Yes, athletes need carbohydrate energy to fuel their bodies so they can perform at their best. Making carbohydrate energy rapidly available to working muscles before and during athletic activity can help athletes perform.

Yes, consuming an effective amount of protein with essential amino acids is needed to help support muscle recovery after training and competition. Research shows that for an average 175lb athlete, consuming approximately 20 g of protein following athletic activity helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis and drives muscle recovery benefit.

How much fluid you need on any given day varies greatly based on your age, sex, weight – and other factors like how much you exercise, and how hot or cold it is. Basically, the more the active you are and the more you are exposed to heat or extreme cold, the more fluids you require.

According to the Institute of Medicine, men should consume, on average, 16 cups of fluids each day, and women should consume 12. Children and adolescents need slightly less, about 9-14 cups per day. Active individuals and the elderly should consume more fluids than the guidelines for the general population. But this does not mean you need to drink that much fluid. Fluid can also come from the water that is naturally found in foods. For example many fruits and vegetables are made up of more than half water.

Your body sweats to cool itself down. When this happens, you don't just lose water, you also lose vital electrolytes, particularly sodium. The sodium and other electrolytes in sports drinks like Gatorade, and other beverages like Propel, help to replace the electrolytes lost in sweat. Electrolyte replacement is especially important when exercising for prolonged periods of time or in hot and humid climates.

Gatorade Thirst Quencher, Gatorade Endurance Formula and G2 contain sodium and potassium, two electrolytes lost in perspiration that play an important role in hydration and muscle function.