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

Coca-Cola will migrate its sports drink business BodyArmor Sports Nutrition from New York to Atlanta, an effort that brings several of the company’s hydration brands under one unit, according to trade publication Beverage Digest. —Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 6 Feb. 2026

Effects from Ingredients Such As Sugar Many electrolyte drinks, such as those marketed as sports drinks, contain high amounts of sugar. —Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 28 Jan. 2026

Speaking of the formula, it’s enhanced with a variety of electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and copper—think of it like your favorite sports drink, but for your face. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026

Think of them as a sports drink in tablet form—just drop one into your water bottle and go. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 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