Powerbar’s 5 Electrolytes hydration tabs have an intense flavour and a caffeine kick for a pre-workout pick-me-up, writes nutritionist Rob Hobson.
Better known for its energy bars, Powerbar also produces a range of the best electrolyte drinks tablets. The Powerbar 5 Electrolytes contain the body’s essential electrolytes to support fluid balance and hydration. The important electrolyte is sodium, and with 250mg in every serving there’s enough here to keep you hydration and to ward off hyponatraemia during prolonged exercise. Powerbar recommends using one tablet with 250ml water per serving.
Men’s Fitness verdict
With pocket-sized packaging, these electrolyte tablets are handy for rehydrating on-the-go. They feature a good range of electrolytes, but the serving size may not suit everyone.- Handy sized packs
- Good range of electrolytes
- Needs 3 tablets to fill a 750ml water bottle
- Taste may be too sweet and intense for some
How we tested the best electrolyte drinks
Nutritionist Rob Hobson has tested eight of the best electrolyte drinks to help you find the right one to support your hydration and recovery needs. An award-winning, registered nutritionist and sports nutritionist with over 15 years of experience, Rob is a distinguished expert in the fields of nutrition, health, and sports. During the testing process, Rob tested each electrolyte drink for taste, solubility and effectiveness in terms of their hydration and nutritional benefits.
Powerbar 5 Electrolytes performance on test
These electrolyte tablets are suitable for all sports, including endurance events. To fill a large water bottle (750ml), you’d need to add three tablets which will set the sodium content relatively high. So this may not be the best option for anyone who needs to watch their sodium intake for health reasons.
The tablets are sugar-free and sweetened with sucralose. The pink grapefruit I tested is refreshing, but also a little sweet and a bit too intense, which may not suit everyone. I did find that the tablets dissolved quickly, though, with no need for shaking.
Powerbar 5 Electrolytes limitations
All flavours of 5 Electrolytes contain 75mg of caffeine, around the same amount as a regular cup of coffee. This may suit some people who like to use caffeine before and during training or competition to aid performance, but it’s not ideal for evening sessions.
With only ten tabs in each tube they’re easily pocketable. At 33p per serving they do seem like good value but if you need to fill larger bottles with the recommended dosage it can start to get pricey. There are five flavours to choose from – raspberry and pomegranate, lemon tonic, blackcurrant, pink grapefruit, and mango and passionfruit.
| Serving size: | 1 tablet in 250ml water |
| Sodium per serving: | 250mg |
| Price per serving: | 33p |
| Flavours: | Raspberry and pomegranate, lemon tonic, blackcurrant, pink grapefruit, mango and passionfruit |
