The 6 Best Electrolyte Supplements of 2023

Are Electrolyte Supplements Beneficial?

If you consume a balanced diet, you likely will not need electrolyte supplements for daily use. However, there are certain situations involving fluid loss in which they may help you avoid dehydration. Both sodium and carbohydrates can help your body hold onto more water and rehydrate more quickly.

Additionally, if you are losing excessive fluids through sweat, urine or diarrhea, consuming both water and electrolytes may be beneficial to replace losses. Drinking too much plain water can sometimes lead to a condition known as hyponatremia, in which levels of sodium in the blood drop too low.

Electrolyte supplements may help you avoid dehydration if you:

Engage in prolonged exercise: Dehydration during athletic endeavors in particular can result in increased stress on your body and impaired performance. If you are exercising for over an hour or incorporating intense intervals, you may benefit from an electrolyte supplement that contains both electrolytes and carbohydrates. This can help your body retain water so that you are able to rehydrate more quickly.

Exercise in the heat: If you exercise in the heat, you will likely be losing more fluids as well as sodium via sweat. Electrolyte supplements may be particularly useful in these situations to support adequate electrolyte and water balance in the body.

Experience altitude shifts: Altitude changes can result in electrolyte imbalances. Electrolyte supplements, water, and carbohydrates may help you acclimate.

Experience alcohol or illness-related fluid losses: If you lose fluids and electrolytes due to illness-related vomiting or diarrhea, you may benefit from an electrolyte supplement in addition to water and carbohydrates. Additionally, alcohol can have a diuretic effect, meaning it increases your urine output, which can lead to water and electrolyte losses requiring replenishment.

Who May Not Benefit From Electrolyte Supplements

Recreational athletes: If you are engaging in low intensity exercise for under 60 minutes, you can likely recover with a balanced meal and plain water. Focus on incorporating foods that contain the main electrolytes lost in sweat, namely sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Sedentary individuals: If you do not engage in prolonged exercise and you follow a balanced diet, you likely do not need electrolyte supplements. However, it is still important to focus on staying hydrated throughout the day with regular water and balanced meals.

Those with certain medical conditions: Those with certain kidney and heart conditions requiring a low-sodium diet may want to avoid high sodium electrolyte supplements. Additionally, those with diabetes may want to take caution when consuming supplements with quick-releasing glucose, as it can cause blood sugar spikes.

Children who do not experience excess fluid loss: Children can typically meet their hydration and electrolyte needs through adequate water intake and a balanced diet. Children who are experiencing excess fluid losses through sweat, diarrhea or vomiting may benefit from electrolyte drinks, specifically an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) containing water, glucose and electrolytes.

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.

What to Look For

Ingredients & 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 bring the supplement label to a 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.

Electrolytes: Most electrolyte supplements contain the electrolytes lost in sweat, including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Different supplements will differ in exact amounts, but if you are exercising in the heat for prolonged periods, consider a higher sodium profile.

Other ingredients: Electrolyte supplements often contain additional ingredients such as added sugars, vitamins, or flavorings. The added sugars provide you with a source of energy and help your body hold onto water. They also make the drink palatable, encouraging you to drink more. Some electrolyte supplements also contain caffeine, which may provide a performance boost, but may not be suitable for all.

Electrolyte Supplement Dosage

Always speak with a healthcare professional before adding a supplement to your routine to ensure that the supplement is appropriate for your individual needs and to understand which dosage to take.

While there is no recommended dose when it comes to electrolyte supplements, there are established Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)  for the minerals they contain. This differs based on age, sex, and overall health, as well as for those who are pregnant or lactating.

If you are engaging in prolonged physical activity in hot weather, the Institute of Medicine states 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 content. Electrolyte drinks often contain calcium and magnesium as well, although we do not lose as much of these minerals when we sweat.

Please keep in mind that electrolyte needs differ depending on your individual body, sweat rate, activity type and duration, and the conditions you are exercising in, so finding the best electrolyte supplement and dose for you may take some experimenting. If possible, we recommend working with a registered dietitian who specializes in working with athletes to help you in this process.

You can further avoid electrolyte imbalances by eating foods with these minerals. The Adequate Intake for potassium per day is 2400 milligrams for adult men and 2600 milligrams for adult women, and the RDA for calcium is 1000 mg for both adult men and women.

How Much is Too Much?

If you consume several electrolyte supplements daily, it can lead to an excess of certain minerals. Over time, high sodium intake can increase risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. The amounts of potassium, magnesium, and calcium contained in electrolyte supplements are not likely to cause harm in healthy individuals.

If you need to be aware of your sugar intake, note that some electrolyte drinks contain added sugars, which can contribute to excess sugar intake.