Powerade Zero vs Water

jetteh22
jetteh22 Posts: 9 Member
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
Hello, everyone!

I have a quick question for you. I am not and have always not really been a big fan of water. I know this is probably a problem - I used to live off of Mt. Dew only!

Lately, though (past month or so) I have only been drinking Powerade Zero (with the occasional Yoo-Hoo or Mt. Dew). When you're supposed to drink 8 cups of water a day, would Powerade Zero be a bad substitute? I still drink about 16oz of actual water a day.

Powerade Zero Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 0
Total Fat: 0
Sodium: 55mg
Potassium 35mg
Carbs: 0
Protein: 0

I always thought that having no calories, fat, or carbs this is actually not bad for you but I did notice that there is a lot of sodium. Above is per serving (8oz) and each bottle is 32oz - I drink 2 a day, plus a bottle of water or two.

Any ideas?

Replies

  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    What do the ingredients show? Is water the first one listed??
  • Shanta1983
    Shanta1983 Posts: 1,228 Member
    Trying adding crystal light on the go packet or lemon to your water ...But water is water period so I dont count anthing else for subsitute, only water:smile:
  • charliesgold
    charliesgold Posts: 235 Member
    It has artificial sweetener in it which makes it a no no for me (artificial sweeteners make my belly pooch).

    Water contains nothing but water (if filtered well) and is less work for your body to process (unlike artificially sweetened drinks). Drinking a lot of water is also GREAT for your skin and necessary for your body to maintain proper function.

    IMO go with the water.
  • lizzys
    lizzys Posts: 841 Member
    i think just plain water is the best you will drink more when you exercise so try to drink as much as you you can . it dose start to taste better when you get use to drinking it
  • jetteh22
    jetteh22 Posts: 9 Member
    Wow- That was fast! Thanks for the input everyone. I did stock up on Powerade Zero (I have about 20 left I think) so I will need to finish these off.. Maybe switch to one a day at work and then water in the mornings and at night.

    Lauryn - Yes, the first is Water.

    Ingredients:

    Water, natural flavors, citric acid, salt, potassium citrate, potassium phosphate, acesulfame potassium, red 40, vitamin b3, b6 and b12.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Powerade Zero contains electrolytes--sodium and potassium. It is meant to replenish the electrolytes you lose through sweating during intense exercise. It's not really necessary if you're not exercising.
  • jetteh22
    jetteh22 Posts: 9 Member
    But it's -so- delicious! Honestly, that is the reason why I drink it. It's healthier for one more than soda is, but tastier than water. I figured it was for athletes and such but I drank it because it tastes good.

    Another quick question for everyone (off topic but I don't want to start a new topic for it because it might have already been asked):

    It seems the past couple of days I have been pretty good on staying under everything.. Except fat. Carbs have been just under and same with Calories (until last night when I splurged majorly) but fat always seems to go over by 25-50.

    Like today, I was doing okay but my significant other and friends want to go to Olive Garden for dinner. I'm thinking - Sure, I can do with an Olive Garden house salad and I went ahead and entered it in as 1.5 plates.. That put me over my fat content. Basically - nothing at Olive Garden is appealing to me and healthy(ish) except the house salad.

    I know the whole point of this is to go up to, but not over the amount that is listed, right? But how can I keep the fat content down when I'm already eating everything I can think of that isn't high in fat.

    EDIT: Nevermind - I just noticed where my problem is. The dressing in the salad must be extremely high in fat because it is 41 by itself. I'm only allowed 65 fat, and that put me over by 25.

    I guess I'll go over tonight and just try to work it out once I get my exercise bike.
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member

    EDIT: Nevermind - I just noticed where my problem is. The dressing in the salad must be extremely high in fat because it is 41 by itself. I'm only allowed 65 fat, and that put me over by 25.

    I guess I'll go over tonight and just try to work it out once I get my exercise bike.

    Welcome, and as you figured out, yes, it is the dressing that's high in fat. If they pour it on, usually it's way too much. Ask for it on the side, and then you can add how much you desire.

    Alot of us workout xx calories on a daily basis so we can eat that little bit more.
    Why wait to get your exercise bike. Go out this evening for a walk and work off those extra calories.
  • Valtishia
    Valtishia Posts: 811 Member
    If you gradually up the water and down the other drinks each day you will eventually get used to it and actually crave water.
    I used to be like that drinking all kinds of diet drinks instead of water cause I felt like I needed flavour... now all I want to drink is water and my boyfriend gets annoyed with me cause I have a bad habit of leaving my empty water bottles all over the house lol
    I reserve diet pop for a night of alcohol but other than that its pretty much water.

    Keep at it and you will achieve it :)
  • jetteh22
    jetteh22 Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks ttthumper,

    I didn't say but I was actually getting the exercise bike tonight too! I ended up not getting the salad at Olive Gardens but instead stayed home and mis-read the back of a Tostino's Pizza box... 320 calories PER SERVING.. I was like "yay" until I realized afterwards that it was 700-something calories...

    Rode my exercise bike for a full hour tonight to work it off and also gave me an additional 167 calories to spare but I am going to just not eat and hit the sack because my fat is still higher than it's supposed to be - oops!

    Going to a theme park tomorrow in the hot Florida sun - Walking and sweating an entire day! That should burn some cals.

    Also @ Val - Yes. It's not that I HATE water, it's that I just prefer stuff with more flavor. But let me tell you - I loved water during riding the bike. I drank a bottle and a half which probably isn't that much compared to some people but still more than I usually drink considering everything else I try to drink instead.
  • charliesgold
    charliesgold Posts: 235 Member
    If you like balsamic vinegar like I do you can mix a little olive oil and a little balsamic and make your own dressing that way :)
  • mistyoyler
    mistyoyler Posts: 1
    I love it great to have one when all you drink is water!!
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    If it gets you to consume your fluids, there is really nothing wrong with it.

    Water can be plain, maybe add a bit of lite salt or lemon to give it...oomph.

    And just a warning for the future...if you ever have to drink the goop for a colonoscopy/endoscopy...you'll be
    put off Powerade forever. =)
  • matthew67899
    matthew67899 Posts: 58 Member
    I buy Powerade Zero in the 32oz bottles quite a bit also.....but I use it for the bottle as much as anything. I take one to work with me every Monday and once it's gone, I save the bottle and keep filling it with water the rest of the week. Then I take it home Friday after work and fill it one more time with water and throw it in the fridge so I can take it with me over the weekend if I'm out. When I drink that up it goes in the recycle bin.

    It's a good trick if you like Powerade since you can still taste and smell the flavorings the 1st few times you refill the bottle. It helps me drink more water than I used to.
  • fuschiadiamond
    fuschiadiamond Posts: 16 Member
    Above post is correct. Drinking it after a strenuous exercise would be beneficial. They actually recommend drinking this kind of beverage with Bikram Yoga because you sweat so much in 90 minutes that you also lose minerals.
  • mfaine
    mfaine Posts: 84 Member
    I think that if drinking powerade zero helps you drink more water than it is probably fine. So long as there aren't any hidden negatives. You have to watch out for those labels sometimes they hide things by employing tricky labeling practices. If it is basically water with no-calorie flavor and sweetener then I'd have no problem with it personally. Also I believe the point of powerade is that it also provides some electrolytes an vitamins which may be helpful.
  • Tridith
    Tridith Posts: 1 Member
    Okay... powerade 0 is over 99% water, but it replenishes sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium lost in sweat, so it's won't harm your body at all. Also, powerade DOES use an artificial sweetener, (sucralose), but sucralose is one of the only 5 FDA approved artificial sweeteners, and is NON-TOXIC. Your may be thinking, wow, an artificial sweetener with 0 cals... why are they putting poison in these. Sucralose has little affect on your body because it isn't a powerful sweetener, splenda is 600x sweeter but uses more chemicals, which get your kidneys busy getting rid of harmful substances so they can't break down fat. Basically powerade is perfect after you workout, but never for a snack because of the sodium. If you dont believe me, test out powerade instead of water after workouts and i assure you that you will feel more energy, not as dehydrated, and ready for tomorrow.
  • vlwolf94
    vlwolf94 Posts: 1
    Sports drinks were designed to increase hydration during strenuous exercise over a long period of time. The are high in sodium, potassium and sugar. If used needlessly, it can cause:

    • Weight Gain
    • Vitamin Toxicity
    • Hypernatremia
    • High Blood Pressure
    • High Blood Sugar
    • Teeth Decay
  • iecreamheadaches
    iecreamheadaches Posts: 441 Member
    I personally try to avoid anything "diet" or "zero" because of the artificial sweetners. personal thing.

    But i don't think its a substitute for water.
  • apparations
    apparations Posts: 264 Member
    Yuck-- I bought a 6 pack of Grape powerade Zero like 3 years ago.. I still have 4 left! Hate the stuff. But compared to pop like Mountain Dew or Coke I think it's a lot better. Still you really don't need the extra sodium or potassium that's in there if you're not using it while exercising. You'd probably be better off with some of the flavour enhancers that are out there for water right now.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,282 Member
    Sports drinks were designed to increase hydration during strenuous exercise over a long period of time. The are high in sodium, potassium and sugar. If used needlessly, it can cause:

    • Weight Gain
    • Vitamin Toxicity
    • Hypernatremia
    • High Blood Pressure
    • High Blood Sugar
    • Teeth Decay

    OP is talking about Powerade Zero - it has no calories so cannot contribute to weight gain or high blood sugar.

    In moderation, I highly doubt it does anything else on your list either
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