Once upon a time, the “best electrolyte drink” could only be one of a few things: Gatorade, Powerade, or sometimes Pedialyte. But in recent years the category has exploded: In line with other health and wellness-related food and beverage products like protein powders and collagen supplements, there are now enough electrolyte powders, tablets, drops, and ready-to-drink bevs to make anyone’s head spin—including mine. Though I’m someone who likes to start her mornings off with a good sweat, I never thought much about what all these products marketing themselves as “hydrating,” “energy-boosting,” or “replenishing” actually did for my body—or whether whichever option I’d selected that day would actually taste good.
So I went looking for answers to three questions:
- What do electrolytes actually do?
- Who should be drinking them?
- Which ones taste the best?
I spoke with a registered dietitian about the science behind these beverages before taste testing over 13 popular brands to find the best electrolyte drinks for lots of different active lifestyles, whether you’re crushing HIIT classes on the daily or you’re more of a weekend pickleball person.
Jump straight to our favorite electrolyte drinks
What are electrolytes?
“Electrolytes essentially help with the fluid balance in our bodies,” says Taylor Grasso, MPPD, RD, a registered dietitian and host of the podcast Simply Balanced. Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride are some of the most common electrolytes. They play a key role in many of our bodies’ functions, including maintaining the balance between the fluid outside and inside of our cells. “When we have a balance of [electrolytes] in cohesion with proper hydration, then our body is going to actually be able to absorb that water,” says Grasso. That absorption happens through the process of osmosis: When a cell is concentrated with electrolyte ions, water will move into the cell towards that more concentrated solution.
Do I need to be drinking electrolyte enhanced beverages?
It depends. Electrolytes are essential for our bodies to function, but most people get plenty of them in their regular diet. Many fruits, vegetables, and other foods naturally contain a range of different electrolytes, and a lot of processed foods, though they might have other issues, are fortified with some kind of electrolyte—most frequently, sodium.
But there are several reasons you might want to consider adding an electrolyte drink or supplement of some sort to your routine. “We lose a lot of electrolytes in sweat,” says Grasso. That means that if you’re an athlete, intense exerciser, work an outdoor job in a hot climate, or are just generally a heavy sweater, replenishing with extra electrolytes can enable your body to properly hydrate.
Even if you’re not a particularly active individual, there are a few cases in which it may still be helpful to consume electrolytes. One such case? Hangovers. “You’re depleting your body of electrolytes when you’re drinking alcohol and a lot of the time it’s also dehydrating you,” says Grasso. “Electrolytes can really help to replenish a lot of that and make you feel a lot better as well.” Flying and being at high altitude can also severely dehydrate you, and Grasso notes that electrolyte drinks can be a potential remedy for the feelings of nausea, fatigue, and headache that can often come with air travel. And last, if you find yourself sick with fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, that can deplete you of electrolytes too—which is why Pedialyte, for instance, was historically marketed as a rehydration drink for sick children.
Should I drink electrolytes before or after exertion?
Grasso says this ultimately comes down to personal preference, but as a dietitian she typically recommends adding those electrolytes after your workout, travel, or big night out. “That is when you’re actually needing the electrolytes and they’re going to help replenish you,” she says. “I also think it obviously tastes really good after a heavy sweat.” If you’re partial to chugging your electrolytes before your workout to preempt a sweat sesh, consider that you may need to re-up afterwards as well.
What to look for in an electrolyte drink
Grasso tends to look at the quantities of two main ingredients when considering an electrolyte drink: sodium and sugar. They’re the two that can vary the most. Sodium had the widest swings compared to other types of electrolytes in the drinks I tested, from the mere 50 milligrams in the Buoy Hydration Drops to the whopping 1000 milligrams found in LMNT. “In terms of what to look for, pay attention to the sodium in comparison to where you’re getting sodium from in your diet,” says Grasso. If you eat a lot of frozen foods, canned soups, or processed meats, but you’re still looking to supplement your electrolyte intake for one reason or another, Grasso recommends opting for something on the lower end of the spectrum of the sodium range—something with 500 milligrams or less. If you’re a salt lover who can’t resist the taste of the more sodium-heavy drink mixes like LMNT, consider going with half of a packet rather than the full dose.
