During a break in the game, or even a break for lunch, which sports drink do you reach for? Is it Gatorade or Powerade? What about Propel or Powerade Option? Or do you just drink water?
They all have the same purpose, but according to health websites such as Diet Facts, some sports drinks are better for you than others.
Electrolyte is a scientific term for salts such as sodium and potassium that our body cells need to communicate efficiently, according to the How Stuff Works website. These salts can be easily lost as a result of long physical activities such as sports that cause us to sweat, the website explains.
Both the Gatorade and Powerade websites say their products contain those electrolytes that are lost in sports, though the amount in each drink differs.
In an eight oz. serving of Gatorade there are 110 milligrams of sodium and 30 milligrams of potassium, according to the Diet Facts website.
This means that Gatorade has about twice the amount of electrolytes as Powerade.
The Diet Facts website also shows that Gatorade has 14 grams of sugar and that Powerade has 17 grams.
High sugar levels increase stomach cramping in sports that involve less than 12 miles of running, according to Dr. Mirkin’s Fitness and Health website.
For lower sugar substitutes, Gatorade makes Propel Fitness Water and Powerade makes Powerade Option.
Both drinks have only two grams of sugar but have a much lower electrolyte content, according to the Diet Facts website. Because of this, the Propel website suggests that Propel should be for everyday hydration, while regular Gatorade should be consumed for strenuous workouts.
Junior Preston Phillips, who plays varsity tennis, drinks Propel and Gatorade, but in different situations.
“When I’m actually playing, I drink Gatorade,” Phillips said, “But I drink Propel when I’m not in games.”
Sophomore basketball and softball player Lily Watson said she prefers Gatorade over Powerade.
“Gatorade makes me play better, and it tastes better, too,” Watson said.
Senior soccer captain Kelly Banks said she likes Gatorade but doesn’t drink it during games.
“I don’t drink sports drinks during games because it causes phlegm,” Banks said.
For longer, strenuous workouts, where large amounts of electrolytes are lost, the Diet Facts website shows that Gatorade contains much more electrolytes and has less sugar, making it the healthier choice when picking a sports drink.
Published October 2007. Digitized 2025.