sports drink

noun

: a drink that consists mainly of water, electrolytes (such as sodium or potassium), and carbohydrates (such as sucrose or fructose) and that is designed to replenish those substances in the body during or after usually strenuous exercise

"Dan was with me the whole day," Huard said after the game, while sipping a sports drink to combat dehydration.

—Peter King

Sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade should generally be avoided in favor of water unless you're doing an intense workout. That's because some sports drinks contain more than 30 grams of added sugar …, and you may not need its carb- and electrolyte-heavy fuel if you're just going for a 45-minute easy ride.

—Danielle Zickl

Examples of sports drink in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some sports drinks have caffeine, which could deplete electrolytes since caffeine is a diuretic, increasing urination in theory. —Matt Fuchs, TIME, 16 Sep. 2024

During hot exercise, a sports drink with electrolytes could help. —Matt Fuchs, TIME, 16 Sep. 2024

Moskow noted that pricing in three of PepsiCo’s key segments — salty snacks, carbonated beverages and sports drinks — have risen 41% since 2020 versus a grocery store average of a 25% increase. —Lisa Kailai Han,fred Imbert, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2024

That said, the following tactics may be able to help: Drink adequate electrolyte-containing fluids, like sports drinks, during and after your workout.2 Perform regular arm movements (shoulder circles, wiggling your fingers, repetitively making a fist) during your workout. —Tim Petrie, Dpt, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above