{"id":605066625330,"title":"Is Gatorade Fast Twitch Unhealthy? An Ingredient Analysis","created_at":"2023-03-12T23:49:57-04:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Is Gatorade Fast Twitch Unhealthy? An Ingredient Analysis\",\n \"keywords\": \"gatorade fast twitch, fast twitch gatorade, gatorade fast twitch ingredients, fast twitch gatorade ingredients, is gatorade fast twitch healthy, is gatorade fast twitch unhealthy, fast twitch gatorade nutrition facts, gatorade fast twitch energy drink\",\n \"description\": \"Our research team analyzes the ingredients in Gatorade Fast Twitch based on medical studies to give our take on whether the drink is healthy or unhealthy. We highlight a few questionable additive ingredients and give our recommendation for the healthiest Gatorade drink.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-gatorade-fast-twitch-unhealthy\",\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_Gatorade_Fast_Twitch_Unhealthy_Thumbnail.png?v=1678679586\",\n\"width\": \"4096\",\n\"height\": \"4096\"\n},\n\"citation\": [\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34291426\/\", \n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7912474\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7155288\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6097542\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-gatorade-zero-good-for-you\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-gatorlyte-actually-healthy\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23026007\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ams.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/Flavors%20nonsynthetic%202%20TR.pdf\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/15982990\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29624410\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/products\/panax-ginseng-extract\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC9449413\/\"\n],\n\"mentions\": [{\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"caffeine\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"electrolytes\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"sucralose\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Gatorade Original\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Gatorlyte\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Gatorade Zero\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Gatorade Organic\"\n }\n],\n\"datePublished\": \"2023-03-12\",\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\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Is_Gatorade_Fast_Twitch_Unhealthy_Article_Header_Image_Optimized.png?v=1678679208\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dc\"\u003eF\u003c\/span\u003east Twitch is a new energy drink launched by Gatorade. The brand advertises that it has electrolytes, zero sugar, and caffeine “to help athletes focus the mind and power the body for athletic performance.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBut does Fast Twitch contain an effective dose of caffeine for improving workouts? What about an effective dose of electrolytes? Does it contain any potentially unhealthy additive ingredients? And are there other Gatorade drinks that may be a better choice for optimizing performance?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in Gatorade Fast Twitch based on medical studies to give our take on whether it’s likely to be effective for enhancing athletic performance and if it’s healthy or not.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe’ll highlight a few questionable additive ingredients in this drink, and compare it to other Gatorade drinks to give our take on which is the best choice for improving strength and stamina during workouts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIngredient Analysis – Is Fast Twitch Unhealthy?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" alt=\"Gatorade Fast Twitch ingredients\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gatorade_Fast_Twitch_Cool_Blue_Ingredients_Optimized.png?v=1678679228\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe ingredients in the “Cool Blue” flavor of Fast Twitch are shown above.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCaffeine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is the most important ingredient in most energy drinks, and Fast Twitch provides a 200 milligram (mg) dose.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34291426\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSports Medicine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e journal found that caffeine improves power and reduces physical fatigue. The minimum effective dose was reported to be around 100 mg.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCaffeine was also shown to reduce mental fatigue in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7912474\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emeta-study\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNutrients\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e journal. Most of the clinical trials analyzed used a dose of around 100 mg.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe will conclude that Gatorade Fast Twitch provides an effective dose of caffeine and is likely to improve exercise performance. However, its electrolyte composition is much less impressive in our opinion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFast Twitch contains two electrolytes according to its Nutrition Facts label: sodium and potassium.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSodium\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is included at a dose of only 160 mg, or 7% of the Daily Value (DV). While better than nothing, an elite athlete may need vastly more than this to recover what’s lost through sweat.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePotassium\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is included at only 50 mg, which is less than 1% DV.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe combination of caffeine, water and electrolytes makes for a performance-enhancing energy drink. But there are also several additive ingredients that health-conscious consumers may want to avoid.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSucralose\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is an artificial sweetener, and is what’s used so that Gatorade can claim “zero sugar.” A \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7155288\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinical trial\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNutrition Journal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e found that sucralose had a negative impact on insulin levels in healthy adults.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCitric acid\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a flavor enhancer and preservative that can cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals according to a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6097542\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eToxicology Reports\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e journal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNatural flavor\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a broad descriptor that fails to identify the specific flavoring compound(s) used. As we documented in our review of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-gatorade-zero-good-for-you\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGatorade Zero ingredients\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, some natural flavoring compounds and their metabolites may have toxic effects according to clinical studies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOverall we consider Gatorade Fast Twitch to be relatively unhealthy because of the additive ingredients, and especially the inclusion of an artificial sweetener.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut how does Gatorade Fast Twitch compare to other Gatorade drinks? Which is the healthiest option? We’ll review in the next section.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhich Gatorade Product is Healthiest?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGatorade sells a wide variety of different sports nutrition and energy drinks with different benefits.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAs we documented in our review of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-gatorlyte-actually-healthy\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGatorlyte ingredients\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, all three of Gatorade’s most popular drinks (Gatorade Original, Gatorlyte and Gatorade Zero) contain artificial food dye in some of their flavors.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eArtificial food dyes were shown in a 2012 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23026007\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to have a wide range of negative health effects, and the researchers even concluded \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e“that all of the currently used dyes should be removed from the food supply and replaced, if at all, by safer colorings.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBecause Gatorade Fast Twitch is free of artificial food dye (and uses whole food colorants like blueberry juice instead), we consider it to be a healthier option than most Gatorade products, and it’s a good thing that Gatorade seems to be moving in a more natural direction with their formulations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut the healthiest Gatorade product in our opinion is Gatorade Organic. Its ingredients are shown below:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" alt=\"Gatorade Organic ingredients\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Gatorade_Organic_Ingredients_Optimized.png?v=1678679254\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWhile it does contain citric acid, it’s free of artificial sweeteners and includes organic natural flavor rather than natural flavor. We have no issue with organic natural flavor as it’s derived from organic, whole food ingredients according to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ams.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/Flavors%20nonsynthetic%202%20TR.pdf\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eUSDA guidelines\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eInterested consumers can check out Gatorade Organic \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3mKGNXa\" rel=\"sponsored\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to the product’s official Amazon listing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReal, Unsponsored Gatorade Fast Twitch User Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA TikTok user named Sage Lee tried Gatorade Fast Twitch before her workout and shared her thoughts on the taste and effects:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote style=\"max-width: 375px; min-width: 325px;\" data-video-id=\"7196065008424586542\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@redfooddye40\/video\/7196065008424586542\" class=\"tiktok-embed\"\u003e\n\u003csection\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@redfooddye40?refer=embed\" title=\"@redfooddye40\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e@redfooddye40\u003c\/a\u003e Trying the new caffeine Gatorade as pre-workout🫶 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/newgatorade?refer=embed\" title=\"newgatorade\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#newgatorade\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/caffeine?refer=embed\" title=\"caffeine\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#caffeine\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/caffeinegatorade?refer=embed\" title=\"caffeinegatorade\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#caffeinegatorade\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/preworkout?refer=embed\" title=\"preworkout\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#preworkout\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/gatorade?refer=embed\" title=\"gatorade\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#gatorade\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/fasttwitch?refer=embed\" title=\"fasttwitch\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#fasttwitch\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7196064993044024110?refer=embed\" title=\"♬ original sound - Sage Lee\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e♬ original sound - Sage Lee\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cscript src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\" async=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAnother TikTok user named Shorter Show tried Gatorade Fast Twitch before the gym and claims that it helped her workout:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote style=\"max-width: 375px; min-width: 325px;\" data-video-id=\"7206044672442125614\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@shortershow\/video\/7206044672442125614\" class=\"tiktok-embed\"\u003e\n\u003csection\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@shortershow?refer=embed\" title=\"@shortershow\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e@shortershow\u003c\/a\u003e Have y’all tried these?? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/fyp?refer=embed\" title=\"fyp\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#fyp\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/gatorade?refer=embed\" title=\"gatorade\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#gatorade\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/fasttwitch?refer=embed\" title=\"fasttwitch\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#fasttwitch\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/gymtok?refer=embed\" title=\"gymtok\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#gymtok\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/energydrink?refer=embed\" title=\"energydrink\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#energydrink\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7206044650950462250?refer=embed\" title=\"♬ original sound - Shorter Show\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e♬ original sound - Shorter Show\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cscript src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\" async=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOur Clean Energy Picks\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Nootropic_Supplement_Image_Optimized_98ecd2a4-24b2-47f6-ad1c-2ea95c379c74.png?v=1685832074\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePanax ginseng extract\u003c\/strong\u003e has been clinically shown to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/15982990\/\"\u003ereduce mental fatigue\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29624410\/\"\u003ereduce physical fatigue\u003c\/a\u003e; both health effects that can benefit e-sports athletes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIlluminate Labs manufactures a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/products\/panax-ginseng-extract\"\u003ePanax Ginseng Extract Supplement\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethat's potent (standardized to minimum 8% ginsenosides) and third-party tested to ensure purity and label accuracy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInterested consumers can check out Illuminate Labs Panax Ginseng Extract \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/products\/panax-ginseng-extract\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/a\u003e to the secure product page on our website, \u003c\/span\u003ewhere it retails for\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eonly $15\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eat a subscription price.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan mce-data-marked=\"1\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.performancelab.com\/products\/energy?a_aid=64a3e09e8e7cd\" rel=\"sponsored\"\u003ePerformance Lab Energy\u003c\/a\u003e is our top multi-ingredient energy supplement pick.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan mce-data-marked=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis supplement contains acetyl-l-carnitine which can \"improve energy status\"\u003c\/strong\u003e according to a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5621476\/\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/a\u003e published in the \u003cem\u003eNeurochemical Research\u003c\/em\u003e journal, as well as \u003cstrong\u003eCoQ10\u003c\/strong\u003e which is produced by the body but decreases with age, and \u003cstrong\u003e\"is an effective and safe treatment for reducing fatigue symptoms\"\u003c\/strong\u003e according to a 2022 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/pmid\/36091835\/\"\u003emeta-study\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan mce-data-marked=\"1\"\u003eIntersted consumers can check out Performance Lab Energy \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.performancelab.com\/products\/energy?a_aid=64a3e09e8e7cd\" rel=\"sponsored\"\u003eat this link\u003c\/a\u003e to the product page on the brand's official website.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePros and Cons of Gatorade Fast Twitch\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHere are the pros and cons of Gatorade Fast Twitch in our opinion:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEffective caffeine dose\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eContains some electrolytes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSugar-free\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMost users report good taste\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMost users report it’s useful for pre-workout\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eContains artificial sweetener\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eContains flavoring agents\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eContains citric acid\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNot the healthiest Gatorade drink\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGatorade Fast Twitch is effectively formulated for pre-workout and rehydration. It contains an effective dose of caffeine and should improve workout performance and intensity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe don’t currently recommend this drink because of a few questionable additive ingredients like the artificial sweetener sucralose, but we do think that it’s healthier than most Gatorade drinks because it includes whole food colorants rather than artificial food dye.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGatorade Organic is the healthiest Gatorade drink in our opinion, but it’s free of caffeine so it may not be as effective as a pre-workout.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMost customers reviewed Gatorade Fast Twitch favorably, claiming that it tastes just like regular Gatorade but provides a lot of energy during a gym session.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2023-03-12T23:57:43-04:00","updated_at":"2023-09-24T11:48:55-04:00","summary_html":"We analyze the ingredients in Gatorade Fast Twitch based on medical studies to give our take on whether the drink is healthy or unhealthy. We highlight a few questionable additive ingredients and give our recommendation for the healthiest Gatorade drink.","template_suffix":"","handle":"is-gatorade-fast-twitch-unhealthy","tags":"_related:energy-drink, _related:sports-nutrition"}

Is Gatorade Fast Twitch Unhealthy? An Ingredient Analysis

Is Gatorade Fast Twitch Unhealthy? An Ingredient Analysis


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Fast Twitch is a new energy drink launched by Gatorade. The brand advertises that it has electrolytes, zero sugar, and caffeine “to help athletes focus the mind and power the body for athletic performance.”

But does Fast Twitch contain an effective dose of caffeine for improving workouts? What about an effective dose of electrolytes? Does it contain any potentially unhealthy additive ingredients? And are there other Gatorade drinks that may be a better choice for optimizing performance?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in Gatorade Fast Twitch based on medical studies to give our take on whether it’s likely to be effective for enhancing athletic performance and if it’s healthy or not.

We’ll highlight a few questionable additive ingredients in this drink, and compare it to other Gatorade drinks to give our take on which is the best choice for improving strength and stamina during workouts.

Ingredient Analysis – Is Fast Twitch Unhealthy?

Gatorade Fast Twitch ingredients

The ingredients in the “Cool Blue” flavor of Fast Twitch are shown above.

Caffeine is the most important ingredient in most energy drinks, and Fast Twitch provides a 200 milligram (mg) dose.

A medical review published in the Sports Medicine journal found that caffeine improves power and reduces physical fatigue. The minimum effective dose was reported to be around 100 mg.

Caffeine was also shown to reduce mental fatigue in a meta-study published in the Nutrients journal. Most of the clinical trials analyzed used a dose of around 100 mg.

We will conclude that Gatorade Fast Twitch provides an effective dose of caffeine and is likely to improve exercise performance. However, its electrolyte composition is much less impressive in our opinion.

Fast Twitch contains two electrolytes according to its Nutrition Facts label: sodium and potassium.

Sodium is included at a dose of only 160 mg, or 7% of the Daily Value (DV). While better than nothing, an elite athlete may need vastly more than this to recover what’s lost through sweat.

Potassium is included at only 50 mg, which is less than 1% DV.

The combination of caffeine, water and electrolytes makes for a performance-enhancing energy drink. But there are also several additive ingredients that health-conscious consumers may want to avoid.

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener, and is what’s used so that Gatorade can claim “zero sugar.” A clinical trial published in the Nutrition Journal found that sucralose had a negative impact on insulin levels in healthy adults.

Citric acid is a flavor enhancer and preservative that can cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals according to a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal.

Natural flavor is a broad descriptor that fails to identify the specific flavoring compound(s) used. As we documented in our review of Gatorade Zero ingredients, some natural flavoring compounds and their metabolites may have toxic effects according to clinical studies.

Overall we consider Gatorade Fast Twitch to be relatively unhealthy because of the additive ingredients, and especially the inclusion of an artificial sweetener.

But how does Gatorade Fast Twitch compare to other Gatorade drinks? Which is the healthiest option? We’ll review in the next section.

Which Gatorade Product is Healthiest?

Gatorade sells a wide variety of different sports nutrition and energy drinks with different benefits.

As we documented in our review of Gatorlyte ingredients, all three of Gatorade’s most popular drinks (Gatorade Original, Gatorlyte and Gatorade Zero) contain artificial food dye in some of their flavors.

Artificial food dyes were shown in a 2012 medical review to have a wide range of negative health effects, and the researchers even concluded “that all of the currently used dyes should be removed from the food supply and replaced, if at all, by safer colorings.”

Because Gatorade Fast Twitch is free of artificial food dye (and uses whole food colorants like blueberry juice instead), we consider it to be a healthier option than most Gatorade products, and it’s a good thing that Gatorade seems to be moving in a more natural direction with their formulations.

But the healthiest Gatorade product in our opinion is Gatorade Organic. Its ingredients are shown below:

Gatorade Organic ingredients

While it does contain citric acid, it’s free of artificial sweeteners and includes organic natural flavor rather than natural flavor. We have no issue with organic natural flavor as it’s derived from organic, whole food ingredients according to USDA guidelines.

Interested consumers can check out Gatorade Organic at this link to the product’s official Amazon listing.

Real, Unsponsored Gatorade Fast Twitch User Reviews

A TikTok user named Sage Lee tried Gatorade Fast Twitch before her workout and shared her thoughts on the taste and effects:

@redfooddye40 Trying the new caffeine Gatorade as pre-workout🫶 #newgatorade #caffeine #caffeinegatorade #preworkout #gatorade #fasttwitch ♬ original sound - Sage Lee

Another TikTok user named Shorter Show tried Gatorade Fast Twitch before the gym and claims that it helped her workout:

@shortershow Have y’all tried these?? #fyp #gatorade #fasttwitch #gymtok #energydrink ♬ original sound - Shorter Show

Our Clean Energy Picks

Panax ginseng extract has been clinically shown to reduce mental fatigue and reduce physical fatigue; both health effects that can benefit e-sports athletes.

Illuminate Labs manufactures a Panax Ginseng Extract Supplement that's potent (standardized to minimum 8% ginsenosides) and third-party tested to ensure purity and label accuracy.

Interested consumers can check out Illuminate Labs Panax Ginseng Extract at this link to the secure product page on our website, where it retails for only $15 at a subscription price.

Performance Lab Energy is our top multi-ingredient energy supplement pick.

This supplement contains acetyl-l-carnitine which can "improve energy status" according to a medical review published in the Neurochemical Research journal, as well as CoQ10 which is produced by the body but decreases with age, and "is an effective and safe treatment for reducing fatigue symptoms" according to a 2022 meta-study.

Intersted consumers can check out Performance Lab Energy at this link to the product page on the brand's official website. 

Pros and Cons of Gatorade Fast Twitch

Here are the pros and cons of Gatorade Fast Twitch in our opinion:

Pros:

  • Effective caffeine dose
  • Contains some electrolytes
  • Sugar-free
  • Most users report good taste
  • Most users report it’s useful for pre-workout

Cons:

  • Contains artificial sweetener
  • Contains flavoring agents
  • Contains citric acid
  • Not the healthiest Gatorade drink
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Conclusion

Gatorade Fast Twitch is effectively formulated for pre-workout and rehydration. It contains an effective dose of caffeine and should improve workout performance and intensity.

We don’t currently recommend this drink because of a few questionable additive ingredients like the artificial sweetener sucralose, but we do think that it’s healthier than most Gatorade drinks because it includes whole food colorants rather than artificial food dye.

Gatorade Organic is the healthiest Gatorade drink in our opinion, but it’s free of caffeine so it may not be as effective as a pre-workout.

Most customers reviewed Gatorade Fast Twitch favorably, claiming that it tastes just like regular Gatorade but provides a lot of energy during a gym session.




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