How Much Sugar Is In Gatorade?
Gatorade has been around for nearly 60 years. The drink was invented in 1965 as a way for football players at the University of Florida — the team is called the Gators — to refuel and rehydrate during intense play in the heat, according to HISTORY. Today, the Pepsi-owned sports drink rakes in $5 billion annually and, with their rival Powerade, accounts for 94% of the sports drink market in the United States, per Bloomberg.
While some people drink Gatorade as a normal beverage, the drink is meant for professional athletes or regular people who have a very physically active lifestyle. The nutrition facts reflect that, with electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, according to LIVESTRONG. These help provide energy and keep your body's electrolyte levels balanced during strenuous exercise, making the drink an ideal choice if you're going hard in the gym. However, like many exercise drinks, Gatorade also contains a lot of sugar.
Regular Gatorade contains more than half as much sugar as soda
Despite Gatorade having lots of electrolytes that help rehydrate consumers, many athletes have become more health-conscious, aware of how much sugar and artificial flavors are in their sports drinks. A 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains, on average, 34 grams of sugar, according to CNN. For comparison, a 20-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 65 grams of sugar, per the Coca-Cola Company.
The shift towards healthier hydration options caused Gatorade to lose 0.5% of revenue in 2018 (per New York Daily News), forcing a shift in thinking to match competitors. The brand quickly released Gatorade Zero, a version of the original drink that contains zero carbs or sugar.
However, because Gatorade is aimed at very physically-active people, it may be better to avoid the brand altogether if you don't exercise that heavily. If your workout is of mild intensity or lasts less than an hour, it would likely be a better choice to rehydrate with plain water, according to LIVESTRONG.