Coconut Water Vs Sports Drinks: Which Is Better For Hydration?

Hydration is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. Gastroenterologist Dr. Fred Williams told Barnes-Jewish Hospital that many Americans aren't drinking as much water as they should each day, stating, "I have read 50%, but either way it is a large segment of the population." The simplest way of rehydrating is drinking water, but water cannot replace other nutrients lost during exercise, such as sodium and potassium. This is where coconut water and sports drinks come in.

Coconut water and sports drinks such as Gatorade are both often touted as good ways to replenish your body after a workout. When it comes to rehydration, though, studies show there isn't a noticeable difference between the two. In a clinical trial published by Mohamed Saat et al. that had eight participants exercising before drinking coconut water (CW), a sports drink (CEB), and water (PW), they wrote, "The rehydration index, which provided an indication of how much of what was actually ingested was used for body weight restoration, was again not different statistically between trials (1.56 +/- 0.14, 1.36 +/- 0.13 and 1.71 +/- 0.21 for CW, CEB and PW respectively)."

While there were small differences between the hydration level of the three drinks, it was not statistically significant enough for the study to conclude that any of the drinks hydrate you more than the others. This means the battle between coconut water and sports drinks comes down to their other advantages.

Coconut water has some added benefits beyond hydration. It typically does not have artificial flavorings, making it better for those looking to avoid such ingredients in their diet, and contains more potassium. In addition, as Mohamed Saat et al. wrote, "CW was significantly sweeter, caused less nausea, fullness and no stomach upset and was also easier to consume in a larger amount compared with CEB and PW."

Meanwhile, sports drinks contain added electrolytes like sodium, which is important to get after a strenuous workout. Without enough sodium, your body cannot properly balance your fluid levels and can even go into hyponatremia, which can cause "anorexia, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, headache, and muscle cramps to altered mental status, agitation, seizures, and even coma," as Helbert Rondon and Madhu Badireddy write for the National Library of Medicine. However, sports drinks often also include added sugars, which is not good for those with diabetes or people seeking to avoid sugar in their diet.

This means that the right choice comes down to both physical activity level and personal preference. If you are doing more strenuous exercise, a sports drink may be the right choice as it can replenish more sodium. However, if you are doing a lighter exercise, want to cut out added sugar and artificial ingredients, or simply prefer the taste, coconut water may be the superior option.