Ex-Army infantry guy here.

In basic training, location Ft. Benning GA, late August. Hydration was important, and that was impressed upon us by the drill sergeants, who would pause the activity at hand for the moment and do the 'Drink Water!' call, to which we'd reply mostly in uninspired enthusiasm 'Beat the heat drill sergeant beat the heat.'

We'd then down a canteen (a quart) of water. On especially hot days, we'd do two canteens. No dumping on your head or on the ground - you had to finish one or both. We'd refill canteens and get back to the day's task of doing push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, and in-between those, learning Army stuff (sir).

One guy, Peterson (name changed), couldn't do a canteen of water. This guy was the opposite of Joey Chestnut. He ate and drank like a bird but never lost weight. Slow metabolism and high energy conversion I guess. He never seemed dehydrated I would say. But water and food were just minimal for the guy. He'd drink a pint, maybe a sip more, and done.

Our drill sergeants weren't having that. You had to finish the canteen and flip it over your head. Failure to comply was met with drinking more water, until you finished the canteen, while your platoon did push-ups. No pressure.

The rest of the story transpired really quickly.

The drill sergeants hit him with the order to drink more water, and he did, and he stopped, and then they said keep going private, and he was in obvious pain, and he said no drill sergeant, and you could see the crinkle in the eyes of the questioned, but before that drill sergeant's body language became verbal, Peterson puked up water, gallons of water it seemed, then breakfast, and the upper contents of his colon I'm pretty sure (j/k being illustrative). A medic, who just happened to be Starship Trooping on by, got on the horn and got the kid to a clinic. He was water intoxicated, we later found out.

One of the great things they forget to show you on the recruitment brochure lol. He was eventually fine, and we were relegated to drinking until we could spit out saliva a few inches.

My understanding is that it depends on context. Have you been sweating a lot? Are you super dehydrated? Sports drinks (actual "sports drinks" like Gatorade) are probably better for you than water.

The reason for that is because you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes through sweat, and drinks like Gatorade are meant to replace those. That's why professional athletes, especially stamina-based athletes like marathon runners, football players, etc, tend to drink some form of sports drink (the sponsorships help though). Additionally, if you're extremely dehydrated then you may also be low on electrolytes (because you've been out in the sun, or you've been sweating a lot). I've also heard that sports drinks hydrate faster because they're supposedly similar to saline, but I can't find any sources for that, so take that with a grain of salt.

However, if you're just kinda thirsty or want something to drink, then water is probably better. I doubt you'll hurt yourself drinking Gatorade instead of water, but you don't need it either.

Agreed on all except the sports one. If you're sweating, you're losing electrolytes and you need to replenish them.

Fact: 100% of all people who consume the chemical compound Dihydrogen Monoxide eventually die. #HydrationHalt #DitchTheDrink #StayDryDontDie #MADH2O

Like... from the toilet?

Gatorade (or rather electrolyte waters such as SmartWater) is best when you're dehydrated and also need salt. The electrolytes help your body actually use the water. Too much water will flush your system out and can lead to cramps and other problems. Especially in the case of dehydration if you've been sweating a lot.

Water is best for sports hydrations.

It's literally not, but okay

Spoken like a Lemming who hasn't worked out seriously or had a serious physical job in their life.

Humans didn't spend the entirety of their existence looking for shit better than water for no reason lol. Hydrohomies and an iced glass of water is great... But...

You know what's better than water when you need water? Nearly everything that isn't alcohol or literal piss.

Yes, this includes milk and soda. Anything with sugar, protein, or fat is great.

And yes, spiking our drinks with low amounts of drugs is also nice.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/25/health/best-drinks-for-hydration-wellness/index.html

“I’ve been poisoned by my constituents!”

alright I'm putting my gloves on. Gatorade is an electrolyte drink. the sugar hides saltiness. also, Kool aid flavors are way fucking tastier. don't disrespect Kool aid like that again.

It is not!

That’s all I got. Nothing else, that was my power move, and it took all of the fight right out of me. I’m done.

Marine Corps beat that into me. We had two options for drinks at the chow hall in boot camp: water or blue Powerade. No milks no juices no sodas no red Powerade. Only blue Powerade. It's the only one I'll drink anymore, the rest serve no purpose.

Light blue for me but Reggie blue will do