I have chronic dehydration, it’s a thing. I used to drink coconut water, specifically Vita Coco Original, no sugar added. I used it to stay hydrated during last colonoscopy prep, however, and can no longer cope with it. I am now back to 1/8cranberry, 7/8 water.

There was a Gatorade flavor called Ice that was palatable, even tasty. But i haven’t seen it in a while.

I just drink plain water-but I just can't sip it all day. I will drink a whole glass down, a few times a day, just to get it over with. I don't hate water, but don't love it either. I stop around 6pm so I won't be up all night having to potty. I couldn't drink much flavored water. I've heard "Essential" water is suppose to be easier to digest and get down-but haven't tried it yet.

Maybe not "good" for you...but so delicious on a hot day....I also drink cherry juice and natural spring water....we have natural soda springs here.

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if you don’t like Gatorade, you could try Pedialyte. We like the Gatorade traditonal orange and then Frost which is a white color.

But, yes, hyponatremia can be a problem in long endurance events in the heat so during marathons, triathlons, etc. they always have Gatorade along the course, or athletes have their own carbohydrate-electrolyte supplement.

Sometimes I use the LMNT powder, sometimes I put pink himalayan salt in my water. i sweat a lot, and don’t eat a lot of processed foods with sodium, so if I’m drinking a lot of water, I’ll mix it up with one of these. I hear good things about liquid IV too.

Mostly just water but I like liquid IV too.

We love Bai 5 drinks and I believe they are reasonably healthy. I like the Cherry and Blueberry flavors the best. My husband likes the coconut and blueberry. Bastian likes mango (We do not allow him to drink anything with sugar so this is the only flavored drink he gets)

Local, do you put cranberry in the water for flavor and health benefits?

We keep drops or powder for sugar free flavored water. Must try Starburst! lol Bai sounds delicious, especially the watermelon flavor.

I do eat watermelon every day which helps. I think I'll try Liquid IV.

Just have something to eat with your water

Soup
Salad: spinach, kale, avocados, broccoli, potatoes, beans, soybeans, tofu, tomatoes, olives
Nuts: almonds, peanuts, raisins
Fruit: strawberries, watermelon, oranges, bananas
Protein: milk, buttermilk, yogurt, fish, turkey, chicken, veal

We drink alot of water and there”s always a pitcher of tea in the fridge. i like the flavored ICE water, especially the coconut lime and coconut pineapple. No sugar in the ICE drinks but vitamins and antioxidants. i spend alot of time outside but with it this hot, I avoid the hottest time of day.. Also , cukes, melons and zucchini.

Water and seltzer basically all day every day. I always have a tall glass that I just refill throughout the day. Also usually have a pitcher of decaf/herbal tea in the fridge.

When we traveled to Africa, we had these fizzy tablets that were recommended to add to our water. We still keep a supply on hand and they help when it’s super hot out or we’re feeling dehydrated. I think the brand is Hydralyte. We used them when we traveled to Colorado too, where the altitude was an issue.

Ultima….it is high in magnesium, so it can send you running…but the sugar in most of those things is so high! I use it at 1/2 strength. I work (mostly) outside, so I sweat.

@MDLN is correct. Those drinks like Bai and IV are FULL of caffeine. Definitely not healthy . I ran ultramarathons for a number of years and regular races for decades. I have done endurance cycling for 12 years. As an RN I am very familiar with electrolyte imbalance. It is quite possible to drink enough plain water to throw the body into hyponatremia. I have seen two runners nearly die due to this . Replacement drink recipes abound on the internet. It is very easy to add a few minerals to water and not spend a fortune on gimmick drinks. Real cane sugar is far healthier than any of the stevia products or other extreme plant based sugars. Read the labels the products in many of these beverages are not ” natural” at all.

I am not a fan of drinking my calories. I have rarely ever actually needed a sports drink. Once I overdid it playing tennis in the heat and ended up seriously dehydrated and my doctor told me to drink it. Other than that, I never needed Gatorade or such, unless I had been sick to my stomach, a lot.

I do put lemon in my water, and entire lemon, and I drink sparkling mineral water more than tap water.

Ps And I never use any sweeteners other than sugar.

Tina, check the label on those Sparkling ICE drinks, I think they contain sucralose, in case sweeteners matter to you.

A while back I got dehydrated after a lower GI episode. I found Gatorade to be drinkable but Pedialyte is pretty gross, very salty.

@MDLN, great point that food will also add electrolytes.

I use Nuun hydration tablets in my water when I lap swim. I was having problems with debilitating leg cramps in the middle of swimming and a long distance runner friend suggested these.

https://nuunlife.com/products/nuun-sport?variant=31464314830884

Sometimes I've used Gu hydration tablets, but they're a little harder for me to find locally.

https://guenergy.com/products/hydration-drink-tabs?variant=31169145962547

@pricklypearcactus Nuun usedto be a really great product but they have significantly changed their product in the past 5 yrsor so. Pedialyte is a far better product and much safer than anything else on the market and comes in powder form. It is still much easier to simply add a few grams of supplements purchased over the counter and create a very safe drink. Very very few people actually exert themselves to the point they need anything but plain water in moderation. Also read Gatorade label it is NOT a good drink at all.

I must say I am amazed at all the calories and artificial stuff people are convinced they need. The marketing machines are quite formidable.

Bai drinks dont have sugar.

@User I didn't realize Nuun had changed. Maybe I should see about going back to Gu.

@Zalco/bring back Sophie! not sure what you mean by "convinced they need". I generally only drink water for hydration (hiking, running, working in the yard, going about my day, etc), but I was experiencing excruciating leg cramps in the middle of a hard workout in the pool. The cramps were so bad that I couldn't swim. A 15 calorie hydration tablet with electrolytes has completely eliminated that cramping. I'm not proposing that anyone use hydration tablets for flavoring their water or for regularly day to day hydration. Water is still my beverage of choice for general hydration.

@beaglesdoitbetter https://www.google.com/search?q=erythritol+&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS676US676&hl=en-US&sxsrf=ALiCzsY-TMaSx-kW0ELkvNgyDPDmxqdO8g%3A1657904430350&ei=Lp3RYub2FLTZ5NoPmdOpsAY&oq=erythritol+&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBAgjECcyDQgAEIAEEIcCELEDEBQyBQgAEIAEMggIABCABBCxAzIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIICAAQgAQQsQM6BwgAEEcQsAM6BggAEB4QFjoKCAAQgAQQhwIQFEoECEEYAFCIEljNG2CJNWgBcAF4AIABQ4gB7AKSAQE2mAEAoAEByAEIwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

it has a lot of unwanted s/e not to mention the caffein in Bai drinks. definitely not for children

I like Propel after I run here in the summer and I’ve sweated through my shoes.😂

I think dogs have died from this also…isn’t it sometimes called ”water intoxication?”

It is quite possible to drink enough plain water to throw the body into hyponatremia.

Yes. This. I've seen it.

I drink spring water mostly. I like decaf tea or tisanes made with spring water. Sometimes seltzer (though I don't like fizzies). I used to get Bai and Hint but id' sooner use my own water and drop in a drop of juice or even a piece of frozen fruit. Same reason I no longer buy yogurt that contains fruit, either.

Actually we have researched it extensively and there are health benefits to erythritol and no side effects except possible digestive issues (which he does not have).

And the bai has as much caffeine as a cup of green tea.

It is significantly healthier than fruit juice and when his peers get juice we allow him Bai so he is not left out. Mostly he drinks water or breast milk (still nursing at almost three) but sometimes it is nice for him to have something with flavor.

We also make popsicles out of them rather than giving him the freezy pops.

I don't just give my kid stuff w/o looking into it.

I can't eat after I've been sweating unless it's guacamole and chips. :) Trail, you make a good point about sugar. It plays a big part in helping hydrate our bodies.

Taken from the internet and I've read this many times, "The specific amount of sugar and electrolytes in sports drinks is intended to allow for quick hydration and absorption.

This type of nutrient depletion generally occurs only with high-intensity exercise that lasts an hour or more."

DS2 has been working out like this for 20 years and I think since he's now living in Florida his body is trying to tell him something, if that's the reason.

Honey is also good if you make a homemade drink.

Water, tea, seltzer, etc. is all fine for minor dehydration, but not for extreme workouts or anything that causes a lot of sweat for a long period of time. Sweating constantly for an hour is losing a lot of liquid.

I've sure learned a lot on this topic.

Prickly, I have played tennis for four hours at a stretch in the full Texas summer, drinking only water with no ill effects, save one time. Now children are sent off to play sports with Gatorade bottles instead of water. While some may have a specific need for such drinks, on the whole, water is sufficient, and much less fattening ;-)

@pricklypearcactus https://www.google.com/search?q=gu+ingredients&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS676US676&oq=gu+ing&aqs=chrome.0.0i512j69i57j0i10i22i30j0i22i30l3.9545j0j7&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

i would stay away from the gels as well. A lot of excellent info in this link. The first ingredient in GU is maltodextrin a VERY highly processed sugar. The first thing I learned as an ultra runner in 1996 was to learn to eat while I trained . Peanut butter and jelly or honey on whole wheat bread with a glass of milk is a perfect combination of carbohydrates, protein and fats . Its the perfect fuel. @MDLN was correct in listing her examples. A piece of real fruit with a glass of water is far and away better than any processed beverage.

Milk has been found to be better than water for hydration.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/25/health/best-drinks-for-hydration-wellness/index.html

@Zalco/bring back Sophie! that's fair. As a child/teen playing competitive sports I never drank anything other than water. I am not a nutritionist and I was thinking we were specifically talking about adults who might be experiencing electrolyte imbalances. I have not generally had issues with electrolyte imbalances doing other athletic activities and otherwise find water to be sufficient for me as well.

@User I've never used gels before. When I've had low blood sugar issues backpacking, trail runing, etc, I eat a few pieces of dried fruit like dates or apricots that can keep me from getting woozy without upsetting my stomach. I've only used Nuun/Gu tablets (not the caffeinated ones) and only for electrolyte imbalance when swimming.

I can't believe how commonly parents dole out those juice boxes; to me it is only marginally better than candy. Agree w the poster above who said the marketing power is amazing.

@Oakley , I rather like the idea of water paired with guacamole and chips. Seems like a solid plan. :)

Prickly, I specifically excluded people who had any specific issues from my comment. Teens and adults can play sports in the heat without sweetened/enriched drinks.

Mt ...and nina... Yes to both. Polydypsia can be caused by a few different diseases but most commonly diabetes and mental illness. The diabetes is pretty much known by most people but many are not aware about the mental illness also contributing heavily to polydypsia.