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The Daily Insight

How much sugar is in Gatorade vs soda

Author

Andrew Campbell

Published Feb 17, 2026

A 20-ounce serving of Gatorade’s Thirst Quencher contains 36 grams of sugar. While that’s a bit less sugar per ounce than your average soda, it’s not exactly healthy. In fact, Berkeley researchers say the sugar in sports drinks may be contributing to the child obesity epidemic by increasing caloric intake.

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It’s not a healthy drink.” Story says a 20-ounce sports drink may have fewer calories than a soda, but it has more sugar and more sodium — and no nutritional value.

Do sports drinks have more sugar than soda?

Most sports drinks still have about two-thirds as much sugar as soda.” The same amount of a non-diet soda contains 104 to124 grams of sugar, or 26 to 31 teaspoons.

Is it better to drink soda or Gatorade?

For most people, deciding between Gatorade vs. water is an easy choice: Go with water. That said, since athletes often need sugar and electrolytes, Gatorade is preferred over soda as its easily digested and replenishes electrolytes while supplying energy.

What 3 drinks have the most sugar?

  • Orange Juice – 24g (6 teaspoons) of sugar per 8 oz. serving. …
  • Sports Drinks – 14g (3.5 teaspoons) of sugar per 8 oz. serving. …
  • Iced Tea – 24g (6 teaspoons) of sugar per 8 oz. serving.

What drinks have less sugar?

  • Iced or hot tea. Tea is an extremely broad category of beverage. …
  • Water with lemon or lime. …
  • Sparkling water: flavored or unflavored. …
  • Coffee. …
  • 5 . …
  • Fresh-squeezed mint lemonade. …
  • Coconut water. …
  • Kombucha.

Does Gatorade have less sugar than Coke?

A 20-ounce serving of Gatorade’s Thirst Quencher contains 36 grams of sugar. While that’s a bit less sugar per ounce than your average soda, it’s not exactly healthy. In fact, Berkeley researchers say the sugar in sports drinks may be contributing to the child obesity epidemic by increasing caloric intake.

What sugar is in Gatorade?

Different sweeteners Powerade is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, while Gatorade contains dextrose. Dextrose is chemically identical to regular sugar (1, 2, 3).

What is the healthiest soda to drink?

  • Sierra Mist. Sierra Mist tops our list of healthy sodas because it contains slightly fewer calories at 140 calories per cup and just 37 grams of carbohydrates. …
  • Sprite. Sprite is a lime-lemon soda from the Coca-Cola Company, which also produces Coke. …
  • 7 Up. …
  • Seagram’s Ginger Ale. …
  • Coke Classic. …
  • Pepsi.
Why is Gatorade zero bad for you?

These artificial sweeteners cause havoc in your body’s normal response to glucose and insulin, and rather than helping you they harm your body and make you prone to diabetes.

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How bad for you is Gatorade?

But Gatorade contains high levels of sugar and food dyes, which may increase people’s risk of certain health conditions, including weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Gatorade and other sports drinks are not inherently healthy or healthier than other beverages.

Can drinking too much Gatorade be bad?

Drinks like Gatorade contain high levels of sugar and sodium which have proven to be detrimental to children especially when they consume a large amount of these drinks. Gatorade has the potential to lead to diabetes, kidney damage, tooth enamel erosion and can add to the growing number of overweight children.

What kind of sugar is in Gatorade zero?

What sweetener is in Gatorade Zero? Sugar free Gatorade Zero is sweetened with sucralose. Although made from sugar, the majority of ingested sucralose remains undigested, and is therefore non-caloric.

Does Gatorade have more sugar than juice?

Apple juice contains 100% more sugar than Gatorade. It doesn’t matter if it’s “natural” – sugar is sugar.

What soda has the highest sugar amount?

The top-ranked among popular soda brands in America is Mountain Dew, which has 3.83 grams of sugar per fl. oz., bringing a 12 fl. oz. can to a whopping 46 grams of sugar.

Is juice healthier than Gatorade?

Results indicated that diluted fruit juice rated higher for fullness compared to a popular sports beverage (Gatorade ®), or water; comparable in physiological ef- fects during exercise and was economically competitive.

What is the best alternative to soda?

  1. Arnold Palmer Lite. …
  2. Tea – iced or hot. …
  3. Freshly-squeezed lemonade. …
  4. Sparkling water. …
  5. Kombucha. …
  6. Sparkling water with a splash of juice. …
  7. Maple water. …
  8. Fruit and herb infusions.

What has more sugar Powerade or soda?

Though they have considerably less sugar than a soda, sports drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, and Vitamin Water are still packed with sugar. Gatorade and Powerade both contain 34 grams of sugar in their 20 oz bottles.

Does Gatorade zero make you gain weight?

Diet sodas have zero calories. So it seems logical that replacing one with the other should help you lose weight, or at least stay the same weight. But no–several studies have proved conclusively that drinking diet soda is associated with weight gain.

What soda is low in sugar?

Check out these options, including sugar-free soda: Diet Coke. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. DASANI.

Is sugar-free soda bad for you?

Not really. There have been claims that sugar-free sweeteners have been linked to diseases such as cancer, but these are based on very thin, outdated evidence. Because of the miniscule amounts of these chemicals that are required to sweeten soft drinks, the risk of them causing disease is also vanishingly small.

Does Gatorade have artificial sweeteners?

Many people would consider Gatorade Zero better than soda, as Gatorade Zero is free of sugar and calories. However, Gatorade Zero still has artificial sweeteners—sucralose and acesulfame potassium—which make it controversial from a health perspective.

What soda is OK for diabetics?

For most people living with diabetes, sugar-free sodas are safe in moderation. Resist the urge to pair something sweet or high in calories with that no-calorie beverage.

What is the most unhealthy soda 2021?

  • Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash.
  • Wild Cherry Pepsi.
  • Fanta Orange.
  • Mountain Dew.
  • Mellow Yellow.

What is a dirty soda?

In Utah, where the Mormon majority avoids vices like booze and cigarettes, there are now a number of shops spiking regular soda with flavored Torani shots, and calling it “dirty.” … Forty-four ounces of Sprite, coconut creamer, and a healthy dose of watermelon-strawberry-coconut Torani syrup.

How much sugar is in a 12 oz Gatorade?

Total Fat0g0%Sodium160mg7%Total Carbohydrate21g7%Sugars21gProtein0g

How many grams of sugar are in a bottle of Gatorade?

Gatorade. The average 20-ounce bottle packs 34 grams of sugar, which is almost a third of a woman’s recommended daily intake. The recovery protein shakes are almost as bad, at 20 grams of sugar.

How much sugar is in a 32 oz bottle of Gatorade?

A 32 ounce Gatorade – a staggering 14 teaspoons of sugar.

Is it OK to drink sugar free Gatorade?

Technically, there is nothing dangerous about consuming electrolytes with sugar. You aren’t going to spontaneously become ill upon drinking a cheap sports drink loaded with empty calories, unless you’re simply allergic to some of the sub par ingredients it contains.

How can I get electrolytes without sugar?

One simple way to avoid the less-than-favorable ingredients in sports drinks is to make your own. Simply use a combination of 100% fruit juice, coconut water, and a pinch of salt to create a healthier electrolyte beverage without the artificial ingredients and added sugar.

Is Gatorade bad for diabetics?

Gatorade, for example, has a glycemic index of 89. That’s high. A GI score of 89 means that Gatorade is rapidly digested, absorbed, and metabolized, which results in significant blood sugar fluctuations. Something that can be problematic for people with diabetes who should avoid substantial changes in blood glucose.