Powerade is a well-known sport drink created to boost your the energy and hydration you need when working out hard. Read more powerade nutrition facts here!
It’s even an ideal choice for health, since it provides electrolytes, vitamins and ample amounts of liquid. So what do you think? Is Powerade healthy for you or is the whole concept is just a marketing gimmick?
This question depends on the person you are. Even with the advertising for sports drinks that is prevalent, it’s not just people who play sports who consume Powerade. We all drink it for an easy run, or simply as a refreshing drink during a hot summer afternoon.
Utilizing Powerade for this purpose isn’t the most effective option. As you’ll discover in this article, Powerade is formulated for athletes, and it’s not nearly as effective when you use it for drinking as a normal drink.
Like Vitaminwater or Gatorade, Powerade is a manufactured product that contains additives to provide it with the desired flavor and color, as well as vitamins and minerals. This kind of drink isn’t as potent as obtaining electrolytes and nutrients from nature-based food and drinks.
Powerade Nutrition Facts
Bottles of red or orange Powerade at a supermarket
There are currently a variety of distinct Powerade varieties each with its particular features and selection of flavors. In this article, we’re focused on the original Powerade range, however we’ll also touch on other ranges as well, so let’s take a take a look at what they offer.
Powerade
This is the first product. It’s advertised as a sports drink, and is typically vibrantly colored. There are many varieties to choose from, such as Mountain Berry Blast, Fruit Punch, Lemon Lime, White Cherry, and Citrus Passionfruit.
They don’t really taste at all like fruit It’s not surprising because the drinks contain “natural flavors”.
Also, read Mike’s Hard Lemonade Nutrition Facts!!
The ingredients list begins with water and is followed with high fructose corn syrup citric acid and electrolytes. The four electrolytes included are including calcium, sodium magnesium, potassium, and calcium. These are the components of Powerade’s Advanced Electrolyte System, ION4.
Beyond that are vitamins B3, B6 and B12 along with other ingredients to make the drink have the desired flavor and color. We shouldn’t forget about the sugar, too. A 12-fl oz portion of Mountain Berry Blast contains 21 grams of sugars that have been added, and is easy to drink more than that amount at the same time.
Powerade Zero Sugar
This Zero Sugar range is similar to the normal Powerade products, with the exception that these are sugar-free. The flavors include Watermelon Berry, Citrus Peach, Fruit Punch, and Strawberry So there aren’t any surprises in this range.
The absence of sugar makes these drinks completely free of calories. The sweetness is due to sucralose and acesulfame-K instead, both of which are artificial sweeteners.
Powerade Ultra
Powerade Ultra is advertised as the next step in the zero-sugar Powerade. It has the same electrolytes as well as artificial sweeteners, but it has additional ingredients added to the mix such as BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) and more electrolytes and a few additional B vitamins.
BCAAs have been thought to aid in the development of muscles, so they are a great option for athletes. However, including them in a drink may seem odd. They’re typically found in protein powders together with fish, meat and even poultry.
Powerade Power Water
Power Water Power Water products have some of the same characteristics as some alternatives which include B vitamins as well as electrolytes. It’s a similar zero-sugar product, which means it uses artificial sweeteners for sweetness.
In truth, there’s not much of a difference between this as well as the others Powerade products. One thing that stands out is the fact that Power Water skips the coloring which means it’s more clear than vibrantly colored.
Also, read Gatorade Zero Nutrition Facts!
The flavors are a bit lighter than regular Powerade however, they should be familiar. But don’t get fooled, Power Water is as made as the different Powerade products.
Freezer Bars
There are also Energy Bars from Powerade. They’re basically frozen variants of the regular Powerade and, therefore, they make use of the high-fructose corn syrup as well as electrolytes and B vitamins, flavor and colors.
The Advantages of Powerade
A young lady with a towel wrapped around her neck drinking blue Powerade
Helps to Hydrate
The primary benefits of Powerade is not the least obvious, as it helps you keep well-hydrated. It’s not a surprise, considering that Powerade’s marketing is often focused on drinking water.
The amount of water you drink is essential – there’s no doubt about it. Cells require water to function effectively. Even a tiny amount dehydrated can cause negative consequences throughout your body, such as decreased performance and a greater likelihood of having health problems including kidney stones.
The electrolytes found in Powerade can make it better in terms of hydration as compared to pure water. However, most of the time it isn’t necessary to get more hydration than what water can provide. .
Balances Your Electrolytes
However, just the hydration benefit isn’t a sufficient incentive to drink Powerade frequently. Fortunately, the electrolytes found that are in Powerade can help in other ways also.
If you exercise, you’ll lose electrolytes and water via sweat. Drinking water will replenish the water component of the equation, but water isn’t helping electrolytes in any way.
If you work out regularly and sweat often The electrolytes contained in Powerade will help maintain your health. This is crucial since electrolytes assist in helping maintain the blood pH levels as well as the amount of water within your body.
An electrolyte imbalance could result in a myriad of negative complications, including fatigue in muscles and dehydration. A severe electrolyte imbalance can be harmful, putting your health at risk for heart disease and other health problems.
As a result, those who exercise regularly need to consume more electrolytes.
It’s a Source Of Energy
Powerade gives you energy by way of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, also known as carbs, as they are commonly referred to are our body’s most preferred sources of fuel. Simple carbs, such as the sugars found in Powerade are quickly digested which means that the energy boost is nearly instantaneous.
This effect is essential when you’re working out hard because you’ll deplete your glucose reserves. Drinking a drink such as Powerade in your fridge is an easy and quick solution to get your glucose levels back to where they should be in order to continue to exercise without compromising your performance.
In the middle of intense workout it’s impossible to stop for food. It’s important to have something that can consume in a short time. Powerade is a great choice for that.
Vitamins And Minerals
Powerade will give you some vitamins, too, like B vitamins and magnesium, calcium and potassium. These are all essential nutrients since they play various functions throughout your body.
Incorporating these nutrients into Powerade will reduce the chance of deficiency, specifically for vitamin B12 that is mainly found in animal-based food products.
The Health Risks of Powerade
A lemonade powerade bottle is being held against a wood floor
Although Powerade isn’t without its flaws but the list of negatives associated with it is lengthy. Certain of them apply to all who drink Powerade however, others only apply to those who don’t exercise regularly.
The Sugar
Sugar is definitely one of the most significant problems when it comes to Powerade. It contains a staggering 21,5 grams of sugar per 12 fl oz bottle. Many drinkers could easily consume twice the amount of this portion or even more, throughout the day.
For context To put it in perspective, the amount of sugar you consume at 21g constitutes more than 40 percent of your daily sugar consumption. The majority of us have a tendency to consume too much sugar So adding more isn’t a great decision.
