If you have diabetes and you are looking for the best ways to stay hydrated with electrolyte drinks, you probably know that it is challenging to find drinks that are not too high in carbohydrates and sugar. It is possible to enjoy low sugar sports drinks if you have type I or type II diabetes, but it's important to make sure that the drinks you choose do not include any cane sugar, corn syrup, sucralose, aspartame, or acesulfame potassium.

Do you need low sugar sports drinks if you have diabetes?

When you have diabetes, it is essential to keep fit not just for keeping your blood sugar levels in check but also to protect the health of your heart. This means that you should start an exercise regime, but this typically comes with the challenge of keeping your blood sugar level from getting too low because exercise removes glucose from the blood. Even though this is crucial in getting your diabetes under control, it is quite difficult for the body to strike a balance between your blood sugar being too high when you do not exercise and too low when you are active.

Make sure that the electrolyte drink that you choose matches your activity level. This means that you shouldn't have a sports drink with zero carbohydrates when you are doing very strenuous activity or an electrolyte drink with 25 g of carbs while you are sitting inside.

What are the best low sugar sports drinks for people with diabetes?

You should start by considering water first instead of low sugar sports drinks if you have diabetes. Your decisions should be based on the amount of exercise you typically engage in. Water has zero carbs and sugar and zero calories, which means that it can be a great ally in your fight to keep blood sugar levels in check.

When exercising, the main downside of drinking water is that it can't replace the minerals and salt that you lose due to excessive sweating. This is why many people opt for sports drinks that have electrolytes to replenish their minerals.

Electrolyte drinks made from organic, real ingredients and have no added sugar are the best choice for people with diabetes. Look for drinks that contain organic coconut water, organic lemon juice, organic Stevia, magnesium sea minerals, and vitamin C.

Coconut water is an excellent choice to use if you have diabetes because it has multiple properties such as kidney production, prevention of hyperglycemia, and anti-glycation properties while also being an excellent source of chlorine, potassium, calcium, vitamin D, enzymes, and vitamin C.

If you want to use some of the popular low sugar sports drinks on the market instead of water or coconut water, make sure that the ones you choose are sugar-free to keep your blood sugar levels low.

Here are some examples of low sugar sports drinks that are suitable for people who live with type I or type II diabetes:

• Primitive Scientific Whole Food Electrolyte Powder is a low sugar sports drink that comes as a powder that you have to mix with water. It's a product design with athletes in mind, but it's also targeted at those who live with type II diabetes. Some of the ingredients include fermented coconut water, beets, pomegranate, apple cider vinegar, and dandelion. This is a drink that is sweetened with Stevia and monk fruit, which makes it a safe choice for people with diabetes.
    
• Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator — this drink has zero carbohydrates and zero sugars. Still, it packs a nutritional punch thanks to the ingredients that include magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, and selenium.
     
• Hydrate is one of the best sports drinks for people with diabetes because it only contains six ingredients and only has 1 g of natural sugar, without any other sugar added. The six ingredients are organic coconut water, organic lemon juice, organic Stevia, Himalayan pink salt, magnesium sea minerals, and vitamin C.

What sugar sports drinks should you stay away from if you have diabetes?

Sports drinks may not be necessary for someone living with type II diabetes if they are not at risk of hypoglycemia. However, if you want to use them as part of your training, make sure that you avoid popular drinks such as Powerade Zero, Gatorade, and Vitaminwater. These drinks have added sugar or artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and acesulfame K, plus loads of other chemicals that make them unhealthy.