Does Pepsi Have Electrolytes?

Sweating depletes the total electrolytes in the body; therefore, drinks containing electrolytes are suitable for a very intense activity that causes a person to sweat a lot.

Carbonated beverages like Pepsi are trendy because they quench a person’s thirst and taste good.

In this article, I will explain whether Pepsi contains electrolytes.

It’s widely known in sports science that the body loses electrolytes from sweat, and a daily intake is recommended.

Below, I will cover exactly how much of each of these electrolytes Pepsi contains, if Pepsi is effective at hydrating you, and if you should drink it instead of water.

Is Pepsi As Hydrating as Water?

There is a recommended daily intake of water, but often if you drink other liquids like sodas and juice, you don’t feel as thirsty, and it’s hard to drink the recommended daily water intake.

Pepsi contains a lot of water, but here is if Pepsi is as hydrating as water and has anything especially hydrating, such as electrolytes.

Athletes engage in physical activity that can cause them to sweat a lot, and if not enough fluids are consumed, it can lead to dehydration, and various electrolytes come out in a sweat.

Electrolytes are a type of mineral that eventually enters your bloodstream when you consume them.

There are seven main electrolytes (source), these are:

• Sodium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Chloride
• Phosphate
• Bicarbonate

Pepsi contains:

• Sodium – 9.8 mg per gallon (liter)
• Magnesium – 0
• Potassium – 42.3 mg per gallon (liter)
• Calcium – none
• Chloride – none
• Phosphate – none
• Bicarbonate – none

(source: FDA nutritional data)

As you can see, Pepsi only contains sodium, potassium, and none of the other electrolytes.

The recommended daily intake of sodium and potassium are:

• Sodium – 2,300 mg per day
• Potassium – 1,600 to 2,000 mg per day

If you drink 1 regular can of Pepsi, you will get the following:

• 2 mg of sodium – 0.13% of the recommended daily intake
• 0 mg of potassium – 0.86% to 0.70% of the recommended daily intake

Therefore, Pepsi is not effective at replacing electrolytes and is not a good source of the recommended daily intake of electrolytes.

Sports drinks, coconut water, fruit juices, and electrolyte-infused waters are some of the best things to get the recommended daily intake of electrolytes.

And to replace electrolytes after sweating a lot, according to medical professionals (source).

Also, here’s an excellent video from Dr. Eric Berg, where he explains what electrolytes do:

Coca-Cola and Pepsi are two of the most popular colas, but there are many different brands.

Colas are different from almost every other soda because they contain caffeine and slightly different ingredients, but below is whether colas have electrolytes.

Colas have roughly the same amount of electrolytes as water.

Therefore, colas aren’t the best thing to drink to replace electrolytes.

But they do a reasonable job of hydrating you.

When you’re thirsty, it’s easy to drink lots of fluids.

However, if you consume too much cola and other sodas, it can cause diarrhea.

I explained how much soda is too much in this article about whether Pepsi can cause diarrhea.

Getting enough fluids is essential to maintain good health, improve energy levels, and make you feel great.

Water is the go-to for hydration, but many drinks have a nice flavor and a very high water content.

Here is how good Pepsi is for hydration and if Pepsi can hydrate you.

Drinking too much water can deplete your sodium levels and, in the long term, can be bad for you, according to Gunderhersen Health.

Therefore, drinking soda can reduce your water if you’re thirsty.

But, because sodas have high sugar content, you should drink more than 1 cup of sodas sweetened with sugar daily.

The sweeteners in sodas are sugar, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners.

Sugar and corn syrup has almost identical sugar content.

Whereas artificial sweeteners contain no sugar at all.

Technically, you could consume more than 1 cup of diet or ‘zero’ sodas such as Coke Zero.

But, because they have a lower water content than water, they still aren’t the most effective for hydration.

For these reasons, sodas such as Pepsi should only be consumed for enjoyment, not as a water substitute.

Due to the electrolyte levels, drinking water is better because it has a higher water content which will hydrate you faster.