Do You Need Electrolyte Drinks to Stay Hydrated?
A classic 20-ounce bottle of lemon-lime Gatorade contains nearly one-eighth teaspoons of salt and 80 milligrams of potassium — electrolytes “to help replace what you sweat out,” the product’s ads say.
Powerade, another top sports drink brand with flavors like Peach Pucker and Grape Shocker, boasts “50% more electrolytes” than Gatorade.
U.S. consumers spend more than $10 billion a year on sports drinks, according to Beverage Industry, a trade publication. That doesn’t include electrolyte powders, foil-packed sticks from brands such as Liquid I.V. and Prime that people are swishing into their water bottles all summer.
Excerpted from NPR
