Water is an essential and quantitatively the most important nutrient, but it is unfortunately often overlooked. With sweating, water is lost from the intracellular and extracellular space, accompanied by the loss of electrolytes (Na, K, Cl) that need to be replenished because they have a multiple task in maintaining normal function of the cells of the whole organism. Athletes are currently exposed to increasingly demanding training schedules, along with frequently consecutive competitions, sports plans directly related to the sport they are pursuing and personal responsibilities, all of which must be incorporated within 24 hours in order to succeed and achieve the best possible result. Therefore, it is quite logical that in addition to the modern requirements of today, the speed of recovery presents an extremely important factor that will subsequently determine the speed of progress of an athlete as well as achieving the optimal results, which also shows the need for functional drinks, whose market is growing more and more. This paper presents the importance of proper hydration of athletes, summarizes the diverse range of popular functional drinks. Special focus is given in more detail on protein drinks and their impact on the athlete as an individual part of the sport based on weightlifting and strengthening the individual's muscle mass.