As a nutritionist, these are the best electrolyte drinks I’d recommend to stay hydrated

If you’ve resolved to up your fitness game in 2026, replace the salts and minerals lost through sweat with my pick of the best electrolyte drinks.

Much like pre-workout powders, the best electrolyte drinks can play a useful supportive role in our fitness regimes. Electrolyte drinks help replenish the naturally occurring salts and minerals that help balance our bodies’ fluids. Our electrolytes get depleted through exercise, most notably through sweating. The best electrolyte drinks often also contain carbohydrates and other nutrients to help you stay hydrated and to improve recovery.

But not all electrolyte drinks are created equal. It pays to consider the amount of the electrolytes potassium, chloride and particularly sodium in each drink, which help with preventing cramping, aiding muscle contraction and supporting hydration respectively.

If you’re not a heavy sweater, or need to reduce your intake of sodium for health reasons, you might want an electrolyte drink with lower sodium levels (say, less than 250mg per serving).

Best electrolyte drinks at a glance

Best electrolyte drink overall	I reckon the Nuun Hydration Sport is the best electrolyte drink for a number of reasons, including its reasonable price, how well it dissolves in water, its natural ingredients list – and, of course, its taste. Plus those mini tubes make it really easy to stick in a bag or pocket for electrolyte-boosted hydration on the go.
Best electrolyte drink for athletes	The well-established SiS Go Hydro is a great choice for pro athletes as it’s Informed Sport-approved for use in elite competition.
Best electrolyte drink for range of flavors	With eight regular flavors, a neutral tasting option and two caffeinated flavors, High 5 Zero has got you covered with its great tasting options.
Best tasting electrolyte drink	Just pipping Nuun to the post here is the Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix. With eight refreshing flavors to choose from, it’s the one I’d look forward to most at the end of a tough workout.
Best electrolyte drink for endurance	Gu Hydration Tablets mix with 750ml and contain a decent mix of electrolytes. Their punchy flavors hold up to being mixed with that much water and don’t lose their appeal even after longer sessions.
Best electrolyte drink for everyday hydration	In powder rather than tablet form, the Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder contains vitamin C and is an ideal way to keep on top of your daily hydration needs. Its nine flavors are pleasant enough, albeit on the milder side.
Best budget electrolyte drink	At almost a fifth of the price of the Skratch Labs option per serving, MyEndurance Hydr8 is a great budget choice. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals and good sodium levels, too, though it’s only available in orange.
Best electrolyte drink for functional hydration	Rather than just targeting sodium as a hydrating silver bullet, Good Salt goes for functional hydration, with ingredients such as ashwagandha, magnesium, taurine and zinc to help you move, focus and chill.

Best electrolyte drinks in 2026

1. Nuun Hydration Sport

With a good range of flavors, and available with or without caffeine, these mini tubes from Nuun are ideal for hydrating on the go. I found they dissolved well in water and didn’t require any shaking. I also liked how they have the most natural ingredients list of any product I tested, including natural sweeteners and coloring.

• Read more: Nuun Hydration Sport review

2. SIS Go Hydro

We all know Science In Sport is a brand driven by scientific data, so it knows a thing or two about optimal hydration. Its Go Hydro range has the highest sodium content per serving of any electrolyte drink I tested and it’s also one of the most reasonably priced. I tried the strawberry and lime flavor, which was light and refreshing with a slight tang. The tablets also dissolved quickly in water without the need for any additional shaking.

• Read more: SIS Go Hydro review

3. High5 Zero

Another trusted player in the sports nutrition market, High 5 is the go-to brand for many endurance runners, including many members of the Men’s Fitness team. It’s a good choice if you’re training for extended periods as one tablet is enough for a 750ml water bottle. They may be free of sugar, but these tabs are full of flavor – I tried the citrus flavor, which offered a nice balance of sweetness and tanginess.

• Read more: High5 Zero review

4. Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix

One of the best-tasting electrolyte drinks I had the pleasure of testing. Each serving contains a hefty 800mg of sodium, so it’s perfect for heavy, salty sweaters. I found this drink to not only be refreshing but also effective at increasing energy, making it beneficial as both an intra-workout and recovery drink. There are also an impressive eight flavors available, with each one providing a nice, hydrating option at the end of a tough workout.

• Read more: Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix review

5. GU Hydration Tablets

Ideal for larger bottles and longer sessions, GU tablets will see you through intense or prolonged training. I found the tablet combined well in water and didn’t require any additional shaking to combine. There’s a good amount of electrolytes in the mix, especially sodium, and I enjoyed the punchy flavors, but they may be a bit too intense for some people.

• Read more: GU Hydration Tablets review

6. Good Salt

Good Salt makes targeted electrolyte hydration drinks that are a little easier on the sodium than most, but don’t let that fool you. Its three varieties (Focus, Chill and Move) are each formulated for different states you might find yourself in throughout the day. Focus (lemon and lime / raspberry lemonade) has 100mg sodium per serving as well as l-theanine, zinc and B-vitamins to aid mental clarity; Chill (peach / lemonade) has 75mg sodium and chamomile to help you unwind; and Move (strawberry watermelon / tropical punch) has the most sodium – 400mg – as well as magnesium, taurine and citrulline malate to ‘help put back what your workout stole’. None of them have that unpleasant salty aftertaste so are quite pleasant to chug, they’re not overtly sweet, and they’re pretty decent value (particularly if you subscribe).

7. Punchy Hydration

Punchy Hydration cans are lightly carbonated drinks made from natural ingredients with essential electrolytes, vitamins and minerals to boost hydration, aid muscle function and support your immune system. Available in mango and blueberry flavor, and in boxes of from 4 to 48 cans, they are deliciously refreshing with flavors that are indeed 'punchy', without being overpowering.

Buying in larger boxes will drop the price a bit – and subscribing to a regular deliver will give you a further 15% discount. Caffeine-free and low calories, they're a tasty alternative to electrolyte tabs and with their balanced favors are enjoyable as part of a regular hydration regime, with meals or as a perfect pick-me-up for the morning after the night before

8. Cadence Electrolyte Drink

They're not cheap, but for those who are serious about their rehydration Cadence drinks are a sensible choice. These carbonated beverages are only beaten by SIS Go Hydro and Skratch Labs for sodium quantity, so are a great choice for heavy sweaters. There's key amounts of potassium and magnesium, too, and not a sniff of sugar or calories anywhere. They're also vegan-friendly and caffeine-free, with a pleasant, understated citrus flavor.

9. Hux Hydration Tablets

Hux tablets are a good low-sodium option and are more suited to general hydration and wellness than intense workout sessions. They have a good mix of electrolytes as well as a pleasantly sweet and tangy flavor. The tablets also dissolved quickly in water. I reckon you could dilute them further if you needed more fluid and they would still retain the flavor.

• Read more: Hux Hydration Tablets review

10. Puresport Ultra Electrolyte

With 1,000mg per serving, Puresport's new watermelon salt flavor has more sodium than any other electrolyte product on this list – many by twice as much or more. That will explain the very salty aftertaste, which takes a bit of getting used to, though that's mitigated by diluting each sachet by 900ml (which the company still recommends).

At around £1.10 per serving, these Ultra Electrolyte sachets are better value than most, too. And I really like their slim size – perfect for sticking in race belts or vests, or running short pockets. With a decent balance of other electrolytes and three flavors to choose from, Puresport's offering is well worth looking at.

Read more: Puresport Ultra Electrolytes

11. Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder

In powder rather than tablet form, this vitamin C-rich drink is ideal for everyday hydration and wellness. There's a good mix of electrolytes and a range of nine moreish flavors to choose from (I loved the raspberry and pink lemonade flavors). However, as they are sugar-free, I found the flavors to be milder than other options I tested, so these may not be popular with those who prefer a stronger, more flavorsome electrolyte.

• Read our full Ultima Replenisher review

12. ESN Pro Series Electrolyte Powder

The ESM Pro Series Electrolyte drink has a carbohydrate-electrolyte mix to both fuel and rehydrate you as you work out. Each 22.5g sachet contains 17g or carbs (of which only 1.1g is sugars), as well as a decent dose and mix of electrolytes – with 660mg sodium, 150mg potassium, 59mg calcium and 28mg magnesium.

The high level of sodium is ideal for rehydration but does leave a slightly salty aftertaste. However, the four flavors are quite pleasant and mild and each sachet will give you 625ml of electrolyte-rich fluid. The sachets are ideal for storing in running vests or belts for keeping on top of your hydration strategy in the middle of endurance events. An expensive but effective choice.

• Read our full ESN Pro Series Electrolyte Powder review

13. MyEndurance Hydr8

Hydr8 tablets are packed with vitamins and minerals with good sodium levels to suit endurance athletes. They're fortified with B vitamins too and work out to be the cheapest electrolyte drink per serving on test. The orange flavor is nice and tangy but a little on the sweet side. Also, I found the tablets didn't mix quite as well as others I tested, meaning I had to shake to get the end residues to combine.

• Read more: MyEndurance Hydr8 review

14. Powerbar 5 Electrolytes

Powerbar’s hydration tabs have an intense yet refreshing flavor (I tested the pink grapefruit flavor) and a caffeine kick for a pre-workout pick-me-up. They're sugar-free, too, and come in tiny tubes that we could just slip into a pocket – perfect for hydrating on the go. I also found that the tablets dissolved quickly, with no need for shaking.

• Read more: Powerbar 5 Electrolytes review

15. Humantra Hack #1

Humanatra is a new player in the electrolyte drinks game, and it's ticking all the right boxes. Its sachets contain all six essential electrolytes as well as antioxidants and are made from entirely natural ingredients. Electrolyte amounts are greater than many of the big name brands too.

Its three sugar-free flavors are punchy without being overwhelming and there's your daily dose of vitamins C and B12 in each sachet too. If you can stomach the price, you can't certainly stomach these pleasant flavored and exercise-supporting hydration hits.

Best electrolyte drinks FAQs

How we test the best electrolyte drinks

Nutritionist Rob Hobson has tested the best electrolyte drinks 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.

What are electrolyte drinks?

Put simply, electrolyte drinks are specifically designed to help replenish the body's electrolytes – naturally occurring salts and minerals that help balance our bodies' fluids. The best electrolyte drinks typically contain a blend of electrolytes, carbohydrates and other nutrients that work together to help support hydration and recovery. These drinks generally come as a powder or tablet that you dissolve in water.

Electrolytes are minerals that have an electrical charge when dissolved in water, meaning they can conduct an electrical current. The role of electrolytes is to help regulate the body's fluid balance, nerve function and muscle contraction while also assisting with the passage of nutrients in and out of cells.

The electrolytes sodium, potassium and chloride are found in the highest concentrations in bodily fluids such as sweat, blood and urine. The most important one concerning exercise performance is sodium.

What is the role of electrolytes?

Sodium: The most vital electrolyte that helps to maintain body fluid volume. Sodium is often added to sports drinks alongside glucose; glucose increases sodium absorption, in turn facilitating water absorption.

Potassium: This mineral helps to keep your body in a steady state of equilibrium and helps to prevent muscle cramping and weakness.

Chloride: During exercise, we require chloride for proper muscle contraction and transmission of nerve impulses.

When should you take electrolyte drinks?

Hydration is paramount during exercise, and fluid losses of more than 2% body weight can impair coordination, decision-making and overall athletic performance, and even more so in hot climates. The rate at which you sweat can influence how dehydrated you get during exercise, and with this comes the loss of sodium, which is even more significant in 'salty sweaters'.

Straight after a workout is the time that electrolyte drinks are most helpful. After an intense, lengthy training session or event, most people will undoubtedly finish with a fluid deficit. They will need to rehydrate during the recovery period.

If you are competing, having a good hydration strategy in place is advisable, and this includes rehydration during recovery. Consuming fluids alongside sodium in the form of electrolytes and foods can help with fluid retention. Electrolytes during this period can also help replace losses during exercise and are especially useful when you need rapid rehydration due to short periods between competing or training.

Benefits of electrolyte drinks

The role of electrolyte drinks during and after exercise is not to replace electrolytes lost through sweat but for several other purposes:

• Increasing the palatability of drinks
• Promoting drinking by maintaining thirst
• Preventing hyponatremia (low sodium levels resulting from excessive fluid consumption)
• Increasing the update of water in the body
• Increasing fluid retention

Should I take electrolytes while exercising?

There is only a benefit to taking electrolyte drinks (sodium) if you lose significant amounts of sweat or are training/competing for an extended period. The rate you sweat can vary and many factors can influence it such as exercise duration and intensity, fitness levels and climate. A sweat rate above 2L/hr would be considered high.

According to the Academy of Sports Nutrition and Medicine, circumstances requiring electrolytes (sodium) during exercise may include a sweat rate greater than 1.2L/h, exercise lasting more than 2 hours or having very salty sweat (your sweat may leave white marks on your kit). Experts suggest that electrolyte (sodium) consumption during exercise is 500-700mg per hour, which is highly variable and dependent on the individual. If someone is unconditioned, training in the heat and humidity, a salty sweater or exercising for several hours, they may need more.

Getting adequate sodium during an endurance or ultra-endurance event can also help prevent hyponatremia, when sodium levels in the blood are abnormally low. The symptoms of hyponatremia include fatigue, dehydration, confusion, slurred speech and vomiting, and if not treated can be life-threatening.

• February 2026: Dates changed to 2026, Good Salt electrolytes added to buyers guide and summary box.
• May 2026: New format implemented, including Schema spec and comparison tables tables and extended summary box, as well as new FAQ section.

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