Does Powerade Expire or Go bad?

If your workouts were challenging, you would know that water is not always the best way to hydrate, and you need something to replace those lost electrolytes to get you back in good shape. Powerade assists in replacing electrolytes and gives carbs for a burst of energy.

For mere mortals, eating a good diet is sufficient to supply the electrolytes we need daily, but when you work out, electrolytes need to be replaced to avoid cramps, regulate your blood pressure, and much more.

This article will give you an authoritative overview of Powerade and answer many frequently asked questions.

Let’s get into this.

How long does a bottle of Powerade last?

It depends. It is not the type of drink that hangs around for too long. If you have had a hard workout and are sweating profusely, you will need to rehydrate as fast as possible, and Powerade will do more than rehydrate you.

It will replace essential electrolytes and salts you lost through your hard workout.

Once you have cracked the capo on a bottle of Powerade, you have 3-5 days to drink it all if it is refrigerated.

If you have cracked the cap during your workout, the Powerade will last for two hours before you will need to discard it.

How long does Powerade last on the shelf?

It varies due to how the drink is stored, which should be considered the next time you buy your Powerade. If your Powerade is stored in a chilled cabinet at the store, this is the perfect way to maximize its life. In this type of condition, power, ade will last approximately a year, and its shelf life expiry is nine months, so you gain a little.

If Powerade is sold in a store where the Powerade is stored at ambient temperature, then the life of the dring is going to shorten, and that time is hard to define. Your Powerade may smell funky, and have a strange color, don’t drink it.

What’s in Powerade that goes bad?

It is hard to say, but here are the ingredients:

• Water.
• Glucose.
• Citric acid.
• Fructose. Acidity regulators (Sodium citrate, Potassium Citrate).
• Stabiliesers (Acacia gum,Glycerol Esters of wood Rosins).
• Antioxidant (Ascorbic acid).
• Sweeteners aspartame, AcessulflameK
• Flavorings.
• Color Carotenes
• Vitamin B6 Phenylalanine

For most of you, the ingredients are typical of energy drinks, and you could make an educated guess that they have an indefinite shelf life, so what does Powerade affect?

It’s called leaching. Chemicals from the bottles the Powerade is stored in start to break down and affect the product. Plenty of nasty chemicals in plastic bottles (petroleum-based) should concern people.

Over time, the structure of a plastic bottle will deteriorate, and the contents of the bottle can accelerate the process.

It sounds like a scandal that Coca-Cola (they make Powerade) could not survive, but before you start to panic, this is a process that all plastic bottles go through, even water.

Do electrolytes expire?

They do, but the electrolyte’s shelf life is extremely long, so it should not be thought the standard electrolyte should last for three years +.

Energy drinks, when purchased, are typically consumed pretty fast, either in the gym or just to perk you up if you feel under the weather.

Do you need to keep Powerade in the fridge?

If you want your Powerade to taste its best, that is cold straight from the fridge. It’s refreshing and tastes great.

But when you are in the gym or on a long cycle ride having a cold Powerade is not always an option, so drinking it at ambient temperature is ok too.

The ingredients of Powerade can be considered shelf stable.

Does Powerade have caffeine?

No, There is no caffeine in Powerade. Powerade has a primary function to rehydrate and replace electrolytes lost through sweating.

Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause further hydration, so it’s a good idea not to use it for these drinks.

Is it okay to freeze Powerade to extend its life?

There are no real benefits to freezing Powerade to extend its life. No studies prove the theory either way, but freezing Powerade may cause the ingredient to separate.

So, technically the answer is yes, but there are no benefits, so why do it?

Can you drink an expired Powerade?

It is expired, and then there is expired! If your Powerade has passed its best-before date, it is perfectly ok to drink on the proviso; it smells and looks ok. If there is any alteration in color and smell, something is amiss.

If you have a bottle of Powerade in the bottom of a stinky kit bag that has been stored for a long time, the Powerade may look inviting, but it’s best to throw it in the bin.

Discard it immediately if there is anything slightly funky about your Powerade drink.

As a rule of thumb, Powerade drinks typically don’t hang around for too long and are opened and consumed. Sometimes if you are off the color, you may drink Powerade for a pick me up and then replace the lid and place it back in the fridge. In this case, the drink should be consumed or discarded in three days.

Do athletes need Powerade?

It is an area of contention and considerable debate. The answer is not really. If you have a good diet and keep hydrated, you will receive everything you need from food.

However, some athletes work out extremely hard, and it doesn’t need to be weights. It can be endurance like cycling or running that produces large amounts of sweat from all over the body. Sweat carries salts away from the body that must be replaced.

By not replacing electrolytes after a hard workout, you could run the gauntlet of depleting your body of essential fuel to function correctly.

Plus, Powerade tastes excellent.

Can I drink Powerade instead of water?

It is assumed you meant during a workout. Water keeps most of you hydrated perfectly, even during a workout. Replacing water with Powerade may seem like a good idea, but there are a few consequences that you need to know.

If you work out to trim down your weight, Powerade contains carbs and around 130 calories per bottle. 

Water is, by and large, free and has no calories. Powerade is 89 cents per bottle.

In addition to your regular diet, the high sodium content of sports beverages like Powerade and its competitors can cause sodium levels to surge. A high salt diet can adversely affect your health, including high blood pressure, renal damage, heart disease, and heart attacks.

How can you know if Powerade has gone off?

Powerade contains salt, which might make it challenging to detect specific changes that would otherwise alert you to the fact that your drink has gone bad. Salt acts as a natural preservative. However, if you notice any of the following, you should throw away your Powerade:

• Changes in appearance, it is easy to do a visual check if you are in the store or at home and look for anything that seems unusual, such as the color and viscosity of the liquid. These could be signs the Powerade has gone bad.
• Go for the smell test. Your nose rarely lies to you. If it smells funky, it’s off, and discard it.
• If everything looks good and smells good, go for a small sip and not a big gulp. If you suspect your Powerade is bad, use common sense. If it tastes unusual, then discard the drink. Check the viscosity of the liquid, and if it seems gloopy or different, there is something wrong.
• If you have Powerade in your sports bag, throw it, don’t stick it in the fridge, and hope for the best.
• If you’re heading back to exercise after a layoff and find a solid or gloopy Powerade in your sports bag, it’s definitely off, so throw it in the garbage.

Is Powerade the best sports drink?

It depends on what you look for in a sports drink. Powerade competition does not use high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener which you may see as an advantage.

But when compared to each other, there is very little to compare in terms of electrolytes and calories from the drinks, and they do taste slightly different, so, in the end, it comes down to preference and tastes.

Final thoughts

Powerade and all of the sports drinks have a similar shelf life that is weighted by the way the drinks are stirred. They taste better and will last longer if you intend to keep them stored and stockpiled. Always opt for refrigerated drinks.

Check the expiry date when you buy Powerade. It is on the base of the bottle.

Don’t get bent out of shape over plastics leaching toxins into your drink. It has been going on for decades and doesn’t seem to suggest that the phenomenon will shorten your life.

If you suspect something is different with your Powerade, don’t drink it; use common sense always with food and drinks, and your nose doesn’t lie to you.