It does seem crazy to me how sweet things like Gatorade are. (And how nasty Gatorade can taste.)

If taken with food, maybe (added) sugar is not needed, but apparently sugar is key to making oral rehydration solution work, to help the ions get absorbed, or something like that.

I would love to learn that it is actually medically indicated to prevent cramps by eating fried clams with lots of tartar sauce (salt and pickles), French fries with lots of ketchup (salt, sugar, vinegar), and a slice of key lime pie (sugar, just in case).