THE BEST ELECTROLYTE DRINKS FOR FAST HYDRATION
Your body has its own supply of electrolytes, but when they get out of balance, an electrolyte drink, tablet, or powder can help your body restore that balance faster. I’ll help you sort through with this list of electrolyte products. We lean toward the ones that DO provide a good balance of electrolytes tailored for various uses and that DON’T contain additives you don’t need, like tons of added sugars or artificial colors (we’re looking at you, Gatorade). We’ve tried many electrolyte products over the years and we’ve paired it down to this list of 12 favorites that my athletes and myself recommend to others.
What Are Electrolytes?
Electrolytes are all about balance. They’re a group of seven essential minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, phosphate, and bicarbonate) that each have either a positive or negative charge when dissolved in your body’s water or blood. That + or – charge is what makes it so electrolytes can help you achieve or replenish a fluid balance in your cells and a pH balance in your blood, both of which are very important for keeping you healthy.
12 Approved Electrolyte Drinks
LMNT: Salty Hydration At Its Best
LMNT (pronounced “element”) really leans into the salt with this high sodium electrolyte. When you sweat, you lose more sodium than any other electrolyte, so we find that this powder is best for very sweaty days, high intensity training, and endurance athletes. It’s what I choose to take on a sweaGET LMNT PACKETSty mountain hike during our recent team retreat.
Personal Favorites:
Raspberry Packet
Black Cherry Lime Can
Local Weather: A Better Sports Drink For Teens And Adults
I recently learned about this new sports drink that comes packaged in aluminum cans and am a big fan. When you put it up against Gatorade, it wins in every category. The flavors are good (my kids and athletes love them), and in addition to electrolytes, they contain vitamins, other minerals, and adaptogens while being sweetened with a little cane sugar and stevia.
Skratch Labs: To Fuel Performance + A Zero-Sweetener Option
I have an affection for Skratch Labs, which was founded near where I went to college in Colorado. I’ve been recommending Skratch products informally to my endurance/distance athletes (90 minutes or more) They love that it’s just flavorful enough to be palatable without being overwhelmingly sweet and it helps replace fluid and sodium lost through sweat.
Cure: Think Pedialyte, But Better (And For Adults)
An electrolyte replacement isn’t just for use after sweating. It’s also helpful for balancing fluid loss after sickness (especially after puking or diarrhea), travel, or drinking alcohol. And the best option during times like that is something called an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS). Cure meets the standards of ORS, which is an exact ratio of glucose-to-sodium that triggers the sodium glucose transporter mechanism in the body that helps it rapidly absorb water and electrolytes into the bloodstream. The formula was originally pioneered by the World Health Organization to treat severe dehydration in people suffering from Cholera and has saved over 50 million lives, an innovation in hydration science that has more than 50 years of research and is considered to be one of the greatest medical advances of the last century.
Ultima: Flavors That Keep Hydration Exciting
What stands out most about this electrolyte powder is the flavors. There are so many delicious options, including “mocktinis” designed to replicate popular cocktail flavors like pina colada, appletini, and peach bellini. This powder is also unique because it contains a blend of 6 electrolytes, whereas most others contain between one and four electrolytes.
GU: Low-Calorie Electrolyte Drink Tabs
You may know GU for their energy gels and chews, which were designed as convenient on-the-go fuel for endurance athletes. They also make a variety of other sports-fueling products, including stroopwafels, protein powder, and electrolyte tablets. Jess often keeps a few of these stashed in her pack to drop into a water bottle or offer to fellow riders who might be in need of some electrolytes to prevent dehydration, fatigue or muscle cramping.
Nuun: Affordable & Packable Electrolyte Tablets
I first tried Nuun more than 15 years ago as I was competing at high school state in Sacramento. I went to the concessions in 90+ degree weather and there before me was a little card table where people were handing out tubes of Nuun, which were then-new electrolyte tabs we could dissolve in water. That boost of hydration saved my competitive edge that day, and for multiple years after I would always pack a tube of nuun tablets in my bag.
Protekt: Liquid Packets That Dissolve Great In Water
It’s not the best experience when an electrolyte powder settles at the bottom of your drink (which means that last gulp is extra powerful) or if it clumps and doesn’t dissolve at all. Protekt solves that with their unique single-serve liquid packs that squirt right into a bottle of water and dissolve in an instant.
Just Ingredients: Hydration With Real Fruit Flavors
Molly has been a long-time devotee of Just Ingredients products, which are paired down to just the basics you want to see on an ingredient list. The same is true of their electrolyte powders, which contain the electrolyte basics in a tasty drinkable format.
Paleo Valley: Electrolytes From Natural Sources
We love several of the Paleo Valley products, including their grass-fed meat sticks and organic coffee. We just recently became fans of their electrolyte powders, too, which come in three flavors.
Liquid I.V. Provides Electrolytes And Vitamins At Once
The brand has become popular among electrolyte options and is known for its many flavors and addition of a few essential vitamins along with electrolytes. Stacie and Ana have used this brand for a few years to fuel their hydration needs before and during workouts.
Redmond ReLyte: Sea Salt From An Ancient Sea
You may know Redmond for their sea salt, which is mined from the ancient Sundance Sea that covered central Utah during the Jurassic period, more than 200 million years ago. And since sodium is the most important electrolyte to replenish, it would make sense that a salt company gets into the electrolyte game. In addition to their salts, seasonings, and toothpaste, Redmond offers a line of hydration powders based on the original Redmond Real Salt plus electrolytes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do electrolytes do?
These are the main function of electrolytes in your body and why they are important:
– Balancing fluids in and around your body’s cells
– Balancing the pH level of your blood
– Preventing irregular heartbeat (keeping steady heart rhythm)
– Helping your body metabolize nutrients
– Moving nutrients in and out of cells
– Removing waste from your body’s cells
– Maintaining a steady blood pressure
What are the symptoms of electrolyte imbalance?
If your electrolyte levels get imbalanced (either too low or too high), you may experience a variety of symptoms, such as:
– Muscle spasms or twitching
– Muscle weakness
– Cramps
– Blood pressure changes
– Irregular heartbeat
– Numbness, especially in the extremities
– Excessive fatigue
– Frequent urination
– Headaches
– Confusion, lightheadedness, or brain fog
– Seizures
What are some reasons that electrolytes get imbalanced?
Here are some common reasons why electrolyte balance can be temporarily skewed:
Dehydration — not drinking water consistently or getting enough fluids
Excess sweating — either as an acute response (to heat or movement) or as a chronic condition
Malnutrition — not getting a consistent intake of essential nutrients or getting some in excess while getting low amounts of others
Drinking alcohol — your body excretes water and electrolytes in response to alcohol
Chronic health conditions — including thyroid disease, kidney disease, adrenal gland disorders, or cancer
Vomiting or diarrhea — as a response to infections, medications, food poisoning, GI distress, pregnancy, medical treatments, stress, motion sickness, smells, or concussion
Eating disorder — conditions like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa affect electrolyte balance
Burns — the skin helps protect against fluid and electrolyte loss, so injuries to the skin can result in an electrolyte imbalance, especially severe burns
Drinking too much water — can cause an electrolyte imbalance known as hyponatremia or water intoxication
Taking diuretics — if you’re prescribed diuretics to reduce fluid buildup, your doctor will likely test your electrolyte levels regularly, as these medications can disrupt their balance
Why was Gatorade invented?
Gatorade was developed in 1962 by scientists at the University of Florida. It was made to help university athletes replace fluids they lost during physical exertion and so they wouldn’t be so negatively affected by heat. The beverage has been a popular option for more than 60 years, for everyone from professional athletes to amateur sports enthusiasts to everyday people.
What is better than Gatorade for electrolytes?
Due to its high sugar content and artificial colors and flavor, Gatorade is not a necessary beverage for all who choose to use it, including young kids and people who aren’t very active or don’t need to replace a lot of electrolytes. Electrolyte drinks that have a lower sugar content (or no added sugars) as well as more natural ingredients, have entered the market to give people more electrolyte options.
Our nutritionist-approved electrolytes are LMNT, Skratch, Local Weather, Ultima, Just Ingredients, GU, Paleo Valley, Protekt, Nuun, Cure, Liquid I.V., and Redmond ReLyte. Some of these are appropriate for high-intensity workouts and others provide everyday hydration.
Are electrolytes supplements?
Electrolyte products can either be sold as a supplement (with a supplement facts panel) or a food and beverage (with a nutrition facts panel), depending on the format. Electrolytes that are tablets or powders are most often sold as supplements, while ready-to-drink electrolyte beverages are often sold as beverages (not supplements).
