Powerade, Aquarius & co. Sports drinks and their effectiveness for hydration and performance
Sports drinks such as Powerade, Lucozade and Aquarius are extremely popular beverages that can be found on almost every supermarket shelf. Their colourful appearance, sweet taste and health-oriented marketing often make them seem like a healthier alternative to soft drinks, leading many people to consume them regularly.
Sports drinks, however, were developed to help athletes maintain hydration and performance during prolonged exercise, particularly when sweating heavily and depleting carbohydrate stores. As a result, they are commonly marketed as products that improve hydration, support recovery and enhance athletic performance.
Most sports drinks contain a combination of carbohydrates, usually in the form of glucose, fructose or sucrose, together with electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. The carbohydrates provide a readily available source of energy during exercise, helping maintain blood glucose concentrations and delaying fatigue. Meanwhile, sodium and other electrolytes help replace minerals lost through sweat and facilitate fluid absorption and retention.
Despite their popularity, an important question remains: are sports drinks actually effective for improving hydration and exercise performance, or are their benefits overstated for most people?
What does the evidence say?
Hydration
A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis examined 28 studies comparing hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic beverages with water during endurance exercise. Hydration was assessed through changes in plasma volume (dPV), a marker of central hydration status. Surprisingly, hypotonic carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks were found to maintain plasma volume more effectively than isotonic drinks, challenging the common assumption that isotonic beverages are necessarily the optimal choice for hydration. (1)
Another systematic review from 2025 investigated 19 studies for the effectiveness of carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages for post-exercise-associated dehydration. The review assessed outcomes such as fluid retention, hydration status, urine output and body mass restoration following exercise-induced fluid losses. Overall, carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages were found to be effective for post-exercise rehydration compared to just water, likely due to their sodium content, which helps retain ingested fluid and restore plasma volume. The authors concluded that commercial carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks may be useful when rapid rehydration is needed, and whole foods are not available. (2)
In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial from 2023, researchers investigated the effects of varying sodium and carbohydrate concentrations on post-exercise rehydration in 26 physically fit males. Athletes consumed either water, a commercial sports drink (18 mmol/L sodium, 6% carbohydrate) or an oral rehydration solution (45 mmol/L sodium, 2.5% carbohydrate) following exercise-induced dehydration. Both carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages improved fluid retention and body mass restoration compared with water. The findings suggest that sodium is a key determinant of post-exercise rehydration, with the higher-sodium oral rehydration solution showing a more favourable early recovery, although there was no clear superiority after the end of the recovery period. (3)
Performance
A small randomised crossover trial from 2020 investigated the effects of an isotonic sports drink on subsequent endurance performance in 12 well-trained male endurance athletes. Participants completed a 3000 m run, a 1-hour recovery period and a treadmill time-to-exhaustion test under three conditions: isotonic sports drink, water or no beverage. The sports drink significantly increased endurance capacity compared with water and control. Athletes consuming the sports drink also maintained higher blood glucose and sodium concentrations and exhibited lower aldosterone levels at exhaustion, suggesting improved energy availability and fluid retention. However, because this was a small study in a very specific population and setting, the findings should be interpreted as supportive rather than definitive evidence. (4)
Additionally, a very recent 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis examined carbohydrate and electrolyte supplementation on sports performance. Across the 26 included studies, carbohydrate-electrolyte supplementation generally improved exercise performance compared with control conditions, particularly during prolonged endurance exercise. The benefits were attributed to improved carbohydrate availability, maintenance of blood glucose concentrations and support of fluid and electrolyte balance. However, the effects were primarily observed in time-to-exhaustion tests rather than time-to-finish performance measures. Additionally, the review examined multiple supplementation strategies and was not limited exclusively to isotonic sports drinks. (5)
What does that mean in practice?
Sports drinks appear to be most beneficial during prolonged endurance exercise, exercise performed in the heat, or situations involving substantial sweat losses. These are the conditions under which most of the studies demonstrating benefits were conducted.
Higher carbohydrate concentrations may improve carbohydrate delivery and energy availability, but can reduce the rate of fluid absorption and gastric emptying. This may explain why hypotonic drinks often outperform isotonic drinks for pure hydration.
The available evidence suggests that sports drinks can improve endurance performance, particularly during prolonged exercise. The proposed mechanisms include maintaining blood glucose concentrations, supporting fluid and electrolyte balance, and delaying fatigue, although the direct evidence specific to sports drinks remains more limited than the evidence for hydration and rehydration.
For most recreational exercisers, a typical 30-60 minute gym session is unlikely to result in sufficient carbohydrate depletion or dehydration for the benefits of a sports drink to become meaningful, meaning water will often provide adequate hydration.
Key takeaway
The evidence suggests that sports drinks may support hydration, rehydration and endurance performance, particularly during prolonged exercise, exercise in the heat, or situations involving substantial sweat losses. However, they are not necessarily the optimal choice for hydration alone, and for most recreational exercisers, water will generally provide adequate hydration.
References:
Rowlands DS, Kopetschny BH, Badenhorst CE. The hydrating effects of hypertonic, isotonic and hypotonic sports drinks and waters on central hydration during continuous exercise: a systematic meta-analysis and perspective. Sports Med. 2022;52(2):349-375. doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01558-y
Borra V, De Brier N, Berry DC, Zideman D, Singletary E, De Buck E; International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation First Aid Task Force. Oral rehydration beverages for treating exercise-associated dehydration: a systematic review, part I. Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions. J Athl Train. 2025;60(1):34-54. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-0682.22
Ly NQ, Hamstra-Wright KL, Horswill CA. Post-exercise rehydration in athletes: effects of sodium and carbohydrate in commercial hydration beverages. Nutrients. 2023;15(22):4759. doi:10.3390/nu15224759
AbuMoh'd MF. Influence of an isotonic sports drink during exercise and recovery on subsequent endurance capacity and aldosterone response in the heat in well-trained endurance athletes. Sport Mont. 2020;18(2):25-31. doi:10.26773/smj.200617m
Bravo-Sánchez A, Ramírez-delaCruz M, Sánchez-Infante J, Abián P, Abián-Vicén J. Carbohydrate and electrolyte supplementation strategies to enhance sports performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Appl Sci. 2026;16(6):2967. doi:10.3390/app16062967
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Individual needs vary, and personalised guidance from a qualified healthcare professional is recommended for tailored support.
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