GU Hydration Tablets vs Zaca
As a supplement company founded over a decade ago, we fully review GU Hydration Tablets to share everything you need to know and then compare them to our Zaca Hydration Chewables.
GU Hydration Tablets
GU Hydration Tablets are a fast and portable way to replenish electrolytes during your workout and help hydration. As an effervescent tablet, you simply drop them into water and drink after dissolving.
These GU Hydration Tablets contain electrolytes, mainly sodium and potassium in each serving. This combination of minerals makes them an ideal choice for runners, cyclists, and overall athletes who need additional replenishment during their activity or for prolonged periods of exercise.
GU Energy Labs — the maker of GU Hydration Tablets — offers a variety of products in addition, including GU Roctane Energy Drink Mix, GU Liquid Energy, GU Energy Chews, GU Energy Gels, GU Stroopwafels, and ROCTANE Electrolyte Capsules.
Flavors Of GU Hydration Tablets
GU Hydration Tablets come in four different berry and citrus flavors.
GU Hydration Tablets flavors:
- Orange
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Tri-Berry
- Lemon Lime
Are There Electrolytes In GU?
Yes, there are electrolytes in GU.
GU Hydration Tablets consists of two electrolyte minerals, sodium and potassium. In total, there's 320 milligrams of sodium and 55 milligrams of potassium.
When Should I Take Hydration Tablets?
Hydration Tablets are the ideal way to replenish your body before, during or after exercise.
There's numerous activities and situations to take hydration tablets, these include:
- You're exercising vigorously
- You're in hot or humid weather and sweating heavily
- You're traveling somewhere or on a flight
- You've been sick with vomiting or diarrhea
- You're in an athletic competition
- You're vacationing or climbing in high altitudes
- You're skiing, hiking, running, cycling, working out, etc.
These are the many activities when you should take hydration tablets.
Should You Take Hydration Tablets Before Or After Drinking?
Hydration tablets could be taken before or after drinking, but it depends what kind you're taking.
For GU Hydration Tablets, you could take them before, while, or after drinking to help replenish your sodium and potassium levels.
For Zaca Hydration Chewable Tablets, you can take them after drinking at bedtime to help replenish and recover while you sleep.
GU Hydration Tablets Ingredients
If you're looking for a the full ingredients list or nutrition facts of GU Hydration Tablets, we break it down here.
-
Sugar - 1 g (2% DV)
-
Sodium - 320 mg (14% DV)
-
Potassium - 55 mg (1% DV)
-
Riboflavin - 3.9 mg (300% DV)
GU Hydration Tablets Ingredients:
- Citric Acid, Dextrose, Sodium Bicarbonate, Natural Flavor, Sodium Carbonate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Organic Stevia Leaf Extract, Safflower Oil, Beet Root Powder, Cane Sugar, Riboflavin (as color)
GU Hydration Tablets Review
In our review of GU Drink Tabs — it's a simple electrolyte formula to help improve hydration, performance, and recovery.
But there are a few downsides to using GU, including the added sugar, inflammatory safflower oil, synthetic vitamin B2, and limited electrolytes.
We'll review all these potential downsides of GU below.
4 Downsides Of GU Hydration Tablets
From reviewing GU Hydration Tablets, there's four downsides we identified that make the product unhealthy.
Here's the 4 downsides to using GU Hydration Tablets:
1. Added Sugar
GU Hydration Tablets contain added sugar, which is not ideal for health enthusiasts or those who follow low-carb diets like the keto diet or a paleo diet.
Sugar was first used for hydration by the WHO (World Health Organization) as an Oral Rehydration Solution — but it was used to treat acute diarrhea in severely dehydrated children, not for regular everyday use.²
It's questionable to your health to use sugar on a regular basis, especially with negative effects such as weight gain, high blood pressure, cavities, and sleeping problem among many others.³
2. Inflammatory Safflower Oil
Vegetable oils, including safflower oil in GU Hydration Tabs, in recent research are shown to be inflammatory to the body.⁴
Linoleic acid, the culprit of inflammation, is actually higher in safflower oil than most other vegetable oils.⁴ This is why many people try to avoid safflower oil in their supplements.
3. Synthetic Vitamin (B2)
Riboflavin is listed as a color agent in GU Tabs. Known as vitamin B2, riboflavin is commonly made synthetically from acetic acid and nitrogen. It's also known to be expelled form the body in urine fast due to its low absorbability.⁵
4. Limited Electrolytes
While GU Tabs contain the top two electrolytes, sodium and potassium, it's missing some of the other key ones.
Adding electrolyte minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and chloride — would make a more complete electrolyte replenishment.
In conclusion of this review of GU Hydration Tablets, we think it's a good product but with a few downsides — including added sugar, inflammatory safflower oil, synthetic vitamins, and limited electrolytes.
6 Advantages Of Using Zaca Hydration
We believe Zaca is a more robust and powerful hydration alternative to GU tablets.
These fast-acting chewables help you rehydrate, replenish and recover — using strong and natural ingredients.
Here's 6 Advantages Of Using Zaca:
1. Zero Sugar
Zaca contains no sugar or artificial sweeteners. It's naturally sweetened with stevia and xylitol. So you can enjoy our chewables guilt-free without any of the health risks associated with sugar, and with all the hydration and recovery benefits.
2. No Synthetic Vitamins
Zaca is one of the few nutritional supplement companies that don't use synthetic vitamins in their products. Instead, we use natural ingredients like whole food extracts of Prickly Pear that naturally contains vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium to provide your body with real nutrition.
3. Powerful Antioxidants
Zaca is a great source of powerful antioxidants — including glutathione, the body's master antioxidant. Antioxidants are essential for keeping your body healthy and fighting off oxidative stress that comes from exercise, workouts, high altitudes, and traveling.
4. Non-GMO Ingredients
You can be confident that our products are non-GMO, and verified by an independent third party organization that our products do not contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms). We proudly use only non-GMO ingredients to achieve the healthiest chewables possible.
5. Performance-Enhancing Amino Acids
Zaca contains performance-enhancing amino acids that are crucial for muscle growth, repair, and recovery. Glutamine, the most important, also helps increase water absorption in the body.
6. Fast-Acting
Zaca is a fast-acting formula that come in a chewable, that gives you the most convenience and quick-use. No messing around with powders or tablet to mix with water, you can take these chewables on-the-go in portable packets.
Gain an edge with Zaca due to these six advantages — the combination of being sugar free, no synthetic vitamins, powerful antioxidants, non-GMO ingredients, performance enhancing amino acids, and fast-acting chewable delivery.
GU Hydration Vs Zaca Hydration Comparison
Putting GU Hydration to the test up against Zaca, we compare the two so you know the differences.
From doing our GU hydration review — we find that our Zaca chewables are more powerful with a more benefit-loaded formula, and a healthier ingredient list.
In the comparison, Zaca is the better alternative than GU for the following reasons— GMO free, portable packets, beat fatigue, bioavailable nutrients, soy free, liver supporting, high in antioxidants, standardized herbs, sugar free, free of synthetic vitamins, no water required, easy to take, keto & diet friendly, performance-enhancing amino acids, and fast-acting.
Zaca vs Sustain Sport Comparison Chart:
| |
Zaca |
GU |
| Calories |
5 |
10 |
| Carbs |
3g |
6g
|
| Sugar |
0g |
1g |
| Hydration Support |
✓
|
✓
|
| Performance Support |
✓
|
✓
|
|
Multi-Purpose
|
✓
|
✓
|
|
Travel Friendly
|
✓
|
✓
|
| Gluten Free |
✓
|
✓
|
| Vegan Friendly |
✓
|
✓
|
| Take On-The-Go |
✓
|
✓ |
| Tastes Great |
✓
|
✓
|
|
No Artificial Sweeteners
|
✓
|
✓
|
|
Vegan Friendly
|
✓
|
✓
|
|
Nut Free
|
✓
|
✓
|
| Portable Packets |
✓
|
|
|
Beat Fatigue
|
✓
|
|
|
GMO Free
|
✓
|
|
| Bioavailable Nutrients |
✓
|
|
| Soy Free |
✓
|
|
| Liver Support |
✓
|
|
| High In Natural Antioxidants |
✓
|
|
| Standardized Herbs |
✓
|
|
| Sugar Free |
✓
|
|
| Free of Synthetic Vitamins |
✓
|
|
| No Water Required |
✓
|
|
| Easy To Take |
✓
|
|
| Keto & Diet Friendly |
✓
|
|
| Performance-Enhancing Amino Acids |
✓
|
|
| Fast-Acting |
✓
|
|
In our review of GU Drinks Tabs versus Zaca Chewables — Zaca leads with cleaner, healthier ingredients, and more benefits due to the herbs and amino acids used in the formula.
Zaca Hydration + Recovery Supplement
Our Zaca supplement gives you what you need to rehydrate, replenish, and recover. Whether you're traveling, running, competing, hiking, drinking, working out — these chewbales help you bounce back faster. Designed with a proprietary blend of herbs and antioxidants, including glutamine that enhances water absorption. Take the 2-4 chewables on-the-go in portable packets when you need them most, or during activities.
Try Zaca hydration + recovery chewable tablets today and fuel your performance.
SOURCES:
1. GU Hydration Tablets - GU Hydration Drink Tabs
https://guenergy.com/products/hydration-drink-tabs
2. Oral rehydration salts
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FCH-CAH-06.1
3. 10 Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad for Your Health
https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/10-ways-sugar-harms-your-health
4. The Truth About Safflower Oil Health Claims
https://perfectketo.com/safflower-oil/
5. Natural vs. Synthetic Vitamins – What’s the Big Difference?
https://sunwarrior.com/blogs/health-hub/natural-vs-synthetic-vitamins
6. GU Energy Hydration Electrolyte Drink Tablets, Enhanced Endurance Sports Drink for Running, Cycling, Triathlon, 4-Count (48 Servings), Assorted Flavors
https://www.amazon.com/GU-Energy-Hydration-Electrolyte-Assorted/dp/B0756QVFM5
