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

Here's a quick look at how different sports drinks and energy drinks can be. —Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 1 July 2024

Along with increasing your energy, adding maltodextrin to a sports drink keeps it from tasting too sweet while helping your muscles recover post-workout. —Jillian Kubala, Rd, Health, 1 July 2024

May Support Athletic Performance and Recovery Some research suggests drinking coconut water before or after exercise may be more beneficial for performance and recovery than drinking water or sports drinks. —Anthea Levi, Health, 8 July 2024

Something that contains enough sodium, chloride, and potassium—e.g., coconut water or a sports drink—would be a better choice, as SELF reported previously. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 28 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above