Drink This, Not That: Sports Drinks

Amanda Peterson, RDN, LD | Molly Mills, RDN, LD
September 16, 2020
Man drinking a sports drink.

When needing an extra “boost,” sports drinks can be an alternative to water.  Sports drinks, like “Gatorade”, can help to replace electrolytes that we may lose during intense exercise, extreme heat or when sick with nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Therefore, under these circumstances, sports drinks can be beneficial. The disadvantage of sports drinks it that they often contain added sugar. A regular, 20 ounce “Gatorade”, for example, contains 34 grams of sugar! Because of this, many people are opting for “G2”, which does have less sugar. However, a 20 ounce bottle of “G2” still has 12 grams of sugar, so it’s a better option, but not the best. With all of this said, “G Zero” contains ZERO grams of sugar—this is your BEST option. Remember, noting beats water! But if your needing to replace some electrolytes, “G Zero” can serve that purpose, so you can Drink This, Not That!

Drink This

“G Zero”
(per 20 ounce bottle)
Calories: 0 kcals
Sugar: 0 g

Not That

“G2”
(per 20 ounce bottle)
Calories: 50 kcals
Sugar: 12 g