To stay hydrated during an intense workout, most people have turned to sports drinks. However, these drinks may not always be the best choice for us. Sugar and artificial ingredients have become a growing concern for many North Americans.
Many people have been used to drinking Gatorade since its inception in the 1960s, but now want to know if Biosteel is a better option. What makes these two sports drinks different from each other, and which may be the better choice for your performance needs?
In this review, we will discuss the differences between Gatorade and Biosteel and which drink may better suit your needs. We will also discuss their ingredients, flavors, and benefits.
Biosteel is meant for those looking for an alternative to the standard Gatorade or Powerade drinks. If you’re looking for something more natural than what’s currently on the market, Biosteel may be worth considering! But there is more to learn.
Biosteel vs. Gatorade– What are the key differences?
Brief background:
Gatorade is a sports drink brand owned by the PepsiCo company. It was first developed at the University of Florida in 1965, where it was created to help football players maintain their energy levels and balance electrolytes during intense practices and games. Since then, it has become one of the most popular brands on the market and has expanded into other flavors beyond its original lemon-lime taste.
Biosteel is a Canadian brand that makes nutritional hydration mixes and ready-to-drink sports drinks for athletes, and it contains no artificial flavors or sweeteners. It is made with natural ingredients and has a lot of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals, but none are too high in concentration compared to other energy drinks.
Biosteel provides superior hydration to help you achieve maximum performance at the gym or during leisure workouts. It also contains electrolytes to keep you hydrated during a workout. Another important thing that sets it apart from other brands is that it’s vegan-friendly and sugar-free.
| Biosteel | Gatorade | |
| Key Goal | To Provide Hydration | It helps restore the lost electrolytes during intense activity |
| Calories (7g serving) | 5 calories | Gatorade thirst quencher contains 80 calories (12 fl oz), while Gatorade fit contains 10 calories (16.9 fl oz) |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0mg; however, Gatorade Endurance Energy Gel contains 30mg of caffeine |
| Ingredients | Water, Electrolyte Blend, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Stevia Leaf Extract. | water, sucrose (table sugar), dextrose, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium chloride (table salt), sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, and flavoring/coloring |
| Sweetener | Stevia | Dextrose |
| Benefits | Muscle Recovery, Muscle Protein Synthesis, replenish electrolytes lost during exercise. | Restore electrolytes and enhance athletic performance. |
| Flavors | More than 10 | Gatorade thirst quencher powder has 2 flavors, while the Gatorade thirst quencher bottle has 22 flavors. |
| Vegan Friendly | Yes, and it doesn’t contain artificial colors or flavors | Yes, but it includes dyes and artificial ingredients. |
| Form | Powder mix and Ready to Drink | Powder mix and Ready to Drink |
| Electrolytes | Sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium | Sodium, Potassium |
| Sugar Content | Sugar-free (Sweetened using Stevia) | 21 grams (12 fl oz), 30g in 20 fl oz; Gatorade fit contains 1g of sugar |
Is Gatorade or Biosteel Healthier?
Gatorade and Biosteel are sports drinks designed to replace electrolytes, and carbohydrates during exercise to keep you hydrated after an intensive workout. However, they differ in the ingredients they contain and their benefits.
Biosteel Hydration Mix is a blend of electrolytes and BCAAs designed to help you maintain your electrolyte balance during workouts and to help support muscle recovery after training sessions.
The electrolytes in Biosteel help support energy production, while the BCAAs in Biosteel help muscles recover from workouts and are also involved in muscle protein synthesis (growth).
When is the best time to drink BioSteel? Biosteel is versatile enough to be consumed before, during, and after your workout or sporting event.
Gatorade has a far more appealing taste to most people than Biosteel. Biosteel contains natural ingredients and offers more health benefits than Gatorade. Gatorade is better for hydration, but it does have higher sugar content.
BCAAs in Biosteel help reduce muscle soreness after training, making it easier to train the next day (or the same day) again. Biosteel is an excellent choice for athletes who max out their strength and speed gains during their workout sessions.
Gatorade contains sugars that provide quick energy, while Biosteel contains essential branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that help fuel your muscles during workouts.
Highly Recommended Read:
Lately, BCAAs seem to be on every label as a selling point, but are they essential for the body? You’re in luck because we wrote an excellent resource demystifying BCAAs. When you’re done reading this article, check out our article on What Are BCAAs, & Are They Worth the Hype? (8-minute read).
Gatorade also has electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which support hydration and contribute to brain and muscle function. In contrast, Biosteel contains electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium, which support hydration by retaining fluids in your body.
Gatorade has more calories and carbohydrates as well as higher sugar content. While it may be beneficial to athletes and those who engage in physical activity, it can adversely affect the body of those who do not exercise regularly.
Hydration is key to being able to perform your best. One of the most common mistakes people make is not drinking enough water before, during, and after being active. Hydration should be a daily practice no matter what activity you’re participating in.
Dehydration can lead to a lack of performance, cramping, headaches, and poor endurance. When rehydrating yourself with fluids, try to avoid sugary drinks like soda or fruit juices, which only add more sugar without replenishing electrolytes lost when sweating profusely.
In another recent article, we compare Prime hydration to Gatorade. We go over taste, performance, and more.
Gatorade vs. Biosteel: Calories, Sugar, & Carbs
Gatorade was created to help athletes recover from their workouts, but it also provides a good number of calories and sugar that can make you gain weight if you drink it regularly.
Biosteel Hydration mix has only 5 calories in 7g serving, and 1 gram of carbohydrates, Gatorade Thirst Quencher (360ml) has 80 calories and 22 grams of carbs. So, if you’re watching your weight or simply trying to get healthier overall, then Biosteel hydration mix may be a better option for you.
Gatorade has more sugars than Biosteel. Gatorade contains 21 grams of sugar per serving, while Biosteel is sweetened with stevia leaves. Gatorade has more sodium than Biosteel. Each 12 fl. oz serving of Gatorade contains 160 milligrams (mg) of sodium; each serving of Biosteel includes 140 mg/serving
How do they rank with it comes to performance?
Gatorade is a commercial beverage that’s been around for decades. It’s the go-to drink for athletes. However, it contains artificial colors, flavors, and other additives. Biosteel is more a health drink than a sports drink; you’ll find no artificial colors or flavors in Biosteel products.
Biosteel also contains more vitamins and minerals than Gatorade does—but not as much potassium as Gatorade! So, which one is better? Well, if you’re looking for a sugar-free hydration mix to complement your workouts with extra nutrients, then we recommend Biosteel.
Gatorade contains sugars that provide quick energy, sodium to replace electrolytes lost during sweat, and other minerals, which is why it is a great choice for athletes who need an extra boost during training or in competition.
Gatorade was designed as a high-intensity sports drink. But is Gatorade a good gaming drink?
Click the previous link to read our in-depth article on the topic.
Which do People Prefer by Taste?
Biosteel is an excellent alternative to other leading brands of sports drinks because it is free from artificial sweeteners. However, people have different tastes and preferences, which is why we can all enjoy different things together!
Now, as for the taste: Biosteel has been described as tasting like mixed berry (some say it tastes more like fruit punch), while Gatorade has been described as tasting like water with a hint of saltiness (like sea water).
Some people prefer one or the other; some people don’t have much of an opinion either way; some love them both equally and will drink either, depending on what they’re doing (working out vs. competing in sports).
Unlike Gatorade, which can be too sweet due to its higher sugar content, Biosteel has a more balanced taste. In addition to being a healthy alternative, the Biosteel offers a variety of flavors that are sure to please many people’s taste buds.
Recommended Resource:
A few of our readers wanted to know the intended purpose of Gatorade’s G1, G2, and G3. So we put together a detailed resource on how each drink improves your performance.
Gatorade vs. Biosteel Ingredients
Biosteel is free from artificial sweeteners, which makes it a much more appealing option than other leading brands.
The artificial ingredients and sweeteners are known to cause side effects in some individuals and can even be harmful to their health.
Biosteel ingredients:
Biosteel Hydration Mix is gluten-free and vegan-friendly, with no added sugar. It provides your body with electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium —all of which have been shown to improve overall health.
It contains the following ingredients:
Water, Electrolyte Blend (Sodium Citrate, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Carbonate, Sea Salt), Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Stevia Leaf Extract.
BCAAs are amino acids that help to repair muscles and reduce muscle damage. They’re often called the “building blocks of protein,” because they help form new proteins that are used to repair damaged cells, build more muscle tissue, and even help with energy production.
In addition to their role in building and repairing muscle tissue, BCAAs also play an important role in regulating blood sugar levels while you exercise. This means that they can help keep you from getting fatigued too quickly during exercise—which is why they’re an essential part of any athlete’s diet!
They have also been shown to increase protein synthesis while reducing protein breakdown, leading to higher net protein balance which may help to prevent muscle loss during exercise and aid in recovery after training sessions.
Gatorade Ingredients
Gatorade is a sports drink that helps athletes replenish fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise. It contains sugars that provide quick energy, as well as other ingredients like salt and potassium that help prevent dehydration.
Recommended Resource:
One key ingredient in most sports hydration drinks is salt or sodium chloride. It’s added to sports drinks because it helps to replenish the sodium lost through sweat during exercise. We created a great resource about the use of salt in sports drinks called Why Salt Is in Sports Drinks Like Gatorade?
Gatorade Lemon-Lime contains Sugar, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Monopotassium Phosphate, Calcium Silicate, Modified Food Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Yellow 5
Gatorade Frost Glacier Freeze contains Sugar, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Monopotassium Phosphate, Calcium Silicate, Gum Arabic, Modified Food Starch, Natural Flavor, Blue 1
Gatorade vs. Biosteel list of Flavors
Gatorade thirst quencher powder has 2 flavors, while Gatorade thirst quencher bottle has 22 flavors
Gatorade Thirst Quencher Powder Flavors
- Lemon Lime
- Frost Glacier Freeze
Gatorade Thirst Quencher Bottle
- Fruit Punch
- Fierce Blue Cherry
- Cool Blue
- Fierce Grape
- Frost Glacier Cherry
- Riptide Rush
- Frost Icy Charge
- Frost Glacier Freeze
- Frost Arctic Blitz
- Lime Cucumber
- Fierce Green Apple
- Lemonade
- Lemon Lime
- Passion Fruit
- Orange
- Fierce Melon
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Fierce Fruit Punch + Berry
- Fierce Strawberry
- Strawberry Kiwi
- Strawberry Watermelon
- Summer Fruits
Biosteel hydration mix has 5 sports drink flavors plus 11 hydration mix flavors. Surely this makes it easier for you to find your favorite flavor.
- Tart Cherry
- Pineapple Passionfruit
- Banana Blast
- Rainbow Twist
- Mixed Berry
- Blue Raspberry
- Peach Mango
- Lemon Lime
- Grape
- White Freeze
- Watermelon
Gatorade vs. BioSteel: Reddit User Consensus
When it comes to sports drinks, Gatorade has long been a household name. However, in recent years, alternatives like BioSteel have emerged, offering a different take on hydration and replenishment. Based on a small sample of user experiences, here’s a general consensus on Gatorade versus BioSteel:
- Flavor Experience: Users have tried various flavors of BioSteel, with Lemon Lime and Rainbow Twist being mentioned as particularly enjoyable. The taste is described as not overly sweet, which can be a refreshing change for those who find some sports drinks too sugary.
- Ingredients and Health Benefits: One of the most significant differences highlighted between BioSteel and Gatorade is the ingredient list. BioSteel is praised for being sugar-free, caffeine-free, and devoid of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives. This makes it an attractive option for those seeking a cleaner, healthier alternative to traditional sports drinks.
- Usage: Some users have found innovative ways to consume BioSteel, such as mixing it with carbonated water from a SodaStream. This suggests that the product is versatile and can be tailored to individual preferences.
- Price Point: While there’s a consensus that BioSteel is more expensive than Gatorade and other typical electrolyte mixes, opinions vary on its value for money. Some believe the cleaner ingredient list justifies the higher price, while others feel it’s overpriced despite its benefits.
- Comparison with Other Electrolyte Mixes: When compared to basic electrolyte mixes, which often contain base electrolytes like sodium and potassium and a sweetener, some users feel that BioSteel offers a superior experience. However, the cost remains a point of contention.
In conclusion, while Gatorade remains a popular choice for many, BioSteel offers a unique proposition for those prioritizing natural ingredients and a cleaner hydration solution. The choice between the two largely depends on individual preferences, budget, and health priorities.
Conclusion
Gatorade is the most popular sports drink on the market. This drink is used by athletes to refuel and replenish electrolytes. The main ingredients in Gatorade are water, sugar, and salt. Biosteel is an alternative to Gatorade that has more vitamins and minerals than its counterpart.
Many people prefer drinking Biosteel over Gatorade because it has less sugar and carbohydrates, which can make you feel bloated after consuming too much of it(especially if you’re not active).
