8 Best Electrolyte Drinks of 2023 According to a Dietitian

Are Electrolyte Drinks Beneficial?

While electrolyte drinks aren’t typically necessary for everyday use, there are some situations in which they can be extremely helpful for preventing dehydration.

If you have lost too many electrolytes and attempt to rehydrate with plain water, dehydration is still possible. Dehydration can increase the stress on your heart, make exercise more difficult, and impair your ability to regulate your body temperature. When athletes lose 2 percent of their body weight from water loss, it can result in reduced aerobic performance and cognitive decline. In some cases, drinking too much plain water can lead to hyponatremia, a dangerous condition in which blood sodium levels drop too low.

People who may benefit from electrolyte drinks to prevent dehydration include:

• Athletes engaging in prolonged strenuous exercise: Athletes engaging in strenuous exercise for over an hour, or who are including intense intervals, may benefit from using electrolyte drinks to prevent dehydration. Drinks that contain electrolytes and small amounts of carbohydrates may improve the rate at which your cells take in sodium and water, allowing you to rehydrate more quickly. These drinks also usually taste better, which encourages you to drink more.
• Those exercising in warm weather: Electrolyte drinks can be particularly useful if you are exercising for long periods in warm weather.
• Those experiencing altitude changes: If you travel to a place with high altitude and you are not accustomed to it, it can result in an electrolyte imbalance. You might consider including electrolyte drinks along with water and carbohydrates.
• People with fluid loss from diarrhea or vomiting: We also lose fluids and electrolytes via feces and vomiting. If you are experiencing excess fluid loss due to an illness, you may benefit from an electrolyte drink along with adequate water and food. It is best to consult with your healthcare provider to determine whether an electrolyte drink is necessary.

Who May Not Benefit from Electrolyte Supplements

• Recreational athletes: If you exercise at low to moderate intensity (if you can comfortably talk or sing while exercising) for less than an hour you likely do not need electrolyte drinks. You probably will not sweat out enough electrolytes to require quick and immediate replenishment. By focusing on recovering with water and food that contains salt as well as the other electrolytes lost in sweat, you will be able to replace what you lost.
• Sedentary individuals: If you are not exercising and have not lost large amounts of fluids for another reason such as an illness, you likely do not need to use an electrolyte drink. You can focus instead on staying hydrated with regular water. Plus, some electrolyte drinks contain added sugars that can be beneficial to athletes but are likely not needed if you follow a balanced diet.
• Children who are not high intensity athletes: Electrolyte drinks are usually unnecessary for children engaged in routine play. Most research on electrolyte drinks has been conducted in adults, and children should generally turn to water as a first means of hydration. However, electrolyte drinks may benefit children who are competitive athletes or who are at risk of dehydration due to illness.

A Look at Other Electrolyte Drinks on the Market

Coconut Water

While coconut water is an excellent source of potassium and is fine for regular daily hydration, it is naturally low in sodium. If you are engaging in prolonged exercise or working out in the heat, we recommend choosing an electrolyte drink that contains sodium to help you replace what you lost and to rehydrate more quickly.

Gatorade Zero

Gatorade Zero contains the electrolytes sodium and potassium. It does not, however, contain any sugar, which can help you rehydrate and refuel more quickly during and after strenuous and prolonged exercise. It also contains artificial sweeteners and dyes.

"Regular Gatorade, on the other hand, is an effective, affordable rehydrating electrolyte drink. However, Gatorade is made using artificial flavors and colors, which you may prefer not to consume," says Autumn Rauchwerk, a registered dietitian and athlete with a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology.

"Gatorade has a high amount of added sugar, which is beneficial for rehydration in highly active individuals exercising intensely or in hot conditions and for those who are sick and at risk of dehydration. However, it is not necessary for casual athletes or people who are not active. Ultimately, it is up to you to weigh the risks and benefits and determine which electrolyte drink is the best choice for you," says Rauchwerk.

LMNT

LMNT is an electrolyte powder meant to be mixed into water. It does not contain any added sugar and has 1,000 milligrams of sodium per serving. While we want to choose drinks with some added sodium after strenuous exercise, this high level may not be suitable for everyone.

Ultima Replenisher

Ultima Replenisher is a powdered drink mix. While it contains potassium, calcium, and magnesium, it only contains 55 milligrams of sodium per serving and does not contain any carbohydrates. We therefore would not recommend using this drink mix to refuel and rehydrate from strenuous efforts.

Essentia Electrolyte Water

Essentia Electrolyte Water is marketed as an alkaline water infused with electrolytes. There is not enough research backing the benefits of alkaline water over regular water. Since Essentia contains only trace amounts of electrolytes, it would not be enough to replenish what you lost while exercising. You might stick to regular water hydration to save money.

Vitamin Water

Vitamin water is advertised as water with added electrolytes. The electrolytes contained however are often not those lost in sweat. Of note, it does not contain sodium to aid in recovery from prolonged exercise.

Watermelon Water

Watermelon water is marketed as being packed with electrolytes to help with workout recovery. However, it contains very little sodium, and the ingredients are mainly watermelon and water. You might consider sticking to plain water to save money.

How We Select Supplements

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements; you can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here. 

We support supplements that are evidence-based and rooted in science. We value certain product attributes that we find to be associated with the highest-quality products.

It's important to note that the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend.

For this article, we also consulted with Kristy Baumann, RD, a dietitian who specializes in working with runners, and Autumn Rauchwerk, a registered dietitian with a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology.

What to Look for in an Electrolyte Drink

Third-Party Testing

Supplements that are third-party tested are sent to a lab where they are tested to ensure that they contain what they say they contain and are not contaminated with specific high-risk, common contaminants. However, it’s important to note:

1. Third party testing does not test to see if a product is effective or safe for everyone, and it does not ensure that the supplement will not interact with other supplements or medications.
2. Not all third-party testing is created equal. It is not uncommon for supplement companies to pay labs for certificates after conducting minimal to no testing. 
3. The third-party certifications we can trust are: ConsumerLab.com, NSF, and USP. However, these certifications are difficult to obtain and/or expensive for manufacturers, so many companies choose not to get their products tested by one of these three organizations. 
4. Sometimes products tested by these three companies are more expensive to try to offset the cost they pay for certification.
5. Just because a supplement is not tested by one of these three companies, that does not mean it’s a bad product. We recommend doing some research on the reputability of the manufacturer, and calling up the manufacturer and their testing lab to determine their protocols and decide whether you feel comfortable consuming the supplement.

Sports supplements, including electrolyte drinks, are not commonly third-party tested to verify their ingredients and ensure that they are free from potential contaminants. But it is possible for them to be contaminated with ingredients prohibited by sports organizations. If you are a competitive athlete, you may want to choose products that are third-party tested for substances banned in sport. These certifications include Informed Sport or NSF Certified for Sport.

Form

Electrolyte drinks are available as prepared liquid drinks, powders, and tablets that dissolve in liquid. Consider what type of exercise you will be engaging in, to determine the best form for you.

Ingredients and Potential Interactions

It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included, relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Please take the supplement label to your healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

Electrolyte drinks vary in their ingredients. Most contain water, sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, in varying amounts. Some contain additional ingredients including vitamins, such as the B vitamins, vitamin C, or added flavorings. If you are sensitive to caffeine, be aware that some electrolyte drinks also contain caffeine.

The most important electrolyte to look out for in a rehydration drink is sodium. "If you’re sweating in the heat for an extended period of time, exercising for multiple hours, or running at high altitude, consider choosing an electrolyte beverage with a higher electrolyte profile and more sodium," says Baumann. Electrolyte drinks with sodium replenish losses through sweat, and also help your body hold onto water, which aids in hydration.

Some electrolyte drinks contain added sugars. These sugars are meant to provide athletes engaged in prolonged exercise with a source of quickly releasing energy and can also help athletes stay hydrated. If you are performing exercise for shorter durations or at lower intensities, you should be able to adequately recover by drinking water and eating a balanced meal.

Electrolyte Drink Dosage

There is no Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for electrolyte drinks, but there are established recommendations for the minerals they contain. The recommended amount differs by age, sex, and overall health, and will also differ for people who are pregnant or lactating. 

According to the Institute of Medicine, if you are performing prolonged physical activity in hot weather, you should include drinks with 20-30 meq/L (440-690 mg/L) sodium, 2-5 meq/L (78-95 mg/L) potassium, and five to ten percent carbohydrate.

Many electrolyte drinks also contain small amounts of calcium and magnesium, though the amounts lost in sweat are very low. Being sure you're meeting your daily needs of these minerals from food can help prevent imbalances. The Adequate Intake of potassium per day for adult men is 2,400 milligrams and for adult women is 2,600 milligrams. The RDA for calcium is 1,000 milligrams for adult men and women.

How Much Is Too Much?

Electrolyte drinks are generally well tolerated. However, if you do consume many electrolyte drinks daily, they can lead to an electrolyte excess. High sodium intakes over time can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease. While there are risks associated with over-consuming potassium, magnesium, and calcium, the amounts contained in electrolyte drinks are unlikely to pose any harm.

Since some electrolyte drinks contain added carbohydrates, overconsumption can also contribute to cavities and excess sugar intake.

Why Trust Verywell Fit

Tamar Kane, MS, RD, is a Registered Dietitian and marathon runner. Tamar has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Teachers College Columbia University and specializes in working with plant-based athletes often interested in incorporating electrolyte drinks. Her goal is to help people understand how to fuel their bodies properly (and supplement if needed!) to optimize performance and well-being.