Gatorade:

Ever since its formula was created in 1965 and helped lead the Florida Gators to a victory in the 1967 Orange Bowl, Gatorade has been established as the emperor of hydration, the king of electrolytes, and the drink of champions.

Gatorade boasts a strong reputation and features some of the top athletes in the world for their commercials.  It’s pretty much at the same level as water in terms of popularity for hydration during exercise.

The basic concept of Gatorade is that athletes need a way to replenish the water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes that they lose through sweat.  Gatorade does just that, but it should be consumed during strenuous exercise.  It’s common to see people drinking Gatorade (which is basically empty calories with no nutritional values), in everyday situations.

Some smart minds at Gatorade headquarters realized this issue and created G2, a low-calorie version of their popular drink.  From there, Gatorade has gone on to release new concoctions such as Prime (a high-energy gel) and Recover (a post-workout protein drink).

Gatorade has been proven to work time and again, both in the lab and on the field.

Coconut Water:

After watching it become a fad in the sporting community, many people are wondering why coconut water has become so popular.  The answer is simple: it’s a natural sports drink with tons of benefits.

Coconut water is the liquid taken from the insides of young coconuts and is a common drink in tropical regions.  Remarkably, it has been found to be the only natural substance that can be injected into our bloodstreams.  It’s very common to see people in tropical countries sipping on this drink right out of the coconut.

In the past few years, brands of coconut water such as Zico and Vita Coco have been advertising their products as sports drinks due to the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals it contains.

It may seem like an odd concept, but coconut water offers great benefits during a workout or sporting event, such as the high concentration of potassium, which helps prevent muscle cramping.  The content of potassium in one bottle is equal to that of a banana or 15 Gatorades.  Coconut water also has zero fat, lower acidity than Gatorade, and rehydrates the body faster than water.

Zico, which is sponsored by Kevin Garnett, offers flavors such as mango, pomberry, and chocolate.