Why Sports Drinks Aren’t the Best Choice for Dehydration

We all know how important it is to hydrate, but we often don’t stop to think about the most effective hydration tools. That means many of us reach for the wrong drinks and lengthen the amount of time we suffer from dehydration. Often, people choose sports drinks to hydrate during intense activity — whether that’s skiing the slopes or toiling under the hot sun on the job site.

Unfortunately, these beverages aren’t as effective as other alternatives. That can mean more time spent suffering from pounding headaches, extreme thirst, irritability, and dizziness. In addition, the longer dehydration goes unchecked, the higher the likelihood of developing a more serious case of dehydration that requires hospitalization or medical attention.

Here, we’ll show you why sports drinks aren’t the best choice for managing dehydration. You’ll discover how an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS can better help you tackle mild to moderate dehydration. It's powerful enough to use in extreme circumstances but safe enough for everyday life. Plus, it’s a fast, low-cost, proven alternative to IV therapy for the management of mild to moderate dehydration.

The Basics of Sports Drinks

Many athletes and individuals reach for sports drinks for hydration during workouts or on the job site. Some of the most common sports drink brands include Gatorade, Powerade, and BodyArmor.

These drinks often contain blend of carbohydrates, including fructose and sucrose as well as artificial flavors and artificial sweeteners. In addition, you’ll find sugar-free, gluten-free, low-calorie, and zero-calorie formulations as well as options containing branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).

Aggressive marketing campaigns have positioned energy drinks and sports drinks as the go-to choice for active individuals who want to stay hydrated and boost athletic performance. If you’ve ever seen a commercial for these thirst-quenchers, you know what we’re talking about.

The camera pans out to an athlete engaged in high-intensity physical activity. They’re drenched in sweat, making the game-saving basket or conquering a towering mountain as the sun beats down. The final frame shows them using a sports electrolyte drink to rehydrate post-workout.

While these visuals can be powerful, they don’t tell the whole story about the effectiveness of sports drinks and hydration. In fact, sports drinks aren’t the best choice for managing dehydration. Here, we’ll show you why that’s the case and how an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS is a better choice for crushing dehydration.

Why Sports Drinks Aren’t the Best Choice for Dehydration

The main ingredient in sports drinks is water. In addition, manufacturers add a large amount of sugar and in some cases, small amounts of sodium chloride, calcium, and potassium. Each drink is different, meaning the concentration and quality of each ingredient can also vary.

For example, many sports drinks contain too much sugar or and a poor ratio of electrolytes. Why would that matter? Well, in order to fight dehydration, your body uses something called the sodium-glucose cotransport system to rapidly replenish lost electrolytes.

The uptake of glucose helps to reduce cellular barriers in your intestines, making it easier for your body to absorb water and electrolytes like sodium. In turn, sodium triggers your thirst response and increases water retention, helping to quickly remedy dehydration. For this to work optimally, you need a medically formulated amount of glucose and sodium that sports drinks simply don’t provide.

When it comes to hydration, you need a precise balance of electrolytes, which you won’t find in sports drinks. That’s why an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS — which was developed by a doctor on a mission to defeat life-threatening dehydration — is a better choice.

But what about the research studies showing a correlation between sports beverages and better hydration? You may be surprised to learn that many of these studies were funded or backed by sports drink companies. In addition, these companies focus heavily on marketing campaigns, work with sports nutrition experts, and sponsor athletes to create a connection between their drinks and sports hydration.

High-quality studies that are not funded by industry players indicate that sports drinks are only as effective as plain water when it comes to hydration. However, studies show that oral rehydration solutions — which are formulated with precise amounts of electrolytes such as sodium — are the most effective for dehydration.

Why an Oral Rehydration Solution Is a Better Choice

Your body needs the perfect balance of sodium and glucose to help absorb water. But sports drinks are made with unbalanced formulas that contain too much sugar and not enough sodium. That means it’ll take longer for your body to crush dehydration.

Additionally, when you're in a state of dehydration, drinking water alone is not enough. Water doesn’t contain many electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium to address dehydration.

The most effective dehydration tool is an oral rehydration solution (ORS). In fact, organizations such as UNICEF, the WHO, and the CDC recommend oral rehydration solutions to quickly remedy mild to moderate dehydration. Oral rehydration solutions like DripDrop ORS contain a precise balance of electrolytes and are specifically formulated to tackle dehydration.

The patented formula of DripDrop ORS provides medically relevant electrolyte levels, improving on the World Health Organization’s Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) standards because of its delicious taste, giving you a medically viable ORS that also tastes great. By comparison, sports drinks contain about one-third the electrolytes of DripDrop ORS and twice as much sugar.

Tackle Dehydration With DripDrop ORS

The bottom line is sports drinks aren’t as effective as oral rehydration solutions when it comes to managing mild to moderate dehydration. Instead, reach for a great-tasting oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS.

DripDrop ORS allows you to alleviate mild to moderate dehydration outside of a hospital setting, without the need for costly and painful IV therapy. Our patented formula is powerful enough to help patients suffering from dehydration caused by Ebola and cholera, but safe enough for everyday use.

Plus, DripDrop ORS tastes amazing and comes in a variety of flavors you can enjoy hot or cold. Try our Watermelon and Berry flavors for a refreshing beverage or avoid winter dehydration with hot flavors like Spiced Apple Cider. Whatever flavor you choose, you’re sure to enjoy a delicious beverage that helps you squash dehydration fast.

With the precisely balanced ratio of electrolytes in DripDrop ORS, you can replenish vital electrolytes and fluids to relieve dehydration quickly. Plus, DripDrop ORS supplies vitamins like zinc, potassium, and magnesium, which are essential to support your overall health and wellness. The convenient packaging allows you to have DripDrop ORS when you need it, where you need it.

Get started with our most popular multi-flavor pouch for dehydration relief fast. Or, learn more about how you can save up to 25% on every purchase when you subscribe.