The Best Sports Drink for Summer Hydration

It's almost summertime; that highly anticipated season where work slows down and you can take a little time to relax. However, that time spent relaxing and playing in the summer sun can leave you thirsty and dehydrated. Sodas and summer drinks like lemonade and iced tea can only make this worse, and let's face it, water's just boring after awhile. So in an effort to expand my own (and your!) beverage selections, here's a personal comparison of some thirst-quenching sports drinks meant to have a little more excitement than H2O.

Gatorade: Ahh, the classic. In a rainbow of colors and flavors, Gatorade has long become an athlete's favorite (to drink and to dump on coaches). Gatorade has evolved to come in a variety of different bottle sizes, including 12 ounce bottles which are prefect to throw in a purse or even a cargo pocket during a long walk. However, the high number of calories in Gatorade put it at a disadvantage during bathing suit season. Its acrid after-taste also leaves you with a sour pout. However a classic is a classic for a reason, and Gatorade provides definite refreshment and refueling even during the most strenuous activity and hottest temperatures.

Propel fitness water: Gatorade's lower calorie cousin provides a lighter choice for the weight conscious. Though little more than flavored water, Propel is refreshing and tasty. The Propel line provides the wide array of flavor choices that Gatorade does, but also has the bonus offering of the "Propel with Calcium" alternatives. It also has true-to-taste fruit flavoring that isn't overly sweet or bitter (kiwi-strawberry is my favorite!). I found it to be the best choice for hydration during hot summer weather.

Fuze: This fruit-and-tea flavored beverage line branches away from the typical sport-drink category while still providing great refreshment. Its sweet and non-artificial flavor makes it the perfect beverage to accompany outdoor barbeques and picnics. It's lighter than most sports drinks, and has a less syrupy consistency. The downside? Fuze's glass bottle makes it heavy and potentially dangerous if you're apt to clumsiness. Also, it doesn't have the pop-top that most drinks do, making it an ill-advised drink for physical activity.

Powerade: Similar to Gatorade in look and flavor, Powerade is geared toward athletes but also serves well in hot-weather hydration. This drink has a tangy taste and crisp flavor that makes it easy to gulp down quickly, especially if chilled before drinking. Powerade, made by the Coca-Cola company, also offers a "Powerade Option" line that serves up fewer calories than its original. The bottle also has an easy grip which makes it great for an afternoon jog. However, Powerade's flavor options don't seem to stray far from Gatorade's, giving the basic blue, purple and green flavors jazzed up with names like Mountain Blast, Jagged Ice and Green Squall.

Vault: Half sports drink, half soda, the glowing green hue of this beverage resembles Mountain Dew or the discontinued soda Surge. It claims to have hydrating qualities, boasting "The Quench" as one of its abilities. However, the cloyingly sweet taste and syrupy consistency of this drink left me feeling more lethargic (and even shaky) than energized. It might be a great drink when you're yearning for a soda, but all that sugar plus summer sun equals feeling pretty gross.

There you have it; 5 choices for refueling during the hot summer months. Everyone has their own personal favorites, and it may be hard to kick the soda habit, but these drinks may give you a little more kick to play that extra soccer game or beach volleyball match. So when classic water isn't enough, these options give you more choices in refreshment.