Electrolytes are minerals that help maintain fluid balance within cells and help send nerve impulses through the body. Sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and other electrolytes are lost through sweat, so athletes need to replace their electrolyte losses in order to continue to perform at their peak level. You can get all the electrolytes you need through real food. However, designer sports drinks such as Gatorade® and Powerbar® Electrolytes provide the electrolytes that athletes need in a convenient, easily digested form.
Hydration and Stomach Upset
To hydrate properly, drinking water is only half of the story. You need electrolytes to absorb and retain fluid in your body. Fluid isn't absorbed until it empties from the stomach. Taking in too much sugar at once (through a carbohydrate gel or sugary sports drink such as Gatorade®) can cause the stomach to shut down. Now, instead of hydrating your body, the sports drink is sloshing around in your tummy, making you feel bloated and sick. To make matters worse, dehydration adds to stomach upset. Some athletes drink low-sugar electrolyte drinks such as Powerbar® Electrolytes because they provide the electrolytes to facilitate adequate hydration without stomach-irritating sugars.
Electrolytes
Sodium is the primary electrolyte lost through sweat. In a 16-oz bottle, Powerbar® Electrolytes provides 260 mg of sodium to Gatorade®'s 220 mg. Powerbar® Electrolytes includes 70 mg of potassium per 16-oz serving, while Gatorade® provides only 60 mg. Gatorade® doesn't contain magnesium, while Powerbar® Electrolytes provides 15 percent of your recommended daily intake. More is not necessarily better, however. For athletes who aren't heavy sweaters, the electrolytes in Gatorade® will cover their needs.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) provide fuel to the muscles. The muscles and liver can store enough glucose for 60 to 90 minutes of exercise. When glucose stores run out, the athlete "hits the wall," and performance declines drastically. To avoid exhausting your stored glucose, consume carbohydrates during workouts lasting longer than 90 minutes. Sixteen ounces of Gatorade® Thirst Quencher provides 28 g (112 calories) of quickly absorbed carbohydrate. Powerbar® Electrolytes, on the other hand, only provides 4 g carbohydrate (16 calories) per 16-oz serving and is not a significant source of carbohydrate.
Convenience
Both Gatorade® powder and Powerbar® Electrolytes are available in single-serving sachets that you can put in your pocket or gym bag to mix whenever you need it. Gatorade® powder is also available in larger packages for a team setting. When you are caught without your own drink powder, premixed Gatorade® and low-carbohydrate G2 are sold at supermarkets, gas stations and convenience stores everywhere. Powerbar® Electrolyte products aren't as widely available.
Sweeteners
Gatorade®'s primary sweetener is high-fructose corn syrup. Experts disagree as to whether high-fructose corn syrup is worse for your body than sucrose (table sugar), but many athletes complain that fructose (a complex sugar) can cause stomach upset during intense exercise. Powerbar® Electrolytes contains no high-fructose corn syrup and uses sugar as its only sweetener.
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