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

Each packet offers three times more electrolytes than leading sports drinks, according to the brand, and features a healthy blend of sodium, zinc, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium to help your immune system and energy levels. —Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024

The sports drink also signed a similar deal with the UFC in January. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024

Officials said the drink had a mix of lemon, salt, and vinegar inside a sports drink bottle and the kid became nauseous and developed a headache after drinking it. —Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024

On Super Bowl Sunday, the White House released a short video in which a smiling President Biden, sitting next to a table stocked with chips, cookies and sports drinks, slammed companies for reducing the package size and portions of popular foods without an accompanying reduction in price. —Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024

Drinks like Pedialyte are good for young children, while sports drinks and broths are suggested for adults. —Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2024

Although fruit juice and sports drinks are marketed as healthy drinks, parents should check the label for the nutrition in these drinks. —Amanda C. Fifi, M.d., Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

Water does not have electrolytes, so reach for a sports drink to replenish them. —Amanda Gardner, Health, 28 Nov. 2023

It is now branded as Super Bowl Opening Night, broadcast by the NFL Network, sponsored by a sports drink company and open to fans for $30. —Billy Witz Sinna Nasseri, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above