Are sports drinks necessary?
Usually, no. For short, moderate sessions, water and normal meals are enough. Sports drinks become more useful during long endurance sessions, strenuous training in heat, multiple sessions per day, or events where carbohydrate and sodium replacement matter.
For physique goals, sports drinks are easy calories. If performance does not require them, they may make fat loss more difficult.
Match the tool to the problem. Hydration, sodium, and carbs matter more as duration, sweat loss, heat, and intensity rise.