Gatorade or PowerAde? That is the question. Personally, if I had to choose I would say neither and would pick water. However, there are times when it comes down to replenishing electrolytes and sodium in my body while keeping my body hydrated. On a rare occasion I may venture into the world of sports drinks. So, which would I pick? PepsiCo’s Gatorade product or Coca Cola’s PowerAde?

At first glance the two products are very similar, but is this so? Let us take a look. Gatorade came first. It was the first sports drink that was created specifically to replenish electrolytes that are lost through sweat. Salt, sodium citrate and mono-potassium phosphate are the main ingredients in Gatorade for replenishing these electrolytes.  PowerAde has half the amount of sodium that Gatorade has (55mg in comparison to 110mp) and each serving size is 70 calories (which is 20 calories more than a serving of Gatorade). That being said, if you need to replenish a lot of sodium, Gatorade is the better way to go, but if your workouts are average or low, you may enjoy the taste of PowerAde more because of its extra sugars. PowerAde has also added some extra vitamins such as b6, b12, and niacin.

The two products use different types of sugars. Gatorade contains sucrose and glucose-fructose–both are simple sugars. PowerAde uses high fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin–both are not simple sugars. The sugars that Gatorade uses are much healthier than PowerAde’s. PowerAde may taste better, but that is because they use that high fructose corn syrup (a controversial sugar).

Both Gatorade and PowerAde do their jobs in the sense that they replenish electrolytes and keep up your energy levels. The two options are very similar, but I would still go with Gatorade because it uses simple sugars. Personally, I perform physical activity in order to be healthy, and high fructose corn syrup is not a healthy ingredient to be drinking.