Sports drinks should not be consumed daily, as they contain high levels of salt and sugar. This can be especially detrimental to those with certain health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease.

If you need help with a plan to stay hydrated with your doctor to determine the best beverages for you. If you or a loved one is experiencing severe symptoms of dehydration, we encourage you to stop into Getwell Urgent Care for further evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment today.

For some, rehydrating is not enough to stop symptoms; medical attention for dehydration may be needed right now. Our urgent care facility in Southaven is open seven days a week with no appointments required.

Simply walk in and get the care you need now. Blog: Health News from Getwell Urgent Care. First, What Is Dehydration?

What Causes Dehydration? Dehydration can occur due to the following: Excessive sweating Side effects from certain medications Severe diarrhea Vomiting or the stomach flu Frequent urination Fever Common Dehydration Symptoms Dehydration affects everyone differently when it comes to severity and symptoms, but there are common symptoms to watch out for if you think that you or a loved one could be at risk.

That's why a lot of athletes tend to find them easier to stomach by watering them down considerably from their initial concentrations. Hypertonic drinks are more concentrated than your blood.

That's usually because they're formulated with lots of carbohydrates in order to maximise energy delivery as a way to fuel high intensity activities. There's no problem with drinks being hypertonic per se.

In fact, it can be a very good thing when what you want is to deliver large amounts of calories or certain macronutrients quickly and efficiently into the blood stream. Liquid calories tend to be more readily absorbed than solids, which need more work from the body to break them down first.

This, ironically, originates from the same mechanism that makes hypotonic drinks so good for fluid delivery; osmosis. However, the current science points to the fact that hydrogels are unlikely to be any better than any other concentrated drink at reducing GI distress or boosting performance.

When a hypertonic drink lands in your gut from your stomach, the concentration of fluid in your intestine itself tends to becomes hypertonic. Your body then has to first move water out of the bloodstream back into the intestine to dilute the solutes in there down to a level that allows absorption of nutrients and fluids back across the gut wall into your body.

It's moving water out of the blood into the gut when what you actually want to do is increase your blood fluid levels. From personal experience, this is something that can make you feel a bit sick and even more thirsty when what you intended by drinking was exactly the opposite!

In simple terms, the fluids in hypotonic drinks tend to be absorbed into the bloodstream the fastest, but they deliver lower amounts of carbohydrate per unit volume. That's because carbohydrates tend to make up the majority of the 'stuff' diluted into most sports drinks.

Hypotonic drinks should therefore be your preferred option if the primary goal of your drink is hydration rather than delivery of large amounts of energy. Well I've summarised the best way to approach combining your hydration and nutrition plans in this blog - any questions, drop us an email and we'd be glad to help.

How We Chose. Electrolytes Vitamins Sugar content Price Flavor options Convenience Activity level. Best Overall: Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier. Best Overall. Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier This electrolyte drink powder comes in single-serving pouches and is available in nearly a dozen flavors.

Pros Convenient, individually-packaged servings Extensive flavor options Contains vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12 and C. Cons May be too high in sugar for some More expensive than other powders and tablets Doesn't contain magnesium or calcium.

Best With Caffeine: Raspberry Limeade Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix. Best With Caffeine. Raspberry Limeade Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix It contains 50 grams of caffeine derived from natural coffee berry.

Pros Available in multiple flavors, with or without caffeine Sweetened with fruit juice and natural sugars Caffeine derived from natural coffee berry. Cons High in sugar.

Best High in Sodium: LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolytes. Best High in Sodium. LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolytes LMNT is best for athletes participating in prolonged exercise, and it should be consumed with post-workout protein and carbohydrates. Pros Contains no sugar and is low in carbohydrates and calories High-sodium formula is ideal for salty sweaters Available in multiple flavors Convenient single-serving packets.

Cons More expensive than some other powders and tablets Flavors may be too salty for some palettes. Best for Endurance Athletes: Tailwind Endurance Fuel.

Best for Endurance Athletes. Tailwind Endurance Fuel Athletes exercising for long periods of time, like marathon runners or long-distance cyclists, can use this for fueling purposes, due to its carb content. Pros Higher calorie, sugar and carbohydrate count is ideal for endurance activities Available in powder and single-serving packets Variety of flavors, including caffeinated options.

Cons Higher calorie, sugar and carbohydrate count may not work for some users Sodium level may be too low for endurance athletes who are also heavy or salty sweaters Individual packets are more expensive than some comparable single-serving products.

Best Tasting: Lemon Lime GU Hydration Drink Tabs. Best Tasting. Pros Convenient tablet form Available in multiple flavors, with or without caffeine Low in sugar Affordable and easy to find. Cons Doesn't contain magnesium or calcium Tablets can be slow to dissolve.

Best for Traveling: Nuun Sport Tablets. Best for Traveling. Pros Travel-friendly tube packaging Extensive flavor options Low in sugar, calories, and carbohydrates. Cons Sodium content may be too low for heavy or salty sweaters Tablets can be slow to dissolve.

Best Ready-to-Drink: Gatorlyte Rapid Rehydration. Best Ready-to-Drink. Gatorlyte Rapid Rehydration No powders or tabs here! Pros Convenient, pre-mixed formula Affordable and widely available Less sugar and fewer calories than most popular, ready-to-drink hydration beverages Higher sodium levels than regular Gatorade.

Cons Still high in sugar Gatorade devotees may not like the taste. What to Look for in a Sports Drink. Electrolyte Levels. Calories, Sugar and Carbohydrates. Artificial Flavors and Sweeteners. How, When and Where You Plan to Hydrate.

You've exercised at a high intensity for over an hour. You're training in a very hot or humid climate and are sweating excessively. Your sweat has high concentrations of sodium.