{"id":606619959602,"title":"Is Powerade Zero Bad for You? An Ingredient Analysis","created_at":"2023-11-05T12:25:05-05:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Is Powerade Zero Bad for You? An Ingredient Analysis\",\n \"keywords\": \"is powerade zero bad for you, powerade zero, powerade zero ingredients\",\n \"description\": \"Our research team analyzes the ingredients in Powerade Zero based on clinical studies to give our take on whether or not the sports drink is bad for you. We compare the healthiness of Powerade Zero to other zero-calorie sports drinks like BodyArmor Lyte and Gatorade Zero.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-powerade-zero-bad-for-you\",\n\"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"editor\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"DJ Mazzoni\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": [\n \"M.S.\",\n \"R.D.\",\n \"C.D.N.\",\n \"C.S.C.S.\"\n ],\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/dj-mazzoni\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dj-mazzoni-rd-cdn-cscs-00a33038\/\",\n \"http:\/\/djmazzoni.com\/\"\n ],\n \"jobTitle\": \"Medical Reviewer\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"exercise, drugs, pharmaceutical, health, workout, strength and conditioning, nutrition, dietetics, medicine, medical research, scientific research, scientific method, healthcare, patient care, wellness\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"State University of New York College Oswego\",\n \"D’Youville College\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"image\": {\n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Is_Powerade_Zero_Bad_For_You_Thumbnail.png?v=1699248403\",\n\"width\": \"1332\",\n\"height\": \"1332\"\n},\n\"citation\": [\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6213308\/\", \n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6097542\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-vitamin-water-good-for-you\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30535090\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23026007\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-gatorade-zero-good-for-you\"\n],\n\"mentions\": [{\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"electrolytes\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"citric acid\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"artificial sweeteners\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"Red 40\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"BodyArmor Lyte\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Gatorade Zero\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Dr. Eric Berg\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"JasonDunna\"\n }\n],\n\"datePublished\": \"2023-11-06\",\n\"copyrightHolder\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n},\n\"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/\",\n \"description\": \"Illuminate Labs is the most transparent supplement company in the U.S., and is a leading publisher of research-based health information.\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"supplements, science, nutrition, exercise, health, medication, pharmaceutical, wellness, diet, weight loss, medical research\",\n \"publishingPrinciples\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/editorial-guidelines\",\n \"memberOf\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"U.S. Chamber of Commerce\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Certified B Corp\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.bcorporation.net\/en-us\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Natural Products Association\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.npanational.org\/\"\n }\n ],\n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Illuminate_Labs_Favicon_48x48_7595c3cc-e27b-47b8-a4fe-edcc7ed9b29a.png?v=1666502785\", \n \"width\": 48,\n \"height\": 48\n},\n \"foundingDate\": \"2019-01-30\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/illuminate-labs-supplements\",\n \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpgSJAsIPb-fZ25djtTxBEA\"\n ]\n }\n}\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Is_Powerade_Zero_Bad_For_You_Article_Header_Image_Optimized.png?v=1699245009\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dc\"\u003eP\u003c\/span\u003eowerade Zero is the zero-calorie version of the popular sports nutrition drink Powerade. The brand describes this product as containing \"50% more electrolytes vs the leading sports drink.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBut what electrolytes are in Powerade Zero and can they enhance performance? Are there any unhealthy additive ingredients that make Powerade Zero bad for you? How does Powerade Zero compare to other zero-calorie sports drinks in terms of healthiness? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Powerade Zero?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Powerade Zero based on clinical studies to give our take on whether or not the popular sports drink is bad for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe'll feature unsponsored customer reviews and compare Powerade Zero to other popular sports drinks to give our pick on which is healthier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIngredient Analysis\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Powerade_Zero_Fruit_Punch_Ingredients_Optimized.png?v=1699245302\" alt=\"Powerade Zero Fruit Punch ingredients\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ingredients in the Fruit Punch flavor of Powerade Zero are shown above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSodium\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003epotassium\u003c\/strong\u003e are the only ingredients listed on the Nutrition Facts label, at respective doses of 250 milligrams (mg) and 80 mg per serving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElectrolyte-enhanced drinks can optimize athletic performance according to a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6213308\/\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/a\u003e published in the \u003cem\u003eNutrients\u003c\/em\u003e journal, because they sustain endurance and may enhance recovery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the inactive ingredients make Powerade Zero not worth the potential benefits from the electrolytes in our opinion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCitric acid\u003c\/strong\u003e is shown to cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals according to a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6097542\/\"\u003eseries of case reports\u003c\/a\u003e published in the \u003cem\u003eToxicology Reports\u003c\/em\u003e journal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNatural flavors\u003c\/strong\u003e is a broad categorical term that fails to document the specific flavoring agents used, and as we discussed in our article on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-vitamin-water-good-for-you\"\u003eis Vitamin Water good for you\u003c\/a\u003e, some flavoring ingredients and their metabolites may be harmful to human health according to at least one medical review.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSucralose\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eacesulfame potassium\u003c\/strong\u003e are artificial sweeteners, the former of which is \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30535090\/\"\u003eclinically shown\u003c\/a\u003e to have negative effects on insulin levels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRed 40\u003c\/strong\u003e is an artificial colorant shown in a 2012 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23026007\/\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/a\u003e to be contaminated with cancer-causing compounds in some cases.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverall, we consider Powerade Zero to be bad for you based on these additive ingredients. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut how does it compare to other zero-calorie sports nutrition drinks? We'll discuss that in the next section of this article.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePowerade Zero vs. the Competition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBodyArmor Lyte and Gatorade Zero are two of the most popular zero-calorie sports drinks on the market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere's how they stack up to Powerade Zero in terms of healthiness in our opinion:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eBodyArmor Lyte\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContains citric acid and synthetic vitamins, but is free of artificial sweeteners and artificial flavors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProvides a higher per-serving dose of magnesium and potassium, both minerals that we consider Americans more likely to be deficient in than sodium (which is included in many processed foods)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner: BodyArmor Lyte\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eGatorade Zero\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery similar formulation to Powerade Zero. Contains citric acid, artificial sweeteners and artificial color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, as we documented in our article on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-gatorade-zero-good-for-you\"\u003edoes Gatorade Zero have electrolytes\u003c\/a\u003e, the electrolyte dose in Gatorade Zero per-serving is lower than that in Powerade Zero.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner: Powerade Zero\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs Gatorade or Powerade Better for Dehydration?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA YouTube creator named Dr. Eric Berg has a video discussing whether Gatorade or Powerade is a better option for dehydration:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KfLFFHnim7E?si=3-6I0UQYgPWeqLzi\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur Clean Electrolyte Pick\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Electrolyte_Powder_Image.png?v=1669254441\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/promixnutrition.com\/products\/unflavored-electrolyte-drink-mix?_pos=4\u0026amp;_sid=6e3941dd9\u0026amp;_ss=r\u0026amp;utm_campaign=squaredance\u0026amp;utm_source=affiliate\u0026amp;sqdid=pBwaCejYrGnzerbLkCiPwvzjiCqCjUwyJycPNOxE5KKfCjjTa4WxPFonePEB2ixU%2F%2F%2F\u0026amp;utm_medium=394421\" rel=\"sponsored\"\u003ePromix Electrolyte Drink Mix\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis our top electrolyte pick.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis product contains the electrolytes sodium (from Himalayan pink salt), potassium and magnesium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost importantly, \u003cb\u003ethere are no unhealthy additives or flavorings, making this the one of the cleanest electrolyte formulations that we've reviewed to date.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterested consumers can check out Promix Electrolyte Drink Mix\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/promixnutrition.com\/products\/unflavored-electrolyte-drink-mix?_pos=4\u0026amp;_sid=6e3941dd9\u0026amp;_ss=r\u0026amp;utm_campaign=squaredance\u0026amp;utm_source=affiliate\u0026amp;sqdid=pBwaCejYrGnzerbLkCiPwvzjiCqCjUwyJycPNOxE5KKfCjjTa4WxPFonePEB2ixU%2F%2F%2F\u0026amp;utm_medium=394421\" rel=\"sponsored\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eto the product page on the brand's official website, where it's retailing for\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eunder $0.75 per serving\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eat the time of updating this article.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReal People Try Powerade Zero\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA YouTube creator named \"JasonDunna\" has a video testing the Fruit Punch flavor of Powerade Zero:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8URXtcLAXjc?si=h0FGC24BjnSu079w\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA YouTube creator named Jadon W has a video testing how Powerade Zero affects blood glucose levels:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HLIlzF_zgm0?si=RZKwhfYlsWpvMxJc\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePowerade Zero is not good for you in our opinion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis sports drink does contain electrolytes, and the fact that it's zero-sugar may make it a better option for diabetics than regular Powerade, but it also contains a host of questionable additives like artificial color and artificial sweeteners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe consider BodyArmor Lyte to have a healthier formulation than Powerade Zero, but Powerade Zero to have a slightly superior formulation to Gatorade Zero due to its increase electrolyte levels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this article, we featured a video that discusses whether Powerade or Gatorade is a better option for dehydration, and two real user reviews of Powerade Zero.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile electrolytes can enhance athletic performance, just drinking water during exercise seems like it would be sufficient for the average American who is not training in extreme conditions or to extreme intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2023-11-05T23:59:12-05:00","updated_at":"2024-03-31T11:16:26-04:00","summary_html":"We analyze the ingredients in Powerade Zero based on clinical studies to give our take on whether or not the sports drink is bad for you. We compare the healthiness of Powerade Zero to other zero-calorie sports drinks like BodyArmor Lyte and Gatorade Zero.","template_suffix":"","handle":"is-powerade-zero-bad-for-you","tags":"_related:electrolytes, _related:sports-nutrition"}