Gatorade.......Myth or Magic?

Just wondering since Gatorade ads run so often during the Junior games is Gatorade really all that big a deal? Is it just all smart advertising and hype and water would do just as well? Or is it the real deal and important to sweaty athletes in their need to hydrate?

Wrong board. Doesn't matter if the ads are run often during games. We don't have any beer threads here, either.