As a nutritionist I think these are the best electrolyte drinks to stay hydrated

If you’ve resolved to up your fitness game in 2024, replace the salts and minerals lost through sweat with my pick of the best electrolyte drinks.

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).

What’s the best electrolyte drink?

After my extensive tests, I’d recommend the Nuun Hydration Sport as the best electrolyte drink. That’s down to a number of factors, 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. Of course, the well-established SiS Go Hydro and High 5 Zero tablets aren’t far behind.

Other electrolyte drink recommendations

Best for taste	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 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 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 on a budget	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.

1. Nuun Hydration Sport

Serving size	1 tablet in 475ml water
Sodium per serving	300mg
Price per serving	65p
Flavors	13 available (4 caffeinated)

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

Serving size	1 tablet in 500ml water
Sodium per serving	870mg
Price per serving	40p
Flavors	13 available

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

Serving size	1 tablet in 750ml water
Sodium per serving	250mg
Price per serving	40p
Flavors	9 available

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

Serving size	1 scoop to bottle of water
Sodium per serving	800mg
Price per serving	£1.39
Flavors	8 available

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

Serving size	1 tablet in 750ml water
Sodium per serving	320mg
Price per serving	55p
Flavors	Lemon and lime, three berries, orange, strawberry lemonade

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. Punchy Hydration

Serving size	330ml
Sodium per serving	<330mg
Price per serving	From £1.67 per can
Flavors	Mango, blueberry

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

7. Cadence Electrolyte Drink

Serving size	250ml
Sodium per serving	500mg
Price per serving	£3 (discounted with subscription)
Flavor	Citrus

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.

8. Hux Hydration Tablets

Serving size	2 tablets in 200ml water
Sodium per serving	116mg
Price per serving	70p
Flavors	Lemon and elderflower, ginger and lemongrass, watermelon

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

9. Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder

Serving size	1 tablet in 450ml water
Sodium per serving	55mg
Price per serving	77p
Flavors	9 available

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

10. MyEndurance Hydr8

Serving size	1 tablet in 400ml water
Sodium per serving	345mg
Price per serving	25p
Flavor	Orange

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

11. Powerbar 5 Electrolytes

Serving size	1 tablet in 250ml water
Sodium per serving	250mg
Price per serving	33p
Flavors	Raspberry and pomegranate, lemon tonic, blackcurrant, pink grapefruit, mango and passionfruit

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

12. Humantra Hack #1

Serving size	1 sachet in 500ml water
Sodium per serving	220mg
Price per serving	£1.40
Flavors	Elderberry, Himalayan lime, berry pomegranate

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.

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 before working out?

Starting intense exercise in a state of optimal total body water is important. In some cases, adding electrolytes (sodium) to fluids to promote fluid retention can achieve this. This is especially relevant if you’re about to start a long race, competition or hardcore training session.

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.

Is it OK to drink electrolytes every day?

If you don’t need an electrolyte, then there is no point in taking one. It is also worth remembering that these drinks are high in sodium. While athletes may need more in their diet during training and competition, people generally consume too much sodium, which can harm your health and increase your risk of high blood pressure.

You can get all the necessary electrolytes from your food, and most people get more than enough sodium. Eating plenty of plant-based foods such as vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds will ensure a good intake of other minerals from your diet.

Can electrolyte drinks help hangovers?

Some people swear by electrolyte drinks to help with the electrolyte imbalances caused by fluid losses during a drinking session. However, there is a lack of research to prove that the severity of a hangover is correlated with a disruption in electrolyte balance or that adding electrolytes to your diet will help lessen the severity of a hangover. In most cases, your body will quickly restore the balance of electrolytes once the effect of alcohol wears off.

Electrolytes are most effective in helping with rehydration during recovery from intense, lengthy exercise, heavy or salty sweaters and those involved in endurance sports. For everyone else, you should be able to get what you need from the food you eat.

Related content:

• How to measure sweat rate
• What are the health benefits of magnesium?
• Can electrolyte drinks cure a hangover?