Some drinks are for fun and some drinks have a job. Sports drinks have a job: putting back the water and minerals you lose when you sweat hard, whether that is a Saturday soccer tournament, a long shift on a job site, or a summer afternoon in the Valley that will not quit.
SimpleBev delivers drinks and snacks by the case, and the sports and hydration shelf is built for team parents, gyms, offices and crews who need more than a six pack. This guide covers what a sports drink actually is, the brands we carry, how they differ, and how to pick the right case for the people you are buying for.
Already know what you want? Go straight to the sports and hydration aisle. Code GET10OFF takes 10 percent off your first order.
What a sports drink actually is
A sports drink is mostly water with three things added: electrolytes, carbohydrates and flavor. Electrolytes are minerals like sodium and potassium that carry an electric charge in your body fluids, and they help balance the amount of water in your body and support your muscles and nerves. The National Library of Medicine has a clear explainer on fluid and electrolyte balance if you want the full science.
When you sweat, you lose water and some of those minerals with it. The carbohydrates, usually sugar, are there to give working muscles quick fuel. Put together, that is the whole idea: replace fluid, replace minerals, add a little energy, and make it taste good enough that people actually drink it.
That is also what separates a sports drink from an energy drink. Sports drinks are built around fluid, electrolytes and carbohydrates. Energy drinks are built around caffeine. They sit near each other in the cooler, but they do very different jobs.
The sports drinks we carry
The sports and hydration category on SimpleBev holds more than 50 products. These are the main brands, and how they differ.
Gatorade: the classic
Gatorade Thirst Quencher is the one everyone recognizes on the sideline. It is formulated with electrolytes (sodium and potassium) and carbohydrates to replace what you lose in sweat. We carry it in 24 packs of 20 ounce bottles, sized for a gym bag or a cooler, in flavors like Cool Blue, Fruit Punch, Lemon Lime, Orange and Glacier Freeze.
For long, hot days there is also the bigger bottle: Gatorade Cool Blue in 24 ounce bottles, 24 to a case, which means fewer trips back to the cooler for crews working outside.
Powerade: more minerals in the mix
Powerade is built around what it calls the ION4 electrolyte system, which means four electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium), plus B vitamins. It comes two ways on SimpleBev: 24 packs of 20 ounce bottles, like Powerade Orange and Mountain Berry Blast, and 15 packs of big 28 ounce bottles, like Fruit Punch, for people who want one bottle to last a whole practice.
Gatorlyte: rapid rehydration, less sugar
Gatorlyte is Gatorade’s rapid rehydration formula. It carries five electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and magnesium) and has less sugar than regular Gatorade. Pick it when you want to rehydrate fast with less sugar. We carry 12 packs of 20 ounce bottles, including Orange and the zero sugar Zero Lemon Lime.
Electrolit: the flavor library
Electrolit is an electrolyte hydration drink with glucose, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, and it is made without caffeine or artificial colors. What makes it stand out on our shelf is the range: 12 packs of 21 ounce bottles in flavors from Lemon Lime and Strawberry Kiwi to Hibiscus Jamaica, Coconut and Passion Fruit. If your crew gets bored of the same two flavors, this is the fix.
Lighter options: electrolyte water and coconut water
Not every day calls for a full sports drink. pH Perfect Hydration Alkaline Water with Electrolytes is purified water with electrolytes added, no flavor drama, in 1 liter bottles. Coconut water is the other easy pick, and the coconut water aisle runs from Vita Coco Original to canned and sparkling versions.
Sports drink or plain water?
For most everyday activity, plain water does the job. Sports drinks earn their place when you are sweating a lot: hot weather, long practices, tournaments, outdoor work. MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine, puts it simply in its page on dehydration: drink extra fluids when it is hot, especially if you are exercising or working outside, and if you are losing a lot of minerals in sweat, sports drinks can help. It also notes that some sports drinks have lots of sugar, so do not overdo them.
That is a good rule for stocking up too. Most households and offices do best with a case of water and a case of sports drinks side by side, so people grab the sports drink when the day calls for it and water the rest of the time. If sugar is a concern, Gatorlyte Zero and electrolyte water are the lighter picks.
Which case to buy
- Youth sports and team snacks: Gatorade 20 ounce 24 packs. Familiar flavors, kid sized bottles, and one case covers a 12 player team for two games at a bottle each.
- Construction crews and long outdoor shifts: Gatorade 24 ounce bottles or Powerade 28 ounce bottles, so one bottle lasts longer between breaks.
- Gyms and studios: Electrolit for flavor variety, plus Gatorlyte for members who want less sugar.
- Office fridges: one sports drink case, one electrolyte water case, and a case of coconut water for the people who want neither.
- Game day at home: a sports drink case next to the sodas. Our watch party planner does the rest of the math.
How to keep a team stocked without the store run
The hardest part of being the team parent or the office manager is remembering. Buying by the case fixes most of that, because a case in the garage or the supply closet lasts weeks instead of days.
- Chill before you pack. A bottle that goes into the cooler cold stays cold through a whole tournament. Warm bottles melt the ice in an hour.
- Mix flavors in the cooler. Two or three flavors keep kids and adults from fighting over the last blue one.
- Keep sports drinks and water in separate bins. People grab what they need faster, and you see at a glance which one is running low.
- Reorder when the second to last case opens. That one habit means you never run out on a hot weekend.
Sports drinks are shelf stable, so ordering ahead costs nothing except storage space. If you are also stocking the rest of the fridge, our guide to the best non soda drinks by the case covers sparkling water, tea and energy drinks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Gatorade and Gatorlyte?
Both are made by Gatorade. Regular Gatorade Thirst Quencher has electrolytes and carbohydrates to replace sweat loss and fuel activity. Gatorlyte is the rapid rehydration formula, with five electrolytes and less sugar than regular Gatorade. Regular Gatorade is the everyday sideline drink, and Gatorlyte is the pick when you want fluids back fast with less sugar.
Are sports drinks the same as energy drinks?
No. Sports drinks are about fluid, electrolytes and carbohydrates. Energy drinks are about caffeine. If you want hydration, reach for a sports drink or electrolyte water. If you want a pick me up, that is a different aisle.
How many sports drinks do I need for a team?
Plan on at least one bottle per player per game, and two on hot days or at tournaments. A 24 pack of 20 ounce bottles covers a 12 player team for two regular games, and keep a case of water alongside it.
Do you deliver sports drinks?
Yes. Within 30 miles of Los Angeles, delivery is free on 10 or more cases and $30 for 5 to 9 cases. A bit farther out, delivery is free at 20 cases. Outside the LA area, SimpleBev ships anywhere in the US. Enter your ZIP in the checker at the bottom of any page to see your options, and read how SimpleBev delivery works for the details.
Can I mix sports drink flavors in one order?
Yes. Cases are per product, so pick a case of Cool Blue, a case of Fruit Punch and a case of Electrolit if you like. Your order can also include sodas, water and snacks, and every case counts toward free delivery.
Stock the cooler
Whether it is a team, a crew, a gym or a house full of people who sweat on weekends, the right case of sports drinks saves a store run every week. Browse the full sports and hydration aisle, add a case of water from still and sparkling water, and new customers can take 10 percent off with code GET10OFF at checkout.
