Considering the fact that more than half of your body weight is based on water, it is of immense importance to ensure that you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. While other fluids definitely help keep you hydrated, there is nothing better than water. Plain water serves the purpose well, but you may need to think differently when you are a fitness enthusiast and sweat a lot during your workout sessions. When you sweat, you do not just lose water but electrolytes as well. That is when you can consider drinking Smartwater, which contains electrolytes. While Smartwater is not like sports drinks, many people still have concerns about including it in their life. Is it good for you? Can you replace regular water with Smartwater? Let's find out more about it.

Is Smart Water Good for You?

Smartwater contains electrolytes that help enhance its flavor and make it good for your health. It does not always come from natural ground water or springs, but it undergoes vigorous process of cleaning. Electrolytes and minerals are added afterwards.

Produced by Glaceau, which is part of the Coca-Cola brand, Smartwater undergoes a process called vapor distillation, which ensures it does not cause any health problems. The same process takes place in nature in the water cycle – the sun's energy turns water into vapors that move up and then return in the form of rain.

The Process of How Smart Water Is Processed

Is Smart Water good for you? You ask. To be more certain, you need to learn more about how it is made in the facilities. Most facilities use tap water to produce Smartwater. Only a few plants utilize the water obtained from protected groundwater – they get approval from the local authorities to use the water in this manner.

• The process usually begins with carbon filtration.
• Next up, the evaporation process takes place where molecules of water are separated from minerals and other impurities. In case of Glaceau, they make use of UV light as well to destroy microorganisms found in the water.
• The next step involves adding potassium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, electrolytes, and magnesium chloride to re-mineralize water.
• The last step ozonation, which is to treat the water with ozone (O³).

The whole process is completed very carefully and produces mineral water that usually has a pH of 6.5 – it is slightly more acidic than the water you normally drink. The process is safe and the water does not contain any sugar, sodium, artificial color, calories, or other additives, so it is usually safe to drink Smartwater.

Smartwater vs. Gatorade

Is Smart Water good for you? You already know the answer, but you may be wondering if there are other options available too. A common choice is Gatorade. Should you opt for Gatorade or stick to Smartwater?

Gatorade

You can opt for Gatorade if you are specifically looking for a sports drink. Designed for athletes, Gatorade helps replace lost fluids and electrolytes quickly. What you should keep in mind is that Gatorade also contains carbs and calories. You get about 14g of carbs as well as 50 calories from an 8oz. serving of Gatorade. Moreover, it also provides you with 30mg of potassium and 110mg of sodium.

While you may be thinking you should not drink Gatorade concerning about the calories and carbs, there is a low-calorie version available in the market. It contains fewer calories, providing you with 5g of carbs, 30mg of potassium, 110g of sodium, and 20 calories.

Smartwater

Is Smart Water good for you? Yes. The biggest difference between Smartwater and Gatorade is that Smartwater contains no calories. It means you should avoid Gatorade if your only goal is to replenish the lost electrolytes. Smartwater is not a sports drink, and even though it has electrolytes, it contains a different combination of electrolytes as compared to Gatorade. An 8oz serving of Smartwater provides you with 2.5mg of calcium, 2.5mg of potassium, and 3.75mg of magnesium.

Considerations

When making a choice regarding what beverage to drink after exercise, you should consider your own taste preferences first. You really do not need to drink anything other than regular water if your workout session is shorter than an hour. Just be sure to eat a balanced healthy diet. You can opt for Gatorade or another sports drink if you exercise for more than an hour, mainly because you need a quick source of electrolytes and carbs. You can still drink Smartwater in this case, but its electrolyte content is low and may not be that effective after intense sweating.