fluid

More is not safer

How much water, sugar and salt is in a sports drink?

Is Gatorade Zero good for hydration?

The same salt, none of the sugar

Its water reaches the blood as fast

No hydration index yet

What the sugar was for

How much water does a bottle give you?

What else do people ask about Gatorade and hydration?

Is Gatorade more hydrating than water?

Can I just drink Gatorade instead of water?

Can I count Gatorade as water intake?

Does Gatorade dehydrate you?

Does Gatorade Zero hydrate you?

Should I drink Gatorade when I'm sick or dehydrated?

Does Powerade hydrate you, and is it different from Gatorade?

Do electrolyte powders like Liquid I.V. or LMNT work better?

Can you drink too much sports drink?

Do other trials find sports drinks beat water?

Two oral rehydration solutions beat water; the sports drink did not (Sollanek 2018)

Gatorade, Pedialyte and two amino-acid drinks all beat water, in young and older adults (Clarke 2019)

Of five drinks, water was the one people kept least of, young or old (Wolf 2019)

A sports drink matched water; a milk-based drink beat both (Berry 2020)

Electrolytes with sugar beat water; electrolytes alone fell short (Millard-Stafford 2021)

In male athletes, two sports drinks and a rehydration solution all beat water (Yun 2022)

An isotonic drink matched water at two hours and pulled ahead by four (Bechke 2022)

Nuun tablets edged out water; a double dose added nothing (Pence 2020)

Electrolyte drops sipped over four hours kept more than water sipped the same way (Boyd-Shiwarski 2025)

How does a sports drink help you hold on to water?

How concentrated these drinks actually are

How much sodium is in a sports drink, per litre?

Where every number on this page comes from

Where the composition comes from

What this evidence cannot tell you

Who paid for the research

References

Other drinks, measured

Free tools

Related reading