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For anyone exercising and sweating a lot, it’s important to not just hydrate by drinking water regularly but to replenish your electrolytes, too. In the past couple years, I got back into distance running after taking some time off. As I started to run more frequently, I would go on long runs, proud of the fact that I didn’t need electrolyte supplements — just a sip of water before the run, and after, as if it made me tougher to do so. But I started to feel terrible on these runs, getting headaches and losing steam just a few miles in. After chatting with some dietitians for this story, I realized that running — or any strenuous activity — causes you to lose a ton of electrolytes, and I was not refueling properly. “The main types of electrolytes that we lose through sweat are sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium,” says registered dietitian Kristy Baumann, and of those, sodium is the most prevalent. These electrolytes and others are essential to keeping our bodies working properly, and an imbalance can not only make us feel terrible but can sometimes have serious consequences for our health.
Not everyone needs to be tearing open packets of electrolyte powders all day, however. “I’m always going to encourage people just to have a variety of foods in their diet and a balanced diet because that’s the primary source of where we will be getting our electrolytes,” says registered dietitian Kaleigh Tjoelker. It’s the days when we do find ourselves sweating more that we may need a little extra help. “Somebody running outside in the heat and humidity for less than an hour could definitely benefit from an electrolyte drink during their run,” says Baumann.
In fact, you lose so many electrolytes in long bouts of exercise that you might not be able to refuel them all during your workout — that would require an impractical amount of electrolyte intake. “It’s just not going to happen,” says Maddie Alm, a registered dietitian and professional runner. “So the goal is to try to minimize losses to the point where they’re not impacting performance, then make sure we’re really replenishing those electrolytes post-run.”
For those long workouts, you’ll also want to look for electrolyte supplements with carbohydrates. “Bonking” — a term athletes often use — “is when you use up all of your carbohydrate stores in your muscles,” says Tjoelker. Once we use up those stores, we hit the wall. “In general, if your workout is longer than an hour and 15 minutes — depending on duration and intensity — you need to take carbs in,” says Andrea Myers, a doctor of physical therapy and avid runner and cyclist. (It depends on each person, Myers says, but the general goal for endurance athletes is 60 to 100 grams of carbs per hour during exercise.) You may also want to pay attention to nutrition labeling on sports drinks if you’re not exercising so intensely, since you may not need or want the added sugars or carbohydrates that many of them have.
For those times when you do need more electrolytes, we’ve got you covered. I collected a few of my favorites and also spoke to six experts — a mix of registered dietitians, nutritionists, and coaches — about the various mixes, powders, and tablets that they use themselves and recommend for exercises and daily hydration. I also combed our archives to find the electrolyte powders that we’ve tested and reviewed and included them in this list.
Update on November 27, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
What we’re looking for
Format
Electrolyte mixes come in three main forms: powders, tablets, and liquid. Powders usually come in packets or larger bags. Tablets tend to be effervescent pucks that you can drop into your water bottle, and liquid electrolytes generally come in a small bottle and are concentrated (you usually only need a few drops to mix in).
Sodium content
Sodium content is the primary ingredient I’m looking for when picking out an electrolyte mix since it’s one of the main things I’m losing through sweat. If I’m working out, I’ll want higher sodium content per serving, around 300 milligrams or higher. If I’m just trying to refuel throughout the day, or if I’m traveling, I need less than that. This could vary for you, depending on how much you’re sweating and how much salt is in your diet.
Carbohydrate content
Athletes need to replenish their lost electrolytes, but if they’re working out for an extended period of time (like endurance athletes), they’ll need to refuel with carbohydrates as well. If you’re not doing strenuous activity, you likely won’t need an electrolyte mix with carbohydrates.
Best electrolyte powder overall
Format: Powder| Sodium content: 330 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 9 grams per serving
After years of only drinking water after my runs, I recently started regularly incorporating electrolyte packets in my training and my daily hydration routine. I use these packets to refuel all the sodium I’ve lost after each session, but I also use them to replenish electrolytes when I’m not exercising. I like that the powder has a medium mixture of sodium (330 milligrams) and carbs (nine grams), which I prefer, because I usually get the bulk of my carbs from a meal after workouts or just with meals throughout the day. One packet of DripDrop is similar to a Nuun tablet (below) in terms of their respective ingredient breakdowns, but if I’m feeling particularly parched and impatient after a tough workout, I like that I don’t have to wait for a tablet to dissolve. I can just pour in the powder, mix it up in my bottle, and start sipping. The packets are easy to travel with, too — I keep a few stashed in my bag so I can instantly hydrate right after track practice.
Best electrolyte tablet overall
Format: Tablet | Sodium content: 300 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 4 grams per serving
If you’re not doing intense exercise and don’t need the extra carbohydrates that you’d find in other mixes intended for athletes, consider these flavored tablets from Nuun. I’ve written about these nifty hydration tablets before, noting how I’ll pop one in my water bottle on a hike, or just sip throughout the workday when I’m feeling sluggish. One tablet has four grams of carbs and 330 milligrams of sodium. Unlike the powders here, which dissolve readily with a little stirring or shaking, the tablet takes a few minutes to fully dissolve, and it turns water effervescent. They’re also portable and come in a tube that prevents the tablets from getting crushed. Former Strategist senior writer and marathoner Karen Iorio Adelson likes that they aren’t loaded with sugar, unlike overly sweet sports drinks. Plus, Adelson uses them to help cure hangovers. Tjoelker recommends these tablets to the athletes she works with, many of whom play tennis. “They might be eating a banana during their match to get their carbs, and then they can have something like a Nuun tablet to get the electrolytes without the added sugar,” Tjoelker says.
Best electrolyte powders for athletes
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 380 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 20 grams per serving
This powdered-drink mix from Skratch is my go-to mix for my longest, most intense workouts because of its added carbohydrate content. It also comes recommended by three experts I spoke to, all of whom use it for hydrating during exercise, including cycling, running, and playing tennis. Myers says it’s her go-to mix for most workouts because of its medium amount of electrolytes and carbohydrates: a single serving has 380 milligrams of sodium and 20 grams of carbs. “I’ve used Skratch for years and it just gives me zero gut issues,” she adds. “I’ve used several of their flavors, but I tend to buy the lemon lime just because it has the mildest taste for me.” Baumann likes that this Skratch mixture has carbs, which she says are crucial for your muscles during long bouts of exercise. She uses this mix for runs that are around 90 minutes or so. Tjoelker likes its high sodium content and that it comes in a single bag: “It gives you a little bit more control on how much exactly you want to add to your water.”
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 300 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 28 grams per serving
On my longest, most intense workouts, I prefer an electrolyte mix with more carbohydrates in it, like this one from Momentous. Compared to the Skratch mix, it has eight more grams of carbs per serving and 80 fewer milligrams of sodium. I like mixing this powder into my handheld bottle on long runs, that way I can still get a decent amount of carb intake without having to carry extra gels. When it comes to taste, the cherry berry flavor tastes tart and sweet — so if you prefer saltier options, another mix might be better choice for you (like the Mortal Hydration or Only Hydration picks below).
Best (less-expensive) electrolyte mixture for athletes
Format: Liquid | Sodium content: 125 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 0 grams per serving
This simple concentrated electrolyte liquid is great for adding to drinks — especially if you like to run or bike with a water bottle. “I put a half-teaspoon of it in a liter of water, and it basically gives me all four electrolytes in my water. There’s no calories, no flavor, just the electrolytes,” Myers says. “It makes your water taste slightly salty. But I like that it’s very inexpensive per serving.” One half-teaspoon serving has 125 milligrams of sodium. If you want pure electrolytes and plan on refueling your carbs through other food sources like bars or gels, this add-in is an excellent option.
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 1000 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: Less than one gram per serving
The best thing about these Trace ZeroLyte packs is how much sodium (1,000 milligrams) and potassium (500 milligrams) is offered in each serving. ZeroLyte was my main powder of choice for my most recent marathon-training block, and with the summer heat, I definitely needed the additional sodium. (Compare that to a powder like DripDrop or a Nuun tablet, which contain 330 and 300 milligrams of sodium per serving, respectively.) It comes in basic fruit flavors, but I like how there are saltier versions (like Mortal Hydration’s) of each flavor. Plus, they’re about half the size of a regular electrolyte-powder packet, so I found these easy to stick in my running-shorts pockets or in the zippered pocket of my handheld bottle.
Best-tasting electrolyte powders
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 450 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 10 grams per serving
Out of all the electrolyte mixes I’ve tried, Mortal Hydration’s powders have the best-tasting flavors. While most of the powders on this list come in the usual lemon-lime and citrus mixes, Mortal Hydration’s mango, margarita, and berry flavors are refreshingly sweet, slightly savory, and more complex than generic fruity notes. Each flavor also comes in a saltier version (my favorite is salty mango), which has 920 milligrams of sodium per serving.
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 550 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 4 grams per serving
If you shop for electrolyte powders, you’ll likely find them available in flavors such as mixed berry, lemon lime, and other fruits like orange or strawberry. So it was refreshing to try powders from Only Hydration, which offers more unique flavors like asian pear, white peach, and lychee. My favorite is the yuzu citrus mix, which isn’t overly sweet and tastes surprisingly fresh (as opposed to the more artificial notes of other powders), like a glass of yuzu juice. Plus, compared to other mixes in this list, it has about 100 milligrams more sodium per serving, which makes this a great option if you sweat a lot.
Best electrolyte powders for heavy sweaters
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 1000 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 2 grams per serving
These packets are great for drinking throughout the day, or for replenishing electrolytes after light to moderate exercise. But because there’s 1,000 milligrams of sodium in such a small packet, I think it’s a great option for heavy sweaters who want to stay hydrated throughout the entire day — and sometimes even half a packet will do. “This is a great option for before or after a run, especially if you’re a heavy sweater, or if you’ve been running in the heat,” says Baumann. These packets don’t have carbohydrates in them, which is why they’re better suited for mixing in your drink and sipping throughout the day. One packet of LMNT has just over three times the amount in a single Nuun tablet, so this also is a good option if you’re feeling dehydrated after lots of sweat loss.
Best electrolyte powder for sensitive stomachs
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 5 milligrams per serving, 312 milligrams of potassium | Carbohydrate content: 11 grams per serving
Coconut waters naturally have lots of potassium — a key electrolyte — but it’s rare to find potassium-heavy mixes in formats other than cans or boxed beverages. Maria Wong, co-founder of running group Queens Distance Runners, drinks this coconut-water mixture to refuel after runs and likes that it’s easy on her stomach. “The coconut waters you see at Walgreens or CVS have too much sugar in them for me,” Wong says. This powder mixture is more subtle-tasting than the others listed here, and one serving delivers less sodium (five milligrams) and carbohydrates (ten grams), but it has 312 milligrams of potassium, which might be helpful if you tend to get muscle cramps.
Best electrolyte mixture with natural ingredients
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 270 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 0 grams per serving
If you’re looking for a powder made with natural ingredients, this pleasant-tasting mix from Moon Juice might fit the bill. Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens started taking more electrolytes when she began breastfeeding, which involves chugging lots of water. “I tried Nuun and LMNT and realized a couple of things — I like a little flavor, but I don’t want anything too artificial-tasting, and I didn’t like tossing out all these plastic tubes and single-use packets,” she says. Kitchens likes that this powder from Moon Juice comes in a glass jar, dissolves quickly, uses Himalayan pink salt, has a “very light but realistic” watermelon taste, and contains key electrolytes. “It’s so good, somehow I end up gulping down an entire 32 oz. Ball jar in one go,” Kitchens says. One serving has 270 milligrams of sodium, 130 milligrams of potassium, and 65 milligrams of magnesium — a well-rounded option that’s especially good if you don’t like the typical citrusy flavors of other powders.
Best electrolyte mixture for travel
Format: Powder | Sodium content: 530 milligrams per serving | Carbohydrate content: 5 grams per serving
Sometimes we can forget to drink water during the day, and an electrolyte powder can help us refuel when we haven’t properly hydrated throughout a busy workday or travel day. For on-the-go hydration, Tjoelker recommends these powder sticks from Liquid I.V. “I consider it more of a moderate option — it has a smaller amount of carbohydrates than a traditional sports drink, like say a Gatorade or a Powerade, but it does have just enough carbohydrates to kind of give you a little bit of boost. Those carbohydrates can actually help our body absorb some of those electrolytes and stay hydrated a little bit better compared to some of the other options that don’t have any carbohydrates in them,” she says. One packet has 510 milligrams of sodium, 380 milligrams of potassium, and 12 grams of carbs — which is ideal to sip on throughout the whole day, as opposed to powders meant to be used before or during exercise, like Skratch or elete. The small packets are also great for travel, which is why celebrities like Matt Rogers, Alyson Stoner, and Carson Kressley can’t live without it.
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