Orange juice has 29g carbs with zero added sugar, while Powerade has 34g carbs that are all added sugar. Both work for athletes, but orange juice is gentler on the stomach before training, while sports drinks suit other moments in competition.
I get a ton of hate every time that I recommend orange juice for athletes. The number one comment is, "It's too much sugar in that orange juice." Let's talk about sugar. There's a difference between the sugars found in this versus even this or a can of Coke. This orange juice right here, it is 100% juice. If you look on the back, it will say 29 carbs, 0 grams of added sugar. If you look at this Powerade, you will find that it has 34 grams of carbs, and it has 34 grams of added sugar. Now, this comes straight from oranges. Oranges have natural sugars in them. This comes from a factory where they add the added sugars in them. Does that mean that this is bad? Absolutely not. There's a time and a place for both of them. Breakfast with protein— this gives really quick, really easy carbs pre-training, pre-tournament, early mornings when you're not feeling like eating a full-on bagel that morning. This is really great because it also has electrolytes in it, and it has the balance of carbs that scientists have gotten down to, and they know it's going to sit well in the athlete's stomach and not cause diarrhea. So does that mean this is bad? No, I would not have this for breakfast, but I also wouldn't have this in the middle of a game. There's a time and the place for both.
