There are a few great sports drinks that can provide you with the boost you need to dominate any physical activity.
What is the best sports drink out of the most common options?
Compared to Gatorade, Powerade, and Body Armor, what are the differences? For years, Gatorade has been the go-to sports drink. It gives you energy and keeps you hydrated. While Powerade is a similar sports drink that is formulated to be healthier, BodyArmor focuses on providing an even more natural and nutrient-dense sports drink.
Discover more about each type of sports drink, what they offer, how they differ, and which is best for you!
All About Sports Drinks
Let’s first discuss what a sports drink is – sports drinks should not be confused with energy drinks!
While sports drinks do not contain caffeine and are formulated to provide better hydration and electrolytes, energy drinks contain stimulants like caffeine (and lots of sugar).
Why is there a need for sports drinks in the first place?
Water helps our muscles function and thrive by providing nutrition, removing toxins, supplying oxygen, and preventing cramping.
Water plays many other vital roles in our health as well!
The importance of hydration when it comes to athletic performance cannot be overstated.
As we exert, our body begins to heat up, similar to an engine that increases in temperature as it runs. However, our bodies have internal cooling systems that keep us from overheating.
The system is called “thermoregulation” – or sweat! Sweating is your body’s response to an increase in temperature.
The sweat glands on your skin excrete water (and minerals), which evaporate off the skin, leaving it cool.
Remember how we talked about the importance of hydration? Well, sweating can cause a lot of problems too!
It is not just water that is lost when you sweat; you also lose minerals that are essential to conducting bio-electricity.
You can suffer from lightheadedness, fatigue, cramping, and even a string of other serious symptoms when you are dehydrated.
A healthy intake of water is enough to remedy this issue, or better yet, a mixture containing electrolytes like sugar and salt – this is where sports drinks come in.
Drinking sports drinks replenishes your body with hydration and electrolytes to keep you going longer.
Gatorade Vs Powerade
There have been several versions of Gatorade and Powerade over the years with similar-sounding names.
Why this parody-style naming?
As both of these sports drink brands offer more or less the same product and are owned by two of the biggest beverage companies: PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, it makes sense.
In 2001, PepsiCo acquired Gatorade to dominate the sports drink market, which was relatively new but extremely promising.
In order to put the size of the sports drink market in perspective, PepsiCo bought Gatorade for a ridiculous $13 billion.
As an alternative to regular sodas that contain sugar and carbonation, Gatorade provides athletes and the general public with a “healthier” alternative.
There’s even science to back up these “healthy” claims!
Due to the short burst of energy provided by sugar and the overall electrolyte profile of the beverage, athletes who consume electrolytes during high-performance tasks perform for longer and show fewer signs of fatigue.
Thanks to smart product positioning, marketing, and collaborations, Gatorade quickly dominated the market with its exciting flavors and scientific claims.
Comparatively, Powerade is a sports drink that competes directly with Gatorade.
Initially, Powerade was more inclined towards introducing a new formula in the market that used B vitamins to help with energy metabolism. It has the same focus as Gatorade.
As a result of the addition of these nutrients, the sugars and electrolytes are absorbed much more efficiently by the body, which leads to much better performance during high-intensity activities.
With time, both brands mimicked each other’s strategies – and some might even say, formulas.
Due to their clever marketing strategies, both Gatorade and Powerade offer pretty much the same product today, but have different brand associations.
In the end, Gatorade and Powerade are just beverages that contain sugar, minerals, and unfortunately, artificial colors and flavorings – but we’ll get to that later.
Characteristics Of Gatorade Vs Powerade
Let’s first go over some of the notable characteristics of both sports drinks.
Gatorade
Color
Having nearly tapped every color spectrum and introducing dozens of flavors since it was introduced, Gatorade is one of the most attractive sports drinks around.
Due to its bulky, see-through plastic bottle, it can be argued that the color of Gatorade is a factor in its popularity.
Adding color to a sports drink doesn’t quite fit the whole “natural” and “pure” mantra most sports drinks (and energy drinks) espouse today.
The health community argues that you shouldn’t consume excessive food dyes even though Gatorade uses food-safe food dyes.
Flavor
The humble Lemon-Lime and Orange flavors that put Gatorade on the map began the brand’s journey.
No matter what the occasion, Gatorade has proven to be a delicious choice for a refreshing burst of flavor.
Nutrition
Every 12 fl. oz. serving of Gatorade contains 95 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates (of which 19 grams are sugar), 142 mg of sodium, 55 mg of potassium, and traces of vitamins. Some products contain GMOs.
The most important thing to consider is not just the nutritional profile of the beverage, but also how it will be used.
In case you regularly exercise or engage in strenuous activities at work, you might benefit from drinking Gatorade, especially when you feel fatigued.
Check out Gatorade’s G Organic line of sports drinks made with only seven ingredients if you are concerned about food dyes in your body.
Powerade
Color
Having gone head-to-head for decades, there is bound to be some obvious mimicry between Powerade and Gatorade when it comes to colors.
Powerade, on the other hand, has darker colors, giving the perception that it is more potent and effective.
Powerade is made from a similar combination of food dyes and chemicals that give it its not-so-unique appearance.
Flavor
There are 15 delicious flavors available in Powerade, which is less diverse than Gatorade’s product line.
There is some debate over whether Gatorade is a more flavorful drink than this one – but it does have fruity notes, providing a more flavorful drink.
We recommend Mountain Berry Blast if you are trying Powerade for the first time, because it offers berries – specifically, blueberries!
Nutrition
A 12-ounce serving of Powerade contains 117 calories, 28 grams of carbs (of which 22 grams are sugar), 153 milligrams of sodium, 66 milligrams of potassium, and a variety of B vitamins.
Powerade’s selling point is its better overall nutrition.
Although it contains slightly more calories than Gatorade, it has the advantage of providing multiple micronutrients for energy metabolism.
Powerade also offers a line of “Natural” sports drinks called Power Water, which is available in limited flavors without dyes, artificial flavors, or chemicals.
Body Armor
As compared to Gatorade and Powerade, Body Armor is marketed differently.
Kobe Bryant endorses BodyArmor SuperDrink, a premium sports drink founded by Mike Repole that provides better hydration and nutrition.
Unlike other sports drinks, BodyArmor is not just for athletes, but anyone looking to stay hydrated naturally.
Furthermore, if you think BodyArmor is a new brand, you are mistaken! The same people who created VitaminWater and SmartWater created BodyArmor.
It is estimated that both brands sold for a combined $4.1bn to Coca-Cola, and as of 2021, BodyArmor SuperDrink was also acquired by The Coca-Cola Company for $5.6bn.
Coca-Cola is adding BodyArmor to its roster despite the fact that Powerade is already on the list. This is because BodyArmor is a more premium product, and Coca-Cola is targeting a different demographic than Powerade.
Characteristics Of BodyArmor SuperDrink
This beverage has some important characteristics.
Color
BodyArmor’s main selling point is that its beverages are free of artificial dyes or other harmful chemicals. Every BodyArmor product – even the food colors – is made from 100% natural ingredients. Despite BodyArmor drinks being lighter in shade than Gatorade and Powerade, the bottles are colorful, making up for their lighter shade.
Flavor
Due to its clever use of natural ingredients (like coconut water) and cane sugar, this sports drink provides a delicious and refreshing taste without artificial flavors or added sugar.
There are over 12 different flavors to choose from, so you can find the right flavor for you. BodyArmor beverages are on par with Gatorade and Powerade when it comes to flavor.
Nutrition
As compared to other sports drinks on the market, BodyArmor seems to have an advantage here.
There are 90 calories in an average 12 fl. oz. serving of BodyArmor, 21 grams of carbohydrates (of which 21 grams are sugar), 30 mg of sodium, and 530 mg of potassium.
BodyArmor SuperDrink may have better figures on paper, but it’s not all about the numbers!
With its natural flavors, sugars, and lack of food dyes and chemicals, this sports drink provides better overall nutrition.
Which One Should You Get?
Due to the fact that everyone has different needs, it would be difficult to recommend just one brand for everyone. The best way to determine which sports drink is best for you is to narrow down the benefits of each and apply them in specific situations. Powerade or Gatorade are great sports drinks that provide quick energy, flavor, and electrolytes without breaking the bank.
Athletes can use Powerade since it contains a range of B vitamins, while anyone can use Gatorade. We recommend BodyArmor if you are particularly careful about your nutrition and are a regular fitness enthusiast. Sports drinks like this one provide healthy hydration without the use of unnecessary dyes or chemicals.
Both Gatorade and Powerade also offer healthier sports drinks without dyes and chemicals. We recommend that you check out all the available healthier options before settling down on just one brand!
Related Questions
All three sports drinks have the same purpose, but their nutritional profiles and benefits vary from person to person. Here are some questions you might have based on their differences.
Is there caffeine in BodyArmor?
BodyArmor SuperDrink is marketed as a pure sports drink containing only electrolytes and natural sugars. A variant with caffeine and electrolytes is called BodyArmor Edge, and you can always find a prominent label stating the addition of caffeine.
Are there sugar-free varieties of sports drinks?
Sugar-free or “lite” variants of BodyArmor, Gatorade, and Powerade are available. These sports drinks deliver electrolytes and hydrate rather than just provide energy. Sugar-free sports drinks may contain added caffeine, so read the labels carefully!
What’s the best way to consume a sports drink to get maximum benefits?
Taking multiple sips of a sports drink maximizes its benefits. Start drinking the beverage 15–20 minutes before exercising, then sip it every 15–20 minutes, and finish it off after your workout. You will achieve superior hydration and improve your overall performance with this strategy!