I consider myself to have a pretty solid workout schedule. Between hitting the gym and going to hot yoga, I try and get some sort of a workout at least 4-5 times a week. After watching the incredible talent and stamina of the athletes at this year’s winter Olympics I got to thinking—would my daily workout improve with the help of an electrolyte-packed bottle of Gatorade?
Now, let’s clarify: I wasn’t expecting to turn into the next Shaun White or anything, but I wanted to investigate if the reputation Gatorade holds for giving athletes a better workout due to the consumption of electrolytes was legitimate. Normally I work out with an old-fashioned bottle of water, and it seems to do the trick just fine. Today, however, I confidently marched towards the IM Building with a bottle of electric-blue Gatorade in hand, ready to test the worth of this so-called sports drink miracle.
I did the same short work out I had done the day before while drinking water (40 minutes on the elliptical, 5 minute abs, 5 minutes lifting), but this time with the help of my electrolyte-infused friend. All in all, I noticed that while I often need to refill my water bottle more than once during a normal workout, one small bottle of Gatorade was able to keep me hydrated throughout, and I left the gym feeling energetic and hydrated. However, the sugary taste of the Gatorade was a little too much to handle during the workout.
All in all, while Gatorade definitely does the trick, I think I’ll be sticking with water.