Gatorade and Powerade are the first names you probably think of when sports drinks are mentioned, but those are far from being the only good options nowadays. There’s a wide selection of sports drinks available today, catering to different needs.
In recent years, smaller beverage companies and startups have gained popularity with their sports drinks, which are often targeted at niche activities and different types of exercisers, like runners or CrossFit enthusiasts.
Sports drinks can be a healthy hydration alternative to water, if you know what you’re looking for.
I’m a certified personal trainer with plenty of sports nutrition education, and even I’ve always found sports drinks hard to figure out. There are tons of options out there, and they all claim to do different things. You have options with sugar, all-natural alternatives, as well as some that use sucralose as a sweetener, with the promise of keeping calories down. How do you see through all the marketing and pick the best one for you?
To help you pick the best sports drink, I’ve combined my own knowledge with input from other fitness professionals. I analyzed over 50 ingredient lists to determine which sports drinks are best for particular goals and types of training. I’ve combined all of that research into this guide to the best sports drinks for endurance training, CrossFit, weight loss and an all-natural diet.
Personal trainer and fitness studio owner Holly Roser says Nuun is the perfect sports drink for hydration and energy. “Made with just electrolytes and caffeine, these small tablets are easy to pop into your water and turn it into a fizzy drink,” she says, adding that they’re great for morning runs because of the caffeine content.
Nuun’s entire line of products promise to help you push through grueling workouts, but Nuun Endurance is specifically formulated to support you during a sweat session for 90 minutes or more. It’s widely used by marathoners, triathletes and other long-distance exercisers, professionally and recreationally.
Each tablet contains 15 grams of sugar, 380 milligrams of sodium and 200 milligrams of potassium, as well as chloride, magnesium and calcium. Together, these ingredients prevent cramps and keep your muscles moving for long workouts.
I used Nuun Endurance while training for long-distance races and it hasn’t let me down yet. I typically used it only for runs 8 miles or longer, but I’ve also popped a tablet when I felt I’d need an energy boost for a shorter run.
Let’s do a little math here: What do you get when you have a warehouse gym, subtract air conditioning, add summer temperatures and multiply by one of the most intense fitness regimens around. The answer: sweat. Lots of sweat.
Lots of sweat means lots of lost electrolytes, and Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier says it can help replace what you lose through sweat. According to Liquid I.V., one packet of Hydration Multiplier powder is equivalent to drinking three bottles of water because of something called Cellular Transport Technology — I don’t necessarily doubt the claim, but take it with a grain of salt.
That said, the formula for Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier is rooted in a medical therapy developed by the World Health Organization called oral rehydration salts.
Hydration Multiplier is not a medical therapy, but as it’s based closely on a hydration solution used by major health agencies for decades, I’m confident it can replenish even the sweatiest of CrossFitters.
According to Liquid I.V., salt, sugar, potassium, vitamin C, multiple B vitamins and, of course, water, come together in just the right amounts to deliver nutrients to your bloodstream faster than water alone. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO and vegan.
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Lipsa Shah, a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher, recommends Ultima Replenisher as a sports drink for those looking to lose weight because it’s sugar-free and zero-calorie.
“I turn to Ultima when I have a long day of teaching hot yoga in a 100-plus degree room and personal training,” Shah says. “Electrolytes are essential for muscle functioning and keeping you performing your best and [Ultima] gives you that without the calories.”
Ultima Replenisher has no sugar or artificial sweeteners — it’s sweetened with stevia — and the first ingredient listed on the powder packets is magnesium citrate, which is a good indicator that this product is high-quality. Magnesium is one of the electrolytes lost through sweat; that it’s the first ingredient on the list means it is the most prevalent ingredient by volume in Ultima Replenisher.
Ultima powder also contains calcium, zinc, manganese, chloride, potassium, sodium and phosphorous — all essential nutrients that need replenishing after a good sweat.
We’re getting super natural here. No, not supernatural — super natural, as in the most natural beverage you could possibly drink while exercising and at the same level as water.
Finding an all-natural sports drink is tough, because most are chock-full of artificial sweeteners, colorings and flavors. Even the sports drinks that don’t have any of that are still made in factories or labs and infused with minerals that might not be as bioavailable as those found in natural products.
Shah recommends Harmless Harvest Coconut Water to those looking for a truly natural alternative. While it’s not explicitly marketed as a sports drink, Harmless Harvest Coconut Water has the ingredients you should look for in a sports drink: sugar, sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. The only actual ingredient on the bottle, though, is organic coconut water. Coconut contains all of those minerals without the need for fortification.
“It has all the electrolytes your body needs without any of the artificial ingredients,” says Shah, who tries to stay away from processed foods and beverages as much as possible. “Not only is coconut water hydrating, it helps your muscles and reduces soreness, and coconut water has been better than most energy drinks I’ve tried in the past.”
