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“ELECTROLYTES” ARE MORE than a buzzword slapped on sports drinks. They’re essential minerals that your body needs.
But with a dizzying array of bottled electrolyte drinks, electrolyte drops, and electrolyte powders, it can be hard to know which is right for you.
And do you even need electrolyte elixirs in the first place?
“Your activity level is the most important consideration when choosing an electrolyte drink,” explains Kim Yawitz, R.D., a gym owner in St. Louis, MO. “You might not need an electrolyte drink if your workouts are quick, you don’t sweat much, and you eat foods with salt.”
But if you sweat a lot, work out regularly and for long stretches, and/or tend to eat a lower-salt diet, an electrolyte supplement via a drink, drops, or powder, may be for you. (As always, consult with a registered dietitian or your primary care physician to determine what is best for your personal needs.)
Ahead, registered dietitians give an overview of these essential minerals and reveal their top choices for electrolyte drinks.
What are electrolytes?
“Electrolytes are minerals that have an electric charge either positive such as sodium or negative such as chloride,” says Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D.N., sports dietitian for the Kansas City Chiefs and owner of Active Eating Advice.
“Optimizing electrolytes is a key component of fluid balance to be proactive and preventative when it comes to hydration,” Bonci says. “In the past, sports drinks were the primary way to consume electrolytes in addition to what is commonly found in food, but there are now powders and drops that can be used as well as new versions of sports drinks,” says Bonci.
Why do you need electrolytes?
Electrolytes keep various systems in your body running smoothly.
An adult’s body is roughly 60 percent water. Almost every fluid and cell in your body contains positively or negatively charged ions, according to the Cleveland Clinic. “They are essential for maintaining fluid balance within and out of the cells and also assist with muscle contractions, transmit nerve signals, manage heart rhythm, and metabolize nutrients. [Electrolytes are also] key components of molecules,” says Bonci.
What makes a good electrolyte drink?
It depends on who you are.
Do you go hard in your workouts—especially outdoors? You need sodium. “For longer, hotter, or more intense workouts, look for an electrolytes drink that contains sodium. Sodium replaces some of the salt lost in sweat, and it also promotes hydration by increasing thirst and helping your body retain water,” says Yawitz.
Electrolyte supplementation may also help delay time to exhaustion in endurance athletes. The sodium content in electrolyte drinks ranges from a few milligrams to 1000 milligrams or more. How many electrolytes you need is highly individual. “Unless you are the sweatiest of sweaters, 300 to 600 milligrams of sodium per hour of intense exercise should do the trick,” she says. (One way to know if you're on the sweatier side is if you see salt stains on your clothes after exercise.)
As Yawitz notes, some electrolyte drinks have added sugar to improve flavor and enhance fluid retention. But, she cautions, you probably don’t need added calories and sugar from electrolytes drinks unless you're working out at moderate to high intensity for over an hour.
Experts generally say that you don't even need to supplement electrolytes if you're working out at that intensity for less than an hour.
Below, electrolyte drinks that get Yawitz's and Bonci’s stamp of approval.
Pros
- Every order includes free one-on-one access to a registered dietitian
- Pretty tasty
Cons
- Limited flavors
- Not available at supplement stores, supermarkets, and other retail outlets
- A little pricey, at $1.43 per serving (but there is a 30% discount on your first order)
Yawitz says this product takes the guesswork out of choosing the best electrolyte supplement. “Answer a few questions on their website about your goals, preferred activities, height and weight, caffeine preferences, and how sweaty you get, and Gainful will customize an electrolyte supplement just for you,” she says.
Pros
- Tastes great
- Available in eight flavors, including an unflavored option
Cons
- Only available in single-serving stick packs, which makes it difficult to use half or partial doses.
- At $1.50 per serving, it’s one of the most expensive of the bunch
Bonci loves the flavors of these drink mixes and says they are great add-ins to a smoothie or water. There’s “no sugar so [you] will need to mix with some carbohydrate source for longer duration/high intensity exercise,” she says. The product is much higher in sodium than others—a taste issue for some—and is better suited for big sweaters. One serving provides a whopping 1,000 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, and 60 milligrams of magnesium, which can help you recover from long, hot, or intense activity.
“I love it after long CrossFit Metcons [a type of workout that focuses on your metabolic systems] during the summer, but I also recommend it to my clients who do construction work and other physically demanding jobs in warm climates,” says Yawitz.
Tailwind Endurance Fuel
Pros
- Provides energy, calories, and hydration for longer workouts
- The multi-serving bag allows you to experiment and find the best dose for your needs
Cons
- Also available in single-serving packs
- At $39.99 for 50 servings, it's pricey
“Any experienced endurance athlete knows that the wrong sports drink can make or break your performance,” says Yawitz, who likes that Tailwind Endurance Fuel is sweetened with dextrose and cane sugar, which tend to be gentler on the stomach than artificial sweeteners. “
This added sugar provides an energy boost during long workouts, and it can also enhance hydration by helping your cells hold on to more water,” she continues, highlighting that Tailwind contains 25 grams of sugar, 310 milligrams of sodium, 90 milligrams of potassium, and 12 milligrams of magnesium per scoop, with a recommended dosage of two to three scoops per hour of exercise.
Klean Athlete Klean Hydration
Pros
- Lower sugar
- Supports fluid replenishment after sweating
Cons
- Only one flavor (orange)
- $21 gets you 10 sachets, so also pricey
“For those with higher electrolyte losses/heavy sweaters, it may be advantageous to add an electrolyte powder/drops to a beverage,” says Bonci. Electrolyte powders are not a source of fluid nor fuel, but they can enhance fluid intake and electrolytes and “also expedite gut emptying to more efficiently hydrate during exercise,” she says.
If you fall into the category of being a heavy sweater but are also mindful of carbs, Bonci advises opting for a lower-sugar product like this one.
Pros
- Available at many major retailers
- Portable and convenient
- Less-expensive, at about $0.75 per serving
- Available with or without caffeine
Cons
- It’s fizzy, which can be uncomfortable during strenuous workouts
Yawitz keeps a tube these tablets in her gym bag for unexpected hydration emergencies. “One tablet provides 300 milligrams of sodium, as well as some calcium, magnesium, and potassium,” she says. The compact packaging makes these easy to carry around with you.
Pros
- Great flavor
- Contains zinc and vitamin C
Cons
- It costs $35.99 for a 42-count pack
Bonci recommends this electrolyte powder for its flavor. She also points out that there is a no-sugar version on offer, too, DripDrop Zero. The tasty powders contain magnesium, and are lower in sodium and potassium than others, but if mixed into an electrolytes beverage they provide adequate amounts of electrolytes, says Bonci. Now, go DripDrop in Berry, Watermelon, Hibiscus, Concord Grape, Decaf Green Tea, or…
Pros
- Available in powder form or grab-and-go tetra paks
- Sugar-free and low in calories
Cons
- A bit pricey, at $2.53 per serving
- Limited availability in grocery and supplement stores (meaning, you’ll likely have to order it online)
- A little low in sodium for longer or more intense workouts
Nooma is made with ingredients like coconut water, pink Himalayan salt and stevia. Yawitz is a fan of the nutrition stats as a “12-ounce serving provides 110 milligrams of sodium, 35 milligrams of calcium, 340 milligrams of potassium, and 20 milligrams of magnesium.”
Perri is a New York City-born and -based writer; she holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Columbia University and is also a culinary school graduate of the plant-based Natural Gourmet Institute, which is now the Natural Gourmet Center at the Institute of Culinary Education. Her work has appeared in the New York Post, Men's Journal, Rolling Stone, Oprah Daily, Insider.com, Architectural Digest, Southern Living, and more. She's probably seen Dave Matthews Band in your hometown, and she'll never turn down a bloody mary. Learn more at VeganWhenSober.com.
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