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

His last meal consisted of three packs of oatmeal, peanut butter, water and two sports drinks. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025

In July, Coca-Cola was hit by a class action suit over the claim that its Powerade brand has 50% more electrolytes than competing sports drinks. —Phil Wahba, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025

The 28-year-old center, widely considered the greatest player of his generation, is also the best the NHL has to offer off the ice, where his league-leading endorsement portfolio includes Alo Yoga apparel, Bodyarmor sports drinks and Canadian telecommunications giant Rogers. —Brett Knight, Forbes.com, 7 Oct. 2025

Also, drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages like water or sports drinks with electrolytes. —Brandi D. Addison, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025

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