- As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I am compensated for referring traffic to Amazon.
How much sugar is in Electrolyte Drinks? Electrolyte drinks. They are the drinks we guzzle when we need to rehydrate after sweating it out at the gym, when we are sick, or when we just want to drink some vitamins to feel healthy and virtuous. But that leaves the question of exactly how much sugar is in electrolyte drinks. Well, this is exactly the question I want to answer for you in this post.
I have already researched and written articles on the following types of electrolyte waters – coconut water, Propel, Powerade, Gatorade, VitaminWater, and Pedialyte. In this post, I will summarize the sugar content of these 6 types of electrolyte drinks – how much sugar is in them, what sugar is used, and what are the lowest sugar options.
So, let’s dig in – how much sugar is in electrolyte drinks?
How Much Sugar is in Electrolyte Drinks?
As a general rule, there are 5g-21g of sugar in a 12oz bottle of electrolyte drink. There are, however, several sugar-free electrolyte drinks available that contain 0g of sugar such as Propel, Powerade Zero, Pedialyte Electrolyte Water Zero Sugar, Vitamin Water Zero Sugar, and Gatorade Zero.
COCONUT WATER
How Much Sugar is in Coconut Water?
Let’s start with the sugar content of coconut water. If you are a purist looking for an electrolyte-rich drink that has a simple ingredient list and no added sugar then a no added sugar coconut water could be your best option.
The following coconut brands are all free from added sugar.
- Iberia
- 365
- Zico
- Powbab
- CocoGoods Co
- Palmdream
- Earth Circle Organics
- Coco Joy
- Amy & Brian
- Harmless Harvest
However, as there is naturally occurring sugar in coconut water these waters still contain 8g-15g of total sugar per 240ml-259ml serving.
Summary Table – Sugar Content of No Added Sugar Coconut Waters
Below is a summary table of the sugar content of all the no added sugar coconut waters I listed above.
| No Added Sugar Coconut Waters | Total Sugar Content Per Serving |
|---|---|
| 1. Iberia 100% Pure Organic Coconut Water | 8g |
| 2. 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Coconut Water | 9g |
| 3. Zico 100% Coconut Water Drink | 9g |
| 4. Powbab Coconut Water Powder | 9g |
| 5. CocoGoods Co. Coconut Water | 9g |
| 6. Palmdream Coconut Water | 11g |
| 7. Earth Circle Organics Pure Young Dried Coconut Water Powder | 12g |
| 8. CoCo Joy Natural Coconut Water | 14g |
| 9. Amy & Brian Coconut Water with Pulp | 14g |
| 10. Harmless Harvest Harmless Coconut Water | 15g |
My Personal Choice for Coconut Water
My personal number one recommendation for no-added-sugar coconut water is Iberia Coconut Water.
What I love most about this coconut water is its ingredient list – coconut water.
Yes, that’s right it only contains coconut water. It gets even better – this coconut water is also organic. This is the lowest sugar coconut water on the list – it contains 8g of sugar per 250ml serving.
You can find Iberia coconut water on Amazon here.
You can read more about the best no added sugar coconut waters here in the post I wrote on the topic – Is Coconut Water High in Sugar? Let’s Find Out.
POWERADE
How Much Sugar Is In Powerade?
As a general rule, Powerade contains 21g-56g of sugar in a bottle, depending on the size. The sugar used in regular Powerade is high fructose corn syrup.
Below is a summary table for each size of Powerade bottle.
| Powerade Bottle Size | Sugar Content |
|---|---|
| 12oz | 21g |
| 20oz | 34g |
| 28oz | 49g |
| 32oz | 56g |
Sugar-Free Powerade Flavors?
Powerade makes 5 sugar-free flavors. These flavors are:
- mixed berry
- fruit punch
- grape
- white cherry and
- orange
Powerade Zero is sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium and contains 0g of sugar per serving.
You can try a variety pack of Powerade Zero (Fruit Punch, Grape, and Mixed Berry) on Amazon here.
GATORADE
How Much Sugar is in Gatorade?
There are 21g-55g of sugar in a bottle of regular Gatorade. Gatorade is sweetened with sugar and dextrose.
Below is a summary table of the sugar content for each size of Gatorade available.
| Gatorade Bottle Size | Sugar Content |
|---|---|
| 12oz | 21g |
| 20oz | 34g |
| 32oz | 55g |
What Gatorade Drinks Contain the Least Sugar?
The Gatorades that contain the least sugar are the 10 Gatorade Zero Flavors which are:
- Lemon-Lime
- Cool Blue
- Strawberry Kiwi
- Glacier Cherry
- Orange
- Glacier Freeze
- Berry
- Grape
- Fruit Punch
- Lime Cucumber
Gatorade Zero is sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium and there is 0g of sugar per serving.
If you are interested in trying all the flavors of Gatorade Zero then you can try a variety of packs of Gatorade Zero below:
- Cool Blue, Lemon-Lime, and Strawberry Kiwi on Amazon here
- Glacier Cherry, Orange, Glacier Freeze, and Berry on Amazon here
- Grape, Cool Blue and Fruit Punch on Amazon here
- Lime Cucumber (my personal choice) on Amazon here
VITAMINWATER
How Much Sugar Is In Vitamin Water?
As a general rule, there are 26g-27g of sugar in a bottle of Vitamin Water. Vitamin Water is sweetened with crystalline fructose and cane sugar.
Below is a summary table of the sugar content for all VitaminWater drinks.
| VitaminWater | Sugar In A Bottle |
|---|---|
| Refresh Tropical Mango | 27g |
| Power C Dragonfruit | 27g |
| Energy Tropical Citrus | 27g |
| Essential Orange Orange | 27g |
| XXX Acai Blueberry Pomegranate | 26g |
| Focus Kiwi Strawberry | 26g |
What VitaminWater Drinks Are Sugar-Free?
The following 8 Vitamin Water Zero Sugar drinks are sugar-free:
- With Love
- ForeverYou Coconut Lime
- XXX Acai Blueberry Pomegranate (the sugar-free version)
- Shine Strawberry Lemonade
- Rise orange
- Power C Dragonfruit
- Gutsy Watermelon Peach
- Squeezed Lemonade
Vitamin Water Zero Sugar is sweetened with monk fruit and stevia. You can buy a pack of all 8 flavors to try (so you can work out your favorite) on Amazon here.
PROPEL
How Much Sugar Is In Propel?
As a general rule, Propel is a sugar-free sports drink, which is sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium and contains 0g of sugar per serving. Propel is available in the following flavors:
- Berry
- Black Cherry
- Grape
- Kiwi Strawberry
- Lemon
- Mango
- Peach
- Raspberry Lemonade
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Watermelon
If you are interested in trying what I think are three of the best flavors of Propel (kiwi strawberry, black cherry, and watermelon) then you can try a variety pack of these three flavors on Amazon here.
PEDIALYTE
How Much Sugar Is In Pedialyte?
The Pedialyte that contains the least sugar is Pedialyte Electrolyte Water Zero Sugar. There is 0g of sugar per serving of Pedialyte Electrolyte Water. The second lowest sugar Pedialyte is bottled Pedialyte Sports Drink which contains 5g of sugar in a 12oz serving. The remaining Pedialyte drinks contain 6g-12g of sugar in a serving.
Powdered Pedialyte tends to contain more sugar than the equivalent bottled versions.
Summary Table – Sugar-Content of Pedialyte Drinks
Below is a summary table for all the variety of Pedialyte drinks available. For each drink, I list the sweetener used and the total sugar per serving.
| Pedialyte Variety | Sweeteners Used | Sugar In A Serving (packet of powder or 12oz serving of bottled) |
|---|---|---|
| Pedialyte Classic Powder | Anhydrous dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 12g |
| Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus Powder | Short-chain fructooligosaccharides, anhydrous dextrose, sucralose and acesulfame potassium | 10g |
| Pedialyte AdvancedCare Powder | Short-chain fructooligosaccharides, anhydrous dextrose, sucralose and acesulfame potassium | 10g |
| Pedialyte Classic Bottle | Dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 9g |
| Pedialyte Organic Bottle | Organic apple juice concentrate, organic dextrose, and organic stevia | 9g |
| Pedialyte with Immune Support Powder | Short-chain fructooligosaccharides, anhydrous dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 8g |
| Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus Bottle | Dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 7g |
| Pedialyte AdvancedCare Bottle | Dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 7g |
| Pedialyte With Immune Support Bottle | Dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 7g |
| Pedialyte Sports Powder | Short-chain fructooligosaccharides, anhydrous dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 7g |
| Pedialyte Fast Hydration Powder | Dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 6g |
| Pedialyte Sports Bottle | Dextrose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium | 5g |
| Pedialyte Electrolyte Water Zero Sugar Bottle | Sucralose and acesulfame potassium | 0g |
Pedialyte Electrolyte Water
Pedialyte’s sugar-free drink is its Electrolyte Water Zero Sugar Bottle. Pedialyte Electrolyte Water is available in two flavors – Berry Frost (available on Amazon here) and Fruit Punch (available on Amazon here).
There is even an unflavored version (available on Amazon here).
Pedialyte Sports Drinks
The bottled version of Pedialyte Sports Drink is available in Fruit Punch (available on Amazon here), Lemon-Lime (available on Amazon here), and Berry Freeze (available on Amazon here).
Sugar In Electrolyte Drinks F&Q
In this section, I will answer some frequently asked questions when it comes to the sugar content of electrolyte drinks.
Are Electrolyte Drinks High In Sugar?
Sports drinks can be high in sugar but there are plenty of sugar-free sports drinks on the market.
What Are The Main Sugars In Sports Drinks?
The main sugars in sports drinks are sugar, dextrose, crystalline fructose, and high fructose corn syrup.
What Drinks Have Electrolytes but No Sugar?
A number of coconut waters such as Iberia do not contain added sugar but still contain naturally occurring sugars. All Propel drinks, Powerade Zero, Gatorade Zero, Vitamin Water Zero Sugar and Pedialyte Electrolyte Water Zero Sugar drinks contain electrolytes yet are sugar-free.
What Sports Drinks Are Low In Sugar?
All Propel drinks, Powerade Zero, Gatorade Zero, Vitamin Water Zero Sugar, and Pedialyte Electrolyte Water Zero Sugar drinks are sugar-free.
Is There A Sugar-Free Sports Drink?
Propel is a great sugar-free sports drink brand that is sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
How Much Sugar is in Electrolyte Drinks? – The Final Bite
How much sugar is in Electrolyte Drinks? The answer, like most things, depends on the brand and what flavor you choose. The good news is that most brands offer a sugar-free version of their electrolyte drinks. For example, Gatorade Zero and Powerade Zero are all sugar-free. If you are looking for the most natural and shortest-ingredient electrolyte drink, then your best option may be a coconut water drink like Iberia. Whilst this does not contain any added sugar it contains naturally occurring sugars, but the payoff is that it is just 100% natural coconut water.
And Remember…
Ingredients and/or manufacturing processes may change. Always double-check ingredient lists and nutritional information before purchasing any food items.
WANT TO FIND MORE LOW SUGAR OPTIONS?
Do you want to learn about some other low-sugar options at your favorite coffee chains, fast food, or restaurant joints, or just while you are shopping for groceries? If you do, then check out some of my other articles below:
