The 8 Best Sports Drinks for Athletes, Travel, and More for 2023

[Muscle Insider]

If you leave a puddle of sweat on the floor after a workout (great job, by the way), the odds are you need a drink. But you’re losing more than just water when ... Read more
The post The 8 Best Sports Drinks for Athletes, Travel, and More for 2023 appeared first on BarBend.

If you leave a puddle of sweat on the floor after a workout (great job, by the way), the odds are you need a drink. But you’re losing more than just water when you soak your shirt, and sometimes, a bottle of water just isn’t enough. That’s where sports drinks can be useful.


Sports drinks are formulated to replace the fluids, glucose, and electrolytes that we lose when we sweat during a hard workout. Obviously, we need water to live, but glucose and electrolytes are essential for maintaining your body’s basic functions, which is why sports drinks contain specific amounts of sugar and electrolytes to replenish those essentials. (1) With so many options on the market, it can be hard to settle on just one, so we dove in to help find the best sports drinks for a variety of needs.


The Best Sports Drinks

• Best Sports Drink Overall: Transparent Labs Hydrate
• Best Sports Drink for Athletes: Swolverine INTRA
• Best Greens Sports Drink: Athletic Greens AG1
• Best Sports Drink with Caffeine: Tailwind Endurance Fuel
• Best Value Sports Drink: Transparent Labs Hydrate
• Best All-Natural Sports Drink: Harmless Harvest Coconut Water
• Best Sports Drink for Travel: Onnit HYDRATech Instant
• Best Electrolyte Sports Drink: Liquid I.V.

How We Tested
The BarBend team is made up of competitive athletes, certified personal trainers, and lifelong fitness enthusiasts, and we’ve put down countless bottles of sports drinks for both fitness and testing purposes. For this article, we tried different formulas, researched their potential benefits, and consulted user reviews to find the best ones.


Best Sports Drink Overall: Transparent Labs Hydrate












Transparent Labs Hydrate





























Transparent Labs Hydrate









This product contains 500 mg of a coconut water powder complex that can potentially help keep with satiation thanks to coconut water’s fiber content. Plus, it's combined with a dose of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and taurine for a complete electrolyte supplement.

















Shop Transparent Labs






















Specs

• Calories: Not Disclosed
• Sugar: Not Disclosed
• Electrolytes: 84mg calcium, 50mg magnesium, 500mg sodium, 250mg potassium
• Flavors: Tropical Punch, Peach Mango
• Price Per Serving: $0.75

Pros

• It includes essential electrolytes, including a 500mg dose of sodium.
• The Tropical Punch flavor tastes like Hawaiian Punch.
• At $0.75 per serving, this is on the lower end of the price range.

Cons

• A lot of the ingredients are in proprietary blends, so you can’t be sure of the specific amounts of some of the ingredients included.
• The calories and macros aren’t listed, which may make this a no-go for macro counters.
• It contains tree nuts, so those with tree nut allergies should avoid this mix.

The main basic function of a sports drink is to replenish what you lose when you sweat. Transparent Labs Hydrate does this in spades thanks to its blend of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. The 500mg dose of sodium here is a standout, especially since having an inadequate amount of sodium in the system can lead to cramping. (2) “As an athlete who’s prone to cramping, I’m a fan of the dosage,” our tester says. “I lose a lot of sodium when I sweat, so the high amount of sodium here is great.”


In addition to the electrolytes, it also includes other ingredients like taurine, an essential amino acid that can improve exercise performance and recovery. (3) Of the two flavors available (Tropical Punch and Peach Mango), we tried the Tropical Punch. “It tastes like very concentrated Hawaiian Punch,” our tester says. This is great news if you have a sweet tooth (raises hand), but you can always add more water to dilute the flavor a bit.


Best Sports Drink for Athletes: Swolverine INTRA












Swolverine INTRA

Swolverine INTRA









This intraworkout supplement is packed with helpful ingredients from 4,300mg of 2:1:1 ratio BCAAs to a hydration matrix featuring coconut water extract and ginseng. It also contains a blend of b vitamins and electrolytes.

















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Specs

• Calories: 5
• Sugar: 2g
• Electrolytes: 105mg calcium, 37mg magnesium, 135mg sodium, 87mg potassium
• Flavors: Tropical Blast, Cherry Frost
• Price Per Serving: $1.50

Pros

• The 4,300mg of essential amino acids can help athletes with recovery and performance.
• There’s 800mg of ginseng as well as vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 for an extra boost during workouts.
• User reviews universally praised both flavors.

Cons

• At $1.50 per serving, it’s pricey for a powdered sports drink.
• If you’re only looking for electrolytes, the extra ingredients here might be unnecessary.

Electrolytes are the foundation of a good sports drink, and Swolverine INTRA delivers with its doses of calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium. But athletes may want more of a boost, which is where INTRA stands out. Studies have suggested that the 800mg of ginseng in this mix may contribute to muscle activation and muscle recovery, and the vitamins B6 and B12 included in this formulation can help increase and maintain energy levels. (4)(5)


It’s also loaded with 4,300mg of essential amino acids, including leucine, which is a key factor in stimulating protein synthesis, making it ideal for an athlete in the recovery phase. (6) It also doesn’t hurt that the flavors seem to be a hit with reviewers, as most of the user reviews we’ve seen can be summed up with this user’s quote: “Both flavors are INSANELY good!”


Best Greens Sports Drink: Athletic Greens AG1












Athletic Greens

Athletic Greens









This nutritious greens powder is NSF certified for sport and includes 75 absorbable ingredients and is free of gluten, sugar, dairy, eggs, and nuts. It is compatible with vegan, keto, and paleo diets.


















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Shop Athletic Greens
























Specs

• Calories: 50
• Sugar:
• Electrolytes: 118mg calcium, 26mg magnesium, 45mg sodium, 300mg potassium
• Flavors: Pineapple Vanilla
• Price Per Serving: $3.30

Pros

• In addition to supplying electrolytes, this greens powder also acts as a multivitamin and probiotics supplement.
• It delivers high doses of micronutrients like vitamin B7 and zinc.
• This powder fits a range of diets, from vegan to keto.

Cons

• At $3.30 per serving, this is one of the more expensive options.
• If all you want are electrolytes, this is definitely overkill.
• The digestive blend and probiotics may cause some gas and bloating.

If you’re not into stacking a bunch of supplements together, an all-in-one greens powder like Athletic Greens AG1 might be the perfect option. It has the essentials (calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium), but it also delivers huge doses of B vitamins, zinc, niacin, and vitamin E, just to name a few of the vitamins and minerals included. AG1 also delivers an antioxidant blend and a digestive enzyme blend, as well as 7.2 billion CFU of probiotics.

Athletic Greens AG1 in the BarBend Garage
While you may not be getting the highest dose of electrolytes with AG1, you’re getting a supplement that acts as a sports drink, multivitamin, and digestive supplement. At $3.30 per serving, this is one of the more expensive supplements on this list. But considering the sheer number of nutrients it delivers (and the convenience of taking them all in one go), it could be worth the price.


Read our full Athletic Greens Review.


Best Sports Drink with Caffeine: Tailwind Endurance Fuel












Tailwind Endurance Fuel (Caffeinated)

Tailwind Endurance Fuel (Caffeinated)









Tailwind Endurance Fuel delivers four essential electrolytes, including 310mg of sodium, to help prevent cramps during endurance workouts. Plus, the 20g of sugar and 35mg of caffeine offer a mild energy boost without causing jitters.

















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Specs

• Calories: 100
• Sugar: 25g
• Electrolytes: 27mg calcium, 12mg magnesium, 310mg sodium, 90mg potassium
• Flavors: Raspberry Buzz, Tropical Buzz, Colorado Cola
• Price Per Serving: $0.97 (30-serving bag), $0.80 (50-serving bag)

Pros

• The high 310mg dose of sodium can help stave off cramps.
• There are 35mg of caffeine in this mix, enough for a light energy boost without jitters.
• This mix is gluten-, soy-, and dairy-free, as well as vegan and non-GMO.

Cons

• This is designed for endurance workouts of two hours or more, so you’ll have to cut the dose for shorter workouts.
• The 25g of sugar in this mix won’t work for keto or low-carb athletes.
• The high sodium count makes it taste pretty salty.

If you’re going out on a long run or ride (or you just want to bang out a few hours of cardio), a little caffeine goes a long way. The 35mg of organic caffeine in Tailwind Endurance Fuel is just enough to provide a gentle energy boost but not enough to cause the jitters, which can throw off your pacing on a long run. Each serving also has 25 grams of carbs and 100 calories, as well as a whopping 310mg of sodium to help prevent cramping.


One of our testers found Tailwind to be the best option during 20-mile training runs, thanks in part to how light and easy to digest it was. “A lot of other drinks can feel heavy in your stomach, which feels awful on long runs,” he says. “Tailwind was perfect — it was easy on the stomach, and the high sugar count and caffeine gave me steady energy.”


Best Value Sports Drink: Transparent Labs Hydrate












Transparent Labs Hydrate

Transparent Labs Hydrate









This product contains 500 mg of a coconut water powder complex that can potentially help keep with satiation thanks to coconut water’s fiber content. Plus, it's combined with a dose of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and taurine for a complete electrolyte supplement.

















Shop Transparent Labs






















Specs

• Calories: Not Disclosed
• Sugar: Not Disclosed
• Electrolytes: 84mg calcium, 50mg magnesium, 500mg sodium, 250mg potassium
• Flavors: Tropical Punch, Peach Mango
• Price Per Serving: $0.75

Pros

• At $0.75 per serving, this costs less than a quarter of some of the options on this list.
• In addition to essential electrolytes, this formula also has taurine to help with energy and post-workout recovery.
• The huge 500mg dose of sodium is ideal for athletes who have problems with cramping.

Cons

• If you want more added ingredients, like vitamins or caffeine, you’ll need to find a different sports drink.
• The flavors come on strong; some people add extra water to tone the flavor down.

With some options hovering at or above the $3 per serving mark, sports drinks can be pretty spendy. If you’re looking for one that won’t break the bank, Transparent Labs Hydrate is a great option. At just $0.75 per serving, it costs a fraction of what some other brands charge but still delivers four essential electrolytes, including a huge 500mg dose of sodium. It also contains taurine, which can help exercise performance and post-workout recovery. (3)


Just like all of Transparent Lab’s products, all of the ingredients are 100 percent natural, with no artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors. Speaking of flavors, our tester was a fan of the Tropical Punch flavor but noted that it’s a bit on the strong side. “I tend to add more water than recommended,” our tester says.


Best All-Natural Sports Drink: Harmless Harvest Coconut Water












Harmless Harvest Coconut Water

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