Why You Should Think Twice Before Freezing Gatorade

The quintessential thirst quencher, Gatorade has become the beverage of choice for athletes and couch potatoes alike. Developed in a University of Florida lab, History reports that the drink was meant to help the school's athletes replace lost fluids and increase stamina following exertion on football fields and basketball courts. Since then, the colorful beverage has made its way into school lunch boxes and the bedsides of dehydrated partygoers. 

But while a Cool Blue or Glacier Cherry Gatorade is best enjoyed cold, can the sports drink be frozen, or is it a recipe for disaster? Gatorade can seem like a totally bewitching beverage based on its incredible hydrating qualities, however, the ingredients found inside each bottle can easily be demystified. Livestrong explains that its ingredients include water, sugar, dextrose, citric acid, salt, sodium citrate, and monopotassium phosphate, along with flavoring and coloring agents. 

Though Gatorade has a high sugar content, Healthline states that the drink is also rich in electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which can provide energy and help hydrate. But while chugging a frosty bottle of Gatorade can be refreshing after strenuous physical activity, can the beverage be frozen or should you think twice before chucking Gatorade in the freezer?

Despite the school of thought that the colder, the better when it comes to sports drinks, this isn't entirely accurate. Given its slightly lower freezing point, The Bestest Ever explains that while Gatorade does freeze, the process simply takes a bit longer to happen. But, just because it can, that doesn't mean you should start keeping the sports drink in subzero temperatures.

According to Gatorade, freezing — or even storing the beverage under 40 degrees Fahrenheit — is not recommended as the flavor emulsion can become damaged, which won't impact its hydrating qualities, but will affect the taste. Likewise, freezing also puts the sports drink at risk of exploding as the liquids expand when frozen, compromising the seal and distorting the bottle.

Although many have frozen Gatorade in the form of ice cubes and slushies, in order to reap that same icy cold temperatures, UpThirst recommends wrapping wet paper around a bottle and leaving it in the freezer for 20 minutes. The result is a frosty beverage with the same great flavor.