In powder rather than tablet form, the vitamin C-rich Ultima Replenisher drink is ideal for everyday hydration and wellness, writes nutritionist Rob Hobson.
Rather than the tablet form of most of the best electrolyte drinks, Ultima Replenisher is available in powder form. You can buy it in a pouch with 20 single-serving stick packs, or as 30- or 90-serving tubs. The manufacturer recommends dissolving each serving or scoop in 450ml water.
Men’s Fitness verdict
This sugar-free blend mixes well and offers a decent combination of electrolytes, along with vitamin C. It’s more suited to day-to-day hydration, rather than replenishing after extreme exercise.- A natural blend free from artificial sweeteners, flavourings or colourings
- Good combination of electrolytes
- Mixes very well
- Not the strongest of flavours
- Sodium levels are too low to support prolonged exercise
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.
Ultima Replenisher benefits
Ultima Replenisher contains a good blend of electrolytes as well as vitamin C. However, compared to other options I’ve tested, it has very little sodium at just 55mg per serving, so it’s better suited to everyday activities and wellness rather than supporting hydration under more extreme exercise conditions. Vitamin C is good for boosting the immune system and for its antioxidant properties, though it’s not necessary for hydration.
The powder is sugar-free, sweetened with stevia and flavoured and coloured naturally. While this may appeal to some people, the result is that the favour is very mild and subtle in my opinion. So it may not go down well with those that prefer a stonger, more flavoursome electrolyte.
Ultima Replenisher: performance on test
On test, I found that the electrolyte mixed very well with water, which is one big benefit of using a powder rather than a soluble tablet. It’s also straightforward to adjust the dose to suit a bigger serving size rather than having to break tablets into portions.
The packaging isn’t the most convenient (unless you buy the stick packs) if you’re looking for an electrolyte you can carry in your kit bag. So you’ll need to prepare your drink either before or after training sessions.
You can only buy Ultima Replenisher online, but there are nine flavours to choose from, as well as the different pack sizes. The larger 90-serving tub is the most cost-effective, but even that works out at 77p per serving, which is one of the most expensive on test.
| Serving size: | 1 tablet in 450ml water |
| Sodium per serving: | 55mg |
| Price per serving: | 77p |
| Flavours: | 9 available |
