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

The most significant is his stake in Prime Hydration, the sports drink he co-founded with Logan Paul in 2022. —Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

This includes soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sweetened tea and coffee beverages. —Lindsey Desoto, Health, 30 May 2026

Experts recommend oral rehydration fluids rather than sports drinks to replace important nutrients and minerals lost to vomiting and diarrhea — although drinks like Gatorade may help with mild dehydration. —NBC news, 29 May 2026

The brand still uses vodka as a base, but the mixer is inspired by classic sports drinks. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 24 May 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