Consumer Reports interviews Jason Machowsky, RD, CSSD, ACSM-CEP, CSCS, sports dietitian and registered clinical exercise physiologist at HSS about  the rise in popularity of functional beverages and if they are good for you. 

Functional beverages—as the drink industry likes to refer to them—often contain ingredients that were once found only in supplements or herbal teas. And they’re popular. These days, nearly 40 percent of adults seek out drinks with ingredients said to confer wellness, according to the research firm Packaged Facts.

Electrolytes, which can be lost in sweat, make muscles (including your heart) contract, and “help water and fluids get absorbed properly into your cells,” explained Machowsky. But plain water is just as hydrating, and speed doesn’t usually matter, he said.

Read the full article at consumerreports.org.