Sports Drinks Have a Lot of Sugar

Drinking an extra 4-8 ounces of fluid for each 30 minutes of intense exercise will help your body achieve peak performance and recovery.

Drinking something other than water can add variety, but sports drinks contain about 15-20 grams of sugar and 50-70 calories per 8 ounces, and the sugar is often in the form of fructose corn syrup.

Take the time to read labels and compare ingredients, sugar, and carbohydrate amounts before drinking these products.

Always check blood-sugar levels before and after exercise. Listed below are some sports drinks and the grams of sugar and calories for each.

Sports Drinks  Calorie  Sugar (in grams)

Allsport   8 oz    70          19 g
Gatorade 8 oz    50          14 g
Powerade 8oz    70          15 g

Some sports drinks have a lot of sugar and could affect your blood sugar in nasty ways. Not having enough fluid during or after exercise can lead to serious problems, so drinking plenty of fluids is important.

Drink at least two quarts of fluid a day to avoid dehydration.