Body Armor sports drinks are marketed as a way to fuel your workouts and aid in hydration, but are body armor drinks good for you? Do they actually do what they claim? Read on to find out in this dietitian review!
There are a few things I look for in a sports drink as a registered dietitian, but not every workout calls for the same type of beverage. I personally use sports drinks or electrolyte mixes after hard cardio sessions, but Body Armor is NOT one I would reach for!
Body Armor is free from artificial colors and sweeteners and is naturally flavored, three things that are honestly hard to come by in typical sports drinks. For many people, this alone makes Body Armor a go-to option!
However, calling it a sports drink is a stretch. Each bottle gives you 100% of the recommended daily value (DV) of several B vitamins and varying amounts of other essential nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin E.
Two of the four varieties will replace carbohydrates by offering between 16 and 29 grams of sugar. But just ONE variety will replenish the sodium lost during a sweat session. Keep reading to learn which Body Armor drink is right for your next workout.
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To learn more about other "healthy" foods on the market, check out some of these recent blog posts!
Nutrition Facts
You can find Body Armor in 4 versions, with more than ten flavors to choose from.
- Sports Drink
- Zero Sugar
- Lyte
- Flash IV
That said, let’s take a quick look at the ranges on the nutrition labels for Body Armor:
- Calories: 10 to 120 calories
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 to 29 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Sugars: 0 to 29 grams
- Sodium: 5 to 530 milligrams
- Potassium: 530 to 680 milligrams
Body Armor Sports Drink The Original
With pure cane sugar as the second ingredient, these drinks have 29 grams of sugar per 16 oz serving. Of the three versions, this is the highest in calories, carbohydrates, and sugar.
If you’re looking to refuel after a tough endurance workout, the extra sugar can help you refuel with carbohydrates and replenish your glycogen stores, making it a useful post-workout drink. But if you at least an hour or more sweating during your workout, you’ll want to add some sodium to your post-workout meal since this drink has just 30 milligrams (1% DV).
For the Strawberry Banana
- Calories: 120 calories.
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 29 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Sugars: 29 grams
- Sodium: 30 milligrams
- Potassium: 680 milligrams
Body Armor Lyte
With just 2 grams of sugar and 15 calories, Body Armor Lyte is a low-calorie option for a sports drink. The second ingredient is Erythritol, a sugar alcohol that keeps this version tasting sweet, but doesn’t add extra calories or carbs. Most people won’t have trouble with erythritol, but for some, it may lead to symptoms like gas, bloating, and cramping.
This drink won’t help you replace energy losses or sodium but acts more as a tasty vitamin water. It's not a bad thing; just don’t expect it to hydrate you or restore you to your health after a tough, sweaty workout. It may be better suited for shorter workouts or strength training sessions.
For the Peach Mango
- Calories: 15 calories.
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 11 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Sugars: 2 grams
- Sodium: 30 milligrams
- Potassium: 680 milligrams
Body Armor Zero Sugar
The zero-sugar version is sweetened with stevia, containing the lowest amount of calories and 0 grams of added sugar. While there are no sugars or sodium in this drink, you will find 15% DV of potassium and other useful vitamins and minerals. We’ll call this one a vitamin water instead of a sports drink. Seems more accurate.
For the Lemon Lime
- Calories: 10 calories.
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Sugars: 0 grams
- Sodium: 5 milligrams
- Potassium: 620 milligrams
Body Armor Flash IV
While the other Body Armor drinks are high in vitamins and sugars (depending on the type) to help replenish your body, the Flash IV is a total electrolyte drink that can also help replenish carbs after a workout (or bout of illness).
Each serving has 530 milligrams of sodium and 530 milligrams of potassium to replace any losses during tough workouts, hot days, or sickness.
Personally, I often use packets to replace my electrolytes after a tough workout (or eat salty foods like pickles or cottage cheese), but I keep this drink on hand for times I’m not feeling so hot and need to replace fluids quickly, without the fuss of mixing.
For the Cucumber Lime
- Calories: 80 calories.
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Sugars: 15 grams
- Sodium: 530 milligrams
- Potassium: 530 milligrams
Ingredients
While the different versions and flavors contain various ingredients, particularly when it comes to what they’re sweetened with, these are the primary ingredients you’ll find in Body Armor.
Filtered Water
No matter which version or flavor you’re looking at, filtered water is the number 1 ingredient. The filtered water creates an optimal base for the drink, providing a clean source of hydration to support your training.
Pure Cane Sugar
As the second ingredient in the Body Armor Sports Drink, The Original, pure cane sugar provides a source of carbohydrates and makes it enjoyable to drink!
Erythritol
Erythritol is included in Body Armor Lyte as a natural, no-calorie sweetener, offering a touch of sweetness without adding extra sugar, making it a lower-calorie, lower-carb option for hydration. As a sugar alcohol, erythritol is “natural”, but since it adds sweetness without calories by avoiding digestion, it may cause stomach cramping, bloating, or other digestive upset in some people.
Stevia
Stevia is a natural, non-nutritive sweetener, adding sweetness to the Body Armor Zero Sugar version, helping to maintain a balanced, sweet taste without added calories or sugars.
Coconut Water Concentrate
Present in both the original sports drink and lyte versions, coconut water concentrate is high in potassium and helps add this valuable mineral to each drink.
Citric Acid
Citric acid is included in the sports drinks as a flavor enhancer and preservative.
Dipotassium Phosphate (Electrolyte)
Dipotassium phosphate is a compound used to replenish electrolytes, helping you maintain hydration and endurance during physical activity.
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
Ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C, is included in Body Armor to support immune function, bone health, and more.
Magnesium Oxide (Electrolyte)
Magnesium oxide is used to help replenish electrolytes, supports hydration and muscle function, and helps prevent fatigue and cramping. However, when consumed in larger amounts, magnesium oxide does have some digestive side effects to be aware of, like bloating and diarrhea.
Health Benefits
To decide if Body Armor is healthy, let’s look at some potential health benefits these drinks offer.
Hydration
Body armor helps keep you hydrated before, during, and after training by using filtered water and coconut water concentrate to replenish fluids lost during exercise.
Electrolytes
Not only is it hydrating from the water, but it’s also packed with electrolytes to maintain your electrolyte balance during training, preventing muscle cramps and supporting overall hydration.
Vitamins
Enriched with vitamins like vitamins C and A, body armor boosts immune function, promotes cell health, and helps you reach your daily vitamin needs for optimal health.
Enhanced Performance
By combining hydration, electrolytes, and vitamins, Body Armor promotes energy and muscle recovery, enhancing your athletic performance. A key factor in this is the carbohydrates that the Body Armor Sports Drink, The Original, provides.
Potential Cons
Some are High in Sugar
If you’re not actively training and drink these regularly, the 29 grams of added sugar in the original version is a little high– over half of the recommended added sugars in a day. If you’re drinking them to help yourself drink more fluid, stick with a lower-sugar variety.
If you’re an athlete using Body Armor for training, the carbohydrates from the sugar might be exactly what you need to keep your body going during training.
Side Effects from Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
For most people, a small amount of non-nutritive sweeteners or sugar alcohols is perfectly safe. Some people experience digestive issues when consuming artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols like erythritol. It’s important to listen to your body and how you’re feeling when drinking sports drinks with artificial sweeteners, like Body Armor Lyte.
The Bottom Line: is Body Armor good for you?
Body Armor drinks may help replenish fluids, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates, but most varieties do not have enough sodium to hydrate you after a sweaty workout.
With four varieties to choose from, you’ll have to make sure you choose the correct drink for your needs.
All of these drinks are free from artificial colors and sweeteners, but you’ll want to make sure you’re choosing the right Body Armor drink for your workout to get the most benefit.
Taline Aguirre says
Thank you so much this was very helpful.