I used to be an avid soccer and basketball player. This meant that I was getting a lot of exercise. In the case of soccer, I was also having to be out in the heat.
Needless to say, I would get pretty sweaty!
Sports drinks were something I would drink for hydration and they really helped. For this post, I will be comparing and contrasting two of these kinds of drinks together.
Back to drinking them
I remember that I would look forward to getting a bottle of Gatorade after games to refuel. They always tasted good to me. When I stopped doing sports in 10th grade, I stopped consuming it for a long time.
Back in early January, my husband was sick. My mother-in-law brought over Gatorade and BODYARMOR for him to drink. I had never heard of the latter before but I was impressed with the flavor when I tried some. Since then, we have been buying them occasionally.
They have proven to be a godsend when it comes to my random POTs flare ups and my husband’s IBS flare ups as well. Our son also likes to drink a little of it!
Why sports drinks?
The main benefit of sports drinks is for hydration. When your body has been working hard, it needs to be replenished. With sports drinks, one can achieve that in a tasty way.
They usually contain a light number of electrolytes because we lose some when we sweat. Drinking them will help with the recovery process from strenuous activity.
The drinks are also good for when one has been sick. In those situations, it is important that hydration is kept up with because eating might be a challenge.
Popular brands include Gatorade, Powerade, Propel and now BODYARMOR.
A quick look at Gatorade
Most people have heard of Gatorade before It has been around for a long time-since 1965! To this day, it is still extremely popular and will most likely continue to be.
At first, the drinks only came in two flavors. These were lemon-lime and orange. Now there are many other flavors which include fruit punch, grape, cool blue, mango, lemonade, glacier freeze and more.
Gatorade offers their regular sports drink (in bottles and powder form), a sugar-free version of the regular sports drink, Endurance drink (for more extreme exercise/sports), protein powders, shakes and bars. I will be focusing on their regular sports drink.
A quick look at BODYARMOR
BODYARMOR is relatively new- launched in 2011.These drinks are only sold in the form of bottles. The flavors include mango-orange, fruit punch, strawberry-banana, tropical punch, watermelon, strawberry, peach-mango and more.
BODYARMOR offers Superdrink, Lyte Sports Drink and Sportswater. I will be focusing on their Superdrink line.
A comparison of both
Gatorade and BODYARMOR may be marketed as both being sports drinks but there are differences between them. This is true when it comes to their ingredients, flavors, tastes and nutritional profiles.
What is the same on the nutrition labels- They both contain calories (obviously!), sodium, carbs, sugar and potassium. Since the bottles are different sizes, we have to do some easy math in order to compare them on these values. Here is the comparison:
*Per 20 ounces
Gatorade-
Calories: 140
Sodium: 270 mg
Carbohydrates: 36 grams
Potassium: 80 mg
Sugar: 34
VS.
BODYARMOR-
Calories: 150
Sodium: 50 mg
Carbohydrates: 35 grams
Potassium: 875 mg
Sugar: 35 grams
As you can see from this comparison, the potassium and sodium content is quite different with the Gatorade drink having more. There is no significant difference in the calorie, carbohydrate and sugar content.
Vitamins- What BODYARMOR’s Superdrink has that Gatorade’s drink does not, are vitamins. These include folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, Niacin (B9), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, Pantothenic acid (B5), Magnesium and Zinc. There is also coconut water in BODYARMOR.
Coloring- Both Gatorade and BODYARMOR have colors to their drinks. Gatorade uses dye for theirs and BODYARMOR uses natural coloring.
Sweetener: Gatorade sports drink (regular) just says, “sugar” on the label. BODYARMOR says it has cane sugar in it.
Taste- As per reviews (others and my own), Gatorade’s regular sports drinks range from tasting refreshing to some flavors being “chalky.” When it comes to BODYARMOR, there were many reviews saying how light and refreshing the drinks are.
Cost example- You can get a pack of 12, 20-ounce bottles of Gatorade sports drink for around $9. BODYARMOR is more expensive at $12-18 per pack of 12, 16-ounce bottles.
My opinion
While I do like both drinks, I have to say that BODYARMOR is better. Hands down.
The BODYARMOR flavors that I have tasted are all good. I do agree with other people that say they are light and refreshing. My favorite one is the orange-mango flavor.
The one thing I love about BODYARMOR is the nutrient profile. I am not only getting hydrated but I am also getting vitamins which only further helps in recovery from workouts and illnesses.
Another thing I like about the BODYARMOR drink is that there are no unnatural dyes used in it. I can feel better about giving some to my son who is sensitive to dyes.
Even though they are more expensive than Gatorade drinks, I am totally okay with spending more on them. The value is undeniable.
Both are great products
Gatorade and BODYARMOR both offer great products for athletes and the average person. Although they are different in various ways, we are assured a level of hydration after consuming them.
Let me know which one you prefer!
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Thanks for reading! #sports #hydration #gatorade #bodyarmor #health #fitness #workout #covid19 #stayathome
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