• In 1965, the first sports drink was created by a nephrologist from the University of Florida. His goal was to develop a drink that would best rejuvenate the body during and after exercise. He tested it on the school’s football team, The Gators, and named his drink Gatorade, a blend of two popular names: The Gators and Kool-Aid. Since then, many other sports drinks have become popular, including PowerAde, All Sport and Red Bull — to name a few. All come to the market claiming to be the drink that best provides peak performance for physical activity.

• Heavily promoted, sports drinks come in bright colors, attractive bottles and have flashy names for their flavors, such as Fierce Grape or Extreme Watermelon. The question remains as to what these drinks can give the body that makes them a better source of hydration than water.

• For every 15 to 20 minutes of exercise, the body needs 4 to 6 ounces of water to replace liquid that has been lost through perspiration. In addition to losing liquid, the body loses electrolytes through perspiration. Sports drinks are mostly water, but also contain carbohydrates as well as sodium and potassium to replace lost electrolytes. While it is true that the body loses sodium through exercise, the average American diet exceeds the daily 0.5 to 1 gram requirement of salt with 8 to 20 grams, eliminating the need for more salt from sports drinks. The carbohydrates found in sports drinks are primarily sugar, and any carbohydrates needed by the body can be obtained from eating a banana, orange or any other fruit. Plus, fruit consumption provides many other benefits. Some sports drinks also contain vitamins and caffeine. Caffeine, found in hefty levels in energy drinks such as Red Bull, actually lowers the degree of hydration.

• When it comes to plain and simple hydration, water is better than any other liquid. However, many people dislike the bland flavor of water and stop drinking it before they are completely hydrated. Sports drinks succeed, in this regard, where water fails. Although they do not hydrate as well as water, swallow for swallow, the tasty, half-sweet, half-tart flavor of power drinks entices people to drink until they are re-hydrated. So, even though water is a better drink for hydration, it can’t do its job until enough of it is taken into the body. What matters most when it comes to achieving and maintaining hydration is quantity. If you want to make water more appealing, add a little sugar. Personal, visual appeal can be achieved with just a little food coloring. Notwithstanding all the excitement surrounding thirst quenchers, water hydrates best, and the quantity of consumption can be enhanced by adding personal taste preferences.

• Water has been around since the beginning of time, it is inexpensive and is readily available. So the next time you really need to quench your thirst, remember that the body is 75 percent water, and that’s what it needs for hydration.