Same Sugar Water, Different Name

I must say, the executives at Gatorade deserve an award for repackaging and rebranding the exact same beverage under different names.

Say hello to its new product -- G2.

Marketed as a beverage for "athletes off the field," it is basically regular Gatorade with half the calories and carbs (25 calories and 7 grams of carbs per 8 oz. serving).

The electrolytes -- sodium and potassium -- appear in the same laughable amounts (110 and 30 milligrams, respectively).

Remember, 30 milligrams of potassium is equal to 0.6% of the daily requirement! You could get that same amount by eating a quarter of a small apple, a quarter cup of blueberries, or just one twelfth of a medium (9 inch) banana.

According to the press release -- which comes in a very sturdy and creatively designed box -- "G2 is a... beverage designed to help athletes hydrate when they are off the field, so they will be better prepared for competition and training."

Hydrating off-the-field can be easily accomplished with water, or most other liquids, really.

Sodium, meanwhile, is a mineral present in everything we eat. If anything, a large percentage of adults in the United States need to drastically reduce their intake. Adding 110 milligrams through a flavored drink to your day before engaging in physical exercise is truly unnecessary.

And, again, the 30 milligrams of potassium this drink provides are not hard to come by in food (more examples: a tablespoon of peanut butter has 110 mg, a mere ounce of poultry provides 60 mg, and a cup of brewed tea clocks in at 86 mg).

I understand the purpose of business is to sell products and make money, but many times I'm left scratching my head, asking, "why?".