Sports Drinks vs Water: When Each Actually Makes Sense

Sports drinks are marketed as a training essential, but for most standard gym sessions, plain water covers hydration needs completely.

Duration and sweat rate decide the difference

A long, high-sweat session — over roughly an hour of sustained intensity — is where electrolyte replacement genuinely starts to matter more than water alone.

Added sugar is the tradeoff to know about

Many sports drinks carry meaningful added sugar — worth factoring into a member's daily intake if used regularly, not just treated as equivalent to water.