Gatorade is one of the best-selling sports drinks on the market. Used by top-tier athletes in almost every professional sport it’s no surprise that Gatorade seems to have taken the fitness industry by storm as the best recovery drink. While it’s great for hydration and quenching your thirst is it gluten-free? Let’s find out!
Gatorade is considered gluten-free. However, per PepsiCo’s website, Gatorade has not been tested to be gluten-free. Gatorade isn’t gluten-free certified and may be subject to cross-contamination during manufacturing. If you have a gluten intolerance, it’s best to opt for a certified gluten-free option. The best gluten-free alternatives to Gatorade include NOOMA Organic Electrolyte Sports Drink, Halo Sport, and Berri Fit.
In this article we will discuss the history of Gatorade, determine if it is healthy, analyze its nutritional information and see how it stacks up to other products on the market. Let’s dig in!
Contents
The History Of Gatorade
Developed in 1965 by a team of researchers, the idea behind Gatorade was to create a drink that replaced what you lost in sweat when partaking in high intensity sports. The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo, prides itself on sports performance innovations designed to meet the needs of athletes across all competitive levels and different ranges of sports.
It was originally created for the University of Florida Gators to help replenish the carbohydrates that the student-athletes burned and the combination of water and electrolytes that they lost in sweat during training and games. Today Gatorade is distributed in almost 80 different countries. Within the United States, Gatorade accounts for approximately 75% of market share in the sports drink category.
Over the years they’ve created many different products under the Gatorade brand including Thirst Quencher, G Zero, G2, Gatorade Juiced, and Bolt24 all ranging in nutritional information and offering different options for your sports drink needs. However, as stated by their parent company PepsiCo, though their drinks don’t directly have added gluten in them, they do not test their products to ensure that they are gluten-free, so if you are someone who follows a gluten-free diet it is important to use your own discretion when purchasing these products.
Is Gatorade Healthy?
It depends on what your definition of healthy is… and this will change from person to person! While these drinks are high in sodium it’s because they are intended to be used to recover from high intensity sports and workouts. The idea is to replace the sodium that you lose when sweating so that your energy and quality of effort doesn’t change. If your workout is not leaving you drenched in sweat you can probably skip the Gatorade and choose something with more added benefits.
These drinks can also be high in carbohydrates, and while again this may not be an issue for some, if you are looking to eat a lower-carb diet, or want to use your carbohydrates for something more filling and nutritious like fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains you may not want to purchase these products. However, again if you are an athlete, who is burning off quite a bit of calories throughout the day, these drinks can certainly give you an added boost before, during, and after your training.
Gatorade Nutritional Information
Let’s break down some of Gatorade’s top-selling drinks across their products and see how they stack up against the competition.
Thirst Quencher – Fruit Punch
Thirst Quencher is Gatorade’s original recipe of this well-known drink. Fruit punch is one of their best-selling flavors and has been around for years. Let’s take a look at what comes included in their sports-formulated drinks.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Water
- Sugar
- Dextrose
- Citric Acid
- Salt
- Sodium Citrate
- Monopotassium Phosphate
- Modified Food Starch
- Natural Flavor
- Glycerol Ester Of Rosin
- Red 40
- Caramel Color.
Nutritional Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- Calories: 80
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 160mg
- Total sugar: 21g
- Total carbs: 22g
- Protein: 0g
G Zero – Glacier
G Zero was a product formulated for its 0 added sugars and carbs while still providing the same type of hydration and energy replenishing qualities as Thirst Quencher. If you are looking for a lower-carb option sports drink this could be a better choice for you.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Water
- Citric Acid
- Sodium Citrate
- Salt
- Monopotassium Phosphate
- Modified Food Starch
- Natural Flavor
- Sucralose
- Acesulfame Potassium
- Glycerol Ester Of Rosin
- Blue 1
Nutritional Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- Calories: 4
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 160mg
- Total sugar: 0g
- Total carbs: 1g
- Protein: 0g
G2 – Lemon Lime
With the same electrolyte formula as Gatorade’s Thirst Quencher, G2 was created with only 30 calories and less sugar than their original recipe.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Water
- Sugar
- Citric Acid
- Natural Flavor
- Salt
- Sodium Citrate
- Monopotassium Phosphate
- Sucralose
- Acesulfame Potassium
- Yellow 5
- Blue 1
Nutritional Facts (per 12 fl oz)
- Calories: 30
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 160mg
- Total sugar: 7g
- Total carbs: 7g
- Protein: 0g
Gatorade Juiced – Berry Lemonade
This juice-based sports drink is made with a blend of fruit juices and electrolytes designed without artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Water
- Apple Juice Concentrate
- Strawberry Juice Concentrate
- Clarified Lemon Juice Concentrate
- Natural Flavor
- Sea Salt
- Citric Acid
- Purified Stevia Leaf Extract
Nutritional Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- Calories: 40
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 160mg
- Total sugar: 8g
- Total carbs: 9g
- Protein: 0g
Bolt24 Antioxidant – Watermelon Strawberry
Bolt24 is Gatorade’s fresh take on their original drink. Made with 100% of your daily intake of vitamins and minerals this drink’s electrolyte formula is derived from watermelon and sea salt.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Water
- Cane Sugar
- Clarified Watermelon Concentrate
- Citric Acid
- Natural Flavor
- Sea Salts
- Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C)
- Purified Stevia Leaf Extract
- Lycopene (color)
- Niacinamide (vitamin B3)
- Beta Carotene (vitamin A)
- Calcium Pantothenate (vitamin B5)
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (vitamin B6)
Nutritional Facts (per 16.9 fl oz):
- Calories: 80
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 230mg
- Total sugar: 19g
- Total carbs: 20g
- Protein: 0g
Healthier Alternatives To Gatorade
Wanna ditch all of the added sugar and carbs in these drinks? No problem! Let’s take a look at some of the best alternatives to Gatorade.
NOOMA Organic Electrolyte Sports Drink – Watermelon Lime
NOOMA is an organic electrolyte drink whose electrolyte formula is truly healthy. NOOMA is packed with naturally occurring electrolytes needed for hydration such as coconut water which provides potassium and magnesium while the Himalayan pink salt used provides sodium. This product is gluten free.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Filtered Water
- Organic Coconut Water from Concentrate
- Organic Watermelon Flavor
- Sea Salt
- Organic Lime Flavor
- Organic Stevia Leaf Extract
Nutritional Facts (per 16.9 fl oz):
- Calories: 30
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 110mg
- Total sugar: 5g
- Total carbs: 7g
- Protein: 0g
V8 +Hydrate Plant-Based Hydrating Beverage – Strawberry Cucumber
V8 has created a hydrating sports drink with natural electrolytes from sweet potato juice and isotonic to replenish nutrients and fluids quickly. Each can has 1 serving of vegetables, no sugar added, no artificial sweeteners, Non GMO and is gluten free.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Sweet Potato Juice From Concentrate
- Purified Water
- Natural Flavoring
- Citric Acid
- Strawberry Juice From Concentrate
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
- Stevia Leaf Extract
Nutritional Facts (per 8 fl oz):
- Calories: 45
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 50mg
- Total sugar: 10g
- Total carbs: 11g
- Protein: 0g
Halo Sport – Peach
Halo Sport created their drinks using Vitamin C to boost immunity and a proprietary blend of natural electrolytes & ionic trace minerals from the Great Salt Lake of Utah to provide hydration and a boost of energy when needed. This product is gluten free.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Reverse Osmosis Water
- Lemon Juice
- Natural Flavors
- Sea Salt
- Ionic Trace Minerals
- Potassium
- Amla Berry
- Stevia
- Vitamins A, C, E
Nutritional Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- Calories: 10
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 80mg
- Total sugar: 2g
- Total carbs: 2g
- Protein: 0g
Berri Fit – Dragon Fruit
Made from plant-based electrolytes Berri Fit uses lemons and limes for their refreshing and alkalizing effects on the human body. These low-calorie citrus fruits are one of the healthiest sources of Vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants in nature.
The ingredients in this product are:
- Filtered Water
- Organic Coconut Water
- Organic Maca
- Organic Ginseng
- Organic Manuka Honey
- Organic Maqui Berries
- Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate
- Organic Raspberry Concentrate
- Organic Agave
- Organic Amla Fruit
- Organic Vegetable Glycerin
- Organic Dragon Fruit Flavor
- Organic Fruit Punch and Natural Flavors
- Purple Carrot
- Sea Salt
Nutritional Facts (per 8 fl oz):
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 45mg
- Total sugar: 6g
- Total carbs: 8g
- Protein: 0g
Final Thoughts
While Gatorade may be a big name brand that people often default to because of brand awareness, it is not necessarily the best brand out there for sports hydration. Especially since they do not test their products to see if they are certified gluten-free. It is easy to find a brand that will!
While the Gatorade formula was cultivated to replenish electrolytes from a high intensity sport, for the average person all of the added sugars, sodium, and carbohydrates aren’t necessary. There is a wide variety of products on the market that use more natural ingredients to create a similar hydrating formula.
If you are looking to follow a gluten-free diet or are being conscious about the carbohydrates, sugars, and artificial flavorings and colorings you are putting into your body I’d suggest looking outside of Gatorade for a brand that suits your needs.
Related Questions
Are Gatorade Products Kosher?
According to their website Gatorade Thirst Quencher, G2 and Gatorade Zero ready-to-drink and powder varieties are kosher certified. Consumers need to look for the Circled U symbol on the front of the label when looking to purchase kosher certified products. Gatorade protein or energy products are not kosher certified.
Is Gatorade Bad For Your Kidneys?
If consumed in high quantities the added sugar in Gatorade can have adverse effects on the kidneys. It is best to drink them in moderation.
Is It Possible To Consume Too Many Electrolytes?
Too many electrolytes can lead to adverse health issues. Too much sodium can cause dizziness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Too much potassium can impact your kidneys and can cause heart arrhythmia, nausea, and irregular pulse. If you are having any of these symptoms please consult your doctor.