Do you need the sweet sports drinks for energy?

[aicabsolut]

And some of the sports drinks (I believe it's the fructose) have had delayed, negative effects on my digestion (I would describe it as jet propulsion... ... you guess)

Fructose is not an ideal sugar to have during exercise. It can cause cramps, is harder to break down by the body (convert to glycogen), and it can sometimes slow stomach emptying. So industrial Gatorade with HFCS is not as good as other sports drinks/supplements that have more glucose, sucrose, and maltodextrin.

I see low sugar sports drinks and I think, "What's the point?"