Coconut water vs sports drink: which is healthier?
Coconut water is more nutrient-dense, scoring 80/100 against 1/100 for sports drink. Both can be part of a healthy diet; the table below shows where each one is stronger. Source: USDA FoodData Central.
Coconut water
18 kcal per 100 g. 1 cup (240 ml): 240 g
Higher scoreSports drink
32 kcal per 100 g. 1 bottle (20 oz / 590 ml): 600 g
Which to pick for your goal
- Fewer caloriesCoconut water18 vs 32 kcal per 100 g
- More proteinAbout even0.2 vs 0 g per 100 g
- More fiberAbout even0 vs 0 g per 100 g
- Less sugarCoconut water3.9 vs 6.1 g per 100 g
- More potassiumCoconut water165 vs 18 mg per 100 g
- Less saturated fatAbout even0 vs <0.1 g per 100 g
Nutrition side by side
| Nutrient | Coconut water, 100 g | Sports drink, 100 g | Coconut water, 240 g | Sports drink, 600 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 18 kcal | 32 kcal | 43 kcal | 192 kcal |
| Protein | 0.2 g | 0 g | 0.5 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.2 g | 7.8 g | 10 g | 47 g |
| Sugars | 3.9 g | 6.1 g | 9.4 g | 37 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 0 g | <0.1 g | 0 g | 0.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g | <0.1 g | 0 g | <0.1 g |
| Vitamin C | 9.9 mg | 0 mg | 24 mg | 0 mg |
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg |
| Potassium | 165 mg | 18 mg | 396 mg | 108 mg |
| Iron | <0.1 mg | <0.1 mg | <0.1 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Calcium | 7 mg | 1 mg | 17 mg | 6 mg |
| Magnesium | 6 mg | 0 mg | 14 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 26 mg | 42 mg | 62 mg | 252 mg |
Last updated . Scores use the HowHealthyIs Score method.