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

Gatorade, the nation’s first commercial sports drink, was first successfully tested by a team of researchers from the University of Florida College of Medicine during a University of Florida football game against Louisiana State University. — USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

Americans spend more than $10 billion a year on sports drinks alone, according to Beverage Industry, and that number doesn’t even capture the booming market for electrolyte powders. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026

Drinks like sports drinks and fruit juices can also wreak havoc on blood sugar. — Eleesha Lockett, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2026

No need to choose from the limited selection of bottled sports drinks in the airport. — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sports drink

• bethink
• downlink
• groupthink
• hoodwink
• rethink
• uplink
• blink
• brink
• chink
• cinque
• clink
• dink