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In nearly all conditions for all athletes water is preferable over a sports drink. Yes elite athletes can reap the benefits of sports drinks but for the percentage of the population that they make up is tiny. There are millions of runners out there who run for the enjoyment not the competitive nature of running and they normally don't require sports drinks.

Most runners or athletes will probably average 30-40 minutes for each training session they do. Elite athletes and competitive runners might average 60-80 minutes per session. The point of this is that hydration is usually not necessary for training sessions of less than an hour unless it is very hot or humid or you start exercise dehydrated. These runners can have their water or sports drink after training. Following training these athletes will probably eat a snack or meal high in carbohydrates so that they don't actually require the sports drink. The elite athletes will need the sports drinks on their training runs because it would be impractical and uncomfortable to eat on the run.

Sports drinks are designed to replace the water, electrolytes and carbohydrates used by the muscles during exercise and lost in sweat and urine. In a run of less than an hour these usually won't be depleted too badly and a snack such as a sandwich or banana will be cheaper and healthier than a sports drink. So sports drinks are really only required for long or intense runs to enhance recovery. For most athletes on most runs a sports drink is not necessary.

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