Liquid IV vs. Gatorade: Detailed Analysis with Charts

Liquid IV and Gatorade are two of the most popular hydration aides right now. If you have to choose only one or the other, which is the better pick? 

Liquid IV rehydrates much faster than Gatorade since it has three times more electrolytes and contains half as much sugar. On the other hand, Gatorade has a much more extensive range of flavors, making it more appealing to a broader audience.

In this article, I will explain how these two drinks stack up against each other in terms of flavor, ingredients, amount of electrolytes, nutritional value, and general pros and cons. Read on to help you decide which one is better for you.

Liquid IV: Faster Hydration Than Water Alone

Liquid IV (available on Amazon.com) is a powdered sports electrolyte booster. It uses Cellular Transport Technology (CTT) which — according to the manufacturers — rehydrates the body faster thanks to a unique mix of glucose, sodium, and potassium. 

Regardless of the validity of that claim, you may be interested to know that the technology was inspired by oral rehydration therapy (ORT) — a method of rehydration endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Flavors

Liquid IV has an array of 15 flavors plus the Energy, Kombucha, Immune Support, and Sleep collections. Here’s the list of flavors:

• Tropical Punch
• Concord Grape
• Passion Fruit
• Acai Berry
• Pina Colada
• Watermelon
• Strawberry
• Guava
• Lemon Lime
• Golden Cherry
• Energy Yuzu Pineapple
• Energy – Lemon Ginger
• Kombucha – Tart Green Apple
• Immune Support – Tangerine
• Sleep – Blueberry Lavander

Ingredients

Liquid IV is gluten-free, non-GMO, dairy-free, and soy-free. Its ingredients are Stevia leaf extract, cane sugar, natural flavors, dextrose, salt, sodium and potassium citrate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B (B3, B5, B6, B12), citric acid, dipotassium phosphate, and silicon dioxide.

Electrolytes and Nutrition

Product	Calories	Carbohydrates	Sugar	Sodium	Added ingredients
Liquid IV	45	0.42 oz (12 g)	0.38 oz (11 g)	0.017 oz (510 mg)
Energy	40	0.31 oz (9 g)	0.28 oz (8 g)	0.013 oz (380 mg)	caffeine
Kombucha	45	0.38 oz (11 g)	0.35 oz (10 g)	0.017 oz (510 mg)	fermented tea vinegar
Immune Support	45	0.38 oz (11 g)	0.38 oz (11 g)	0.017 oz (500 mg)	vitamin C, zinc and Wellmune
Sleep	30	0.24 oz (7 g)	0,12 oz (3.5 g)	0.013 oz (380 mg)	melatonin, L-theanine, and Valerian root

Pros and Cons

All the facts above are well and good — but what exactly are the advantages and disadvantages of Liquid IV?

Pros	Cons
Hydrates faster than water alone	Each serving contains 0.38 oz (11 g) of sugar
Allergen-free	Contains a high amount of sodium (22% of the recommended daily intake per stick)
Helps with jet lag and fatigue	Expensive when buying from the company website
If you add 2 multipliers when building your multiplier bundle online, you get 10% off	They retired their 30% off coupon POTS30 for online purchases

Let me highlight two of the more significant pros and cons below.

Pro: Free From Potentially Harmful Ingredients

As I mentioned earlier, most (if not all) of Liquid IV’s drinks are free from gluten, GMO, soy, and similar chemicals. That means you don’t have to worry about accidentally harming your body in any way as you attempt to replenish the fluids you lost. 

Con: High Sugar Content

Although Liquid IV seems to have taken pains to cater to the more “sensitive” (for lack of a better word) members of their target market, the amount of sugar per serving (11 g) is almost half of the recommended added sugar limit for women and a third for men. 

This may seem trivial, but when you consider how much sugar the average person gets from other sources, the sugar content per serving of Liquid IV is rather concerning. 

Gatorade: Backed by Science, Used by the Pros

Gatorade is a product of the industry giant PepsiCo company. It was created in 1965 at the University of Florida College of Medicine at the request of Florida Gators head coach Ray Graves to help his players compensate for water lost through sweating. The earliest version contained lemon juice, water, salt, sugar, potassium, and phosphate.

Flavors

Since its inception, Gatorade has taken many strides forward, and it owes its fame to its abundance of flavors and options like G2 (with half the sugar), G Zero (with zero sugar), and Gatorlyte (with more electrolytes and less sugar). That means, no matter your flavor or sugar preferences, you’re bound to find something in the Gatorade line that suits you. 

Here’s the list of flavors:

Gatorade Thirst Quencher

• Orange
• Lemon Lime
• Lemonade
• Berry
• Mango
• Passion Fruit
• Strawberry
• Strawberry Kiwi
• Strawberry Watermelon
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Strawberry Raspberry
• Lime Cucumber
• Watermelon Splash
• Tropical Cooler
• Fruit Punch
• Summer Fruits
• Ice Punch
• Cool Blue
• Gatorade Fierce – Riptide Rush
• Gatorade Fierce – Blue Cherry
• Gatorade Fierce – Grape
• Gatorade Fierce – Green Apple
• Gatorade Fierce – Fruit Punch/Berry
• Gatorade Fierce – Melon
• Gatorade Fierce – Strawberry
• Gatorade Frost – Glacial Cherry
• Gatorade Frost – Icy Charge
• Gatorade Frost – Arctic Blitz
• Gatorade Frost – Glacier Freeze
• Gatorade Frost – Riptide Rush

Other Gatorade Drinks and Protein Powders

• Gatorade Zero
• Gatorade Zero with Protein
• G ESSNTL
• G2
• Gatorade Endurance
• Gatorade Fit
• Gatorade Gx
• Gatorade Organic
• Gatorade Prime
• Gatorade Protein
• Gatorade Recover
• Gatorade Super Shakes

Ingredients

Gatorade consists of water, dextrose, sugar, salt, sodium citrate, citric acid, monopotassium phosphate, gum arabic, glycerol ester of rosin, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, and other natural flavorings and coloring.

Electrolytes and Nutrition

Product	Calories	Carbohydrates	Sugar	Sodium	Potassium
Gatorade Thirst Quencher	190	1.79 oz (51 g)	1.69 oz (48 g)	0.013 oz (380 mg)	0.003 oz (110 mg)
Gatorade Juiced	40	0.31 oz (9 g)	0.28 oz (8 g) without any added sugars	0.005 oz (160 mg)	0.002 oz (60 mg)
Gatorade Endurance	180	1.55 oz (44 g)	0.91 oz (26 g)	0.021 oz (620 mg)	0.009 oz (280 mg)
G2	70	0.63 oz (18 g)	0.56 oz (16 g)	0.013 oz (380 mg)	0.003 oz (110 mg)
G Zero	0	0.07 oz (2 g)	0	0.013 oz (380 mg)	0.003 oz (110 mg)

Pros and Cons

Of course, like Liquid IV, Gatorade has its benefits and drawbacks.

Pros	Cons
Great for hydration	Has a high-calorie content
Has a high electrolyte count	Has a high sugar content
Has carbohydrates that fuel your body
Comes in low and zero sugar option
Has a wide range of flavors

Let’s take a closer look at a couple of these pros and cons below.

Pro: Wider Range of Flavors

No matter what type of flavor you prefer, Gatorade likely has something for you. Want a no-frills drink that does the job? Go with simple flavors like Orange, Mango, or Strawberry. Need a drink that’s just as adventurous as you are? You can’t go wrong with any of the Gatorade Fierce or Gatorade Frost versions.

Con: May Contain High Levels of Calories and Sugar

Unless you’re going for the low or zero sugar options, you’re likely chugging as much sugar from a typical bottle of Gatorade as you would from Liquid IV (if not more). If your body has any problems managing insulin, or you want to cut out sugar from your diet completely, Gatorade may not be the best option. 

Conclusion

Both Liquid IV and Gatorade have their distinct advantages and disadvantages as alternatives to water for hydration.

On the one hand, they both have relatively high sugar content, meaning they’re not suitable for those who are diabetic or looking to reduce their sugar consumption for any reason.

On the other hand, both Liquid IV and Gatorade hydrate better than water alone and offer a vast array of flavors for even the pickiest of consumers. Both replenish electrolytes lost through sweating, making them strong competitors in the sports drink market.