Healthy Drinks for Teens: Hydration Alternatives to Sports Drinks & Soda

The beverage aisle has gotten a lot more confusing for parents trying to figure out what's actually fine for their teenager to drink. Sports drinks, energy drinks, "healthy" sodas, and flavored waters have multiplied, but the guidance on what's actually good for a teen hasn't always kept up.

That changed in early 2025, when the American Heart Association and others released joint recommendations specifically for kids and teens ages 5 to 18. The short version: water and plain milk are great options, and drinks with added sugar should generally be avoided. Here's what that actually means in practice, when electrolytes make sense for a teenager, and where they don't.

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What Actually Makes a Drink Healthy for Teens?

Beverages with added sugar, non-sugar sweeteners, and artificial flavors are recommended to be avoided altogether. That doesn't mean every other drink is off the table. It means most of them fall into a "limit" category, but your teen doesn’t necessarily need to avoid them entirely.

Category	Examples	Guidance
Drink	Plain water, plain milk	Should be the default choice for most hydration needs
Limit	100% fruit juice, flavored milk, plant-based milk alternatives, sports drinks (outside of intense exercise)	Fine occasionally, not as a daily habit
Avoid	Soda, sugary drinks	Avoid added sugar and artificial sweeteners

There's one notable exception in the guidelines worth calling out: sports drinks are considered appropriate for teens doing prolonged, intense physical activity in heat or humidity. The distinction matters, since it's not "sports drinks are bad;" it's "match the drink to the actual physical demand."

What Are the Best Electrolytes for Teens?

If you do decide an electrolyte drink makes sense for your teen, a few things matter more than flavor:

No added sugar, since sugary drinks are one of the specific categories recommended for teens.
No caffeine, given the lack of an established safe threshold for anyone under 18.
No artificial sweeteners, since long-term safety data in teens is still limited.
A reasonable, food-based mineral source rather than an unclear "proprietary blend."
Third-party testing, so you know what's actually in the product.

If you're not sure what qualifies as an electrolyte, this breakdown of what an electrolyte actually is covers the basics.

When Teens Actually Need Electrolytes

A few situations tend to come up most often for teenagers specifically:

Two-a-day practices or tournaments in hot weather, where sweat loss is significant and repeated.
Illness involving vomiting or diarrhea, which depletes fluids and minerals quickly.
Marching band, long outdoor rehearsals, or work shifts in heat, situations that don't always come to mind as "exercise" but involve similar fluid loss.
After a particularly intense workout or game, even outside of a formal sports season.

Healthy Drinks for Teens: Why Most Sports and Energy Drinks Don’t Get It Right

This is where a lot of "electrolyte" products for teens fall short. Many popular sports drinks pair legitimate electrolytes with 30+ grams of added sugar per bottle. Sugar doesn’t do anything to improve hydration.

Buoy Hydration Drops: A Clean Ingredient, Healthy Drink for Teens

Buoy Hydration Drops are formulated without any of the ingredients pediatric guidelines flag for teens.

Because Hydration Drops are unflavored, they don't compete with soda or sports drinks on taste appeal, which is actually part of the point.

Zero sugar, zero caffeine, zero artificial sweeteners

87+ trace minerals from ocean-sourced ingredients

Unflavored, so it can be added to water without turning into a sugary drink

A single squeeze per serving, easy to use before or after practice

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"Thank you for making a sugar AND stevia free electrolyte"

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Why Choose Buoy?

Buoy's Clinical Study

The Study Behind the Squeeze

Buoy’s formula was tested in a crossover-design study through a university research team, comparing it directly against plain water and a competing electrolyte brand. The result: a 10x greater increase in net fluid balance than water alone. For a parent trying to figure out if this is worth adding to a teen's gym bag, that's the actual data point that matters.

Buoy is also recommended by more than 900 doctors and dietitians for people actively restoring mineral balance.

Hydration Drops Compared to Typical Sports and Energy Drinks

These drops are designed to be added to plain water, not to replace it with something sweetened.

Feature	Buoy Hydration Drops	Typical Sports/Energy Drinks
Added sugar	0g	Often 20–36g per serving
Caffeine	None	Common in energy drinks
Artificial sweeteners	None	Common in "diet" or "zero" versions
Format	Unflavored liquid drops	Pre-flavored, often colored liquid
Fits current pediatric guidelines	Yes	Generally flagged to avoid or limit

A Note on Buoy Rescue Drops for Highly Active Teens

For a teen in intense, prolonged training, Buoy Rescue Drops offer a higher-sodium formula built for heavier sweat loss. This is a more concentrated product than Buoy Hydration Drops, with 300 mg of sodium per serving. It's worth talking to your teen about their hydration needs to see if this option is the right fit.

Electrolyte Needs Change Across Childhood

What's appropriate for a toddler, a younger kid, and a teenager isn't the same, since bodies, activity levels, and risks shift quite a bit across those stages.

Life Stage	Typical Electrolyte Need
Toddlers	Usually met through diet and milk; supplementation only under pediatric guidance. Learn more about electrolytes for toddlers.
Kids (school age)	Mostly water-based hydration; electrolytes situational (illness, heavy activity). Learn more about electrolyte drinks for kids.
Teens	Similar to kids, but may have more hydration needs during intense sports or heat exposure

Putting Buoy Hydration Drops to Work

The easiest products to actually stick with are the ones that don't require a change in habits. Here's how Buoy Hydration Drops fits into a few common teen scenarios.

Situation	How to Use It
Before a practice or game	One squeeze in a water bottle, 30–60 minutes ahead of time
During a long practice or tournament	Refill and re-dose in a fresh bottle between sessions
Recovering from a stomach bug	Small, frequent sips in water rather than one large serving
Hot weather or outdoor work (yard work, band, jobs)	Can easily add to their water bottle

Because it's unflavored, there's no flavor packet to remember and nothing that changes the taste of whatever they're already drinking. A product a teenager will actually use consistently beats one that ends up ignored in a backpack.

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87 Trace Minerals

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$0.25

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$1.53+

Healthy Drinks for Teens With a Chronic Condition

Conditions involving orthostatic intolerance, like POTS, are frequently diagnosed during the teenage years. They often come with an ongoing, higher need for sodium and fluid support than typical day-to-day hydration. For families navigating that, consistent electrolyte support isn't optional in the way it is for a healthy teen without a diagnosis.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Healthy Drinks for Teens

Should teenagers take electrolytes?

Yes, especially during exercise, hot weather, or when they're not feeling their best. Electrolytes help replace what's lost through sweat and support faster recovery, which matters for an active teen juggling practice, school, and everything in between.

What are the best electrolytes for teens?

Look for a formula with no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners, ideally sourced from real minerals rather than a vague "proprietary blend." Third-party testing is also worth checking for, so you know exactly what your teen is getting.

Can a 13-year-old have electrolytes?

Yes, a clean, sugar-free electrolyte formula is a reasonable option for a 13-year-old, particularly around sports, heat, or illness. If your teen has an underlying health condition, it's a good idea to run it by their pediatrician first.

Should I give my child electrolytes?

It's worth having on hand for the moments that call for it: heavy sweating, a stomach bug, or a long day in the heat. Keeping a sugar-free option ready means you're prepared rather than scrambling for something at the store when your teen needs it most.

What makes an electrolyte drink better than a typical sports drink for teens?

Most sports drinks pack in 20 to 30+ grams of sugar per serving to make up for a thin electrolyte profile. A cleaner option delivers real mineral replacement without the sugar crash that follows, which matters if your teen is drinking it regularly during a season.

How much sodium does an active teen actually need?

Sodium needs increase with sweat loss. A teen in a long practice or a hot-weather tournament loses meaningfully more than one sitting through a normal school day. Matching the electrolyte formula to the intensity of what they're doing is more useful than a single fixed number.

What are signs a teen might need more fluids or electrolytes?

A few common signs include:

Unusual fatigue or sluggishness, especially after activity or heat exposure
Headache
Dark yellow urine or noticeably less frequent urination
Muscle cramps during or after exercise
Dizziness or lightheadedness

Catching these early and reaching for fluids and electrolytes tends to help a teen bounce back faster than waiting it out.

Is Buoy Hydration Drops safe for teens?

Hydration Drops contain no sugar and no artificial sweeteners, which makes it a straightforward option for teen hydration. As with any supplement given to a minor, it's worth checking with your teen's pediatrician first, especially if they have an existing health condition or take medication.