Running can be a high-effort sporting pursuit that causes your body to sweat—a lot. And as you do, all of that perspiration contains more than just water. Sweat is actually a mixture of what is known as electrolytes including sodium and potassium. In short, electrolytes are somewhat akin to the power lines of our bodies—they are positive or negative charged ions that conduct electrical signals to maintain fluid levels, allow for proper muscular contraction, regulate pH levels and nerve function, and keep our neurons firing as they should.
When electrolyte levels dip too low, your performance and even your health can suffer. This is why replacing some of what is lost during a workout is so important, especially when it comes to sodium. Typically, it’s not hard to get enough sodium and other electrolytes from the food you eat daily, but when you're sweating up a storm it’s easy to experience a shortfall unless you are diligent about consuming extra amounts.
You can do this by using the electrolyte tablets, chews, and powders that are marketed towards hard-charging athletes who are not opposed to working up a serious sweat. These products are designed to quickly replenish some of what you are shedding in your sweat so you can continue to run strong instead of wondering why you are feeling more sluggish with each passing mile. As a bonus, flavor choices are improving all the time. Below are our top picks, plus everything you need to know about electrolyte use for athletes.
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- Best For Everyday Runs: can be a high-effort sporting pursuit that causes your body to
- Best for Anytime Hydration: Low in calories and carbs
- Best for Daily Hydration (During and after runs): GU Hydration Drink Tabs
- Best Flavor: Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix
- Best for Daily Hydration during and after runs: SaltStick Fast Chews
The Expert: As an endurance cyclist, I have three decades of racing and touring on two wheels. So I am always experimenting with sports nutrition products to find the ones that can keep me going strong. I am also a registered dietitian with a Masters Degree in Sports Nutrition and author of studies published in the. My writing has appeared in a wide range of outlets including Men’s Health, Bicycling, Eating Well, and more.
What to Consider When Shopping for Electrolyte Tablets, Chews, and Powders
Here’s what to keep in mind when choosing an electrolyte product to add to your water bottle or glass of cold aqua.
Takes a bit longer to dissolve than some
To uncover the best electrolyte tablets and mixes, I conducted an in-depth examination of products on the market and assessed them based on their active ingredients including electrolytes. I was in search of options with a makeup that would benefit hard-working and hard-sweating athletes. No fluff or promises that can’t be met, here.
All of these products are ones that I am comfortable using during my own active pursuits. Additionally, I selected products to meet different needs, such as options that are higher and lower in sodium. Effectiveness, taste, and value were all deciding factors and why my recommendations below are ultimately the cream of the crop.
Our Full Electrolyte Tablet Reviews
can be a high-effort sporting pursuit that causes your body to
Pros
- Whats the Cost of Being a Runner
- High amounts of sodium
- Easy-to-transport tube
- Widely available
Cons
- Low carb
- Best for a Sweatfest
Key Specs
| Calories | 15 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 4g |
| Sodium | 300 m |
| Potassium | 150 m |
Nuun Sport has long been my go-to option when I want some electrolytes and subtle flavor in my water for shorter workouts that don’t call for a bigger dose of carbs or sodium. Doing so makes drinking from my bidon more enjoyable, which ultimately helps with hydration Nuun Endurance powder.
The tube full of tablets is also more travel-friendly than a bulky bag of sports drink mix that won’t fit as well in a running belt. Accessibility is another plus. From running specialty stores to Walmart to online, this stuff is everywhere. For longer, more sweaty runs try the Nuun Endurance powder which has more carbs (16 grams) and sodium (380 mg).
Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes Fizz
Pros
- Light tropical flavor
- Enough sodium for many athletes
Cons
- Less available than other brands
- Lower in sodium
Key Specs
| Calories | 7 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 2g |
| Sodium | 200 mg |
| Potassium | 100 mg |
For a blend of sodium chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, just drop a fizzy tablet into 16 ounces of water and wait a minute or two for low-calorie hydration before, during, or after a workout. How easy is that?
While each tablet is on the lower end for sodium, you can easily customize your electrolyte intake. For instance, if you think you’ll need a bigger dose of sodium (perhaps during sizzling conditions) it’s possible to drop two tablets into a standard sized water bottle. Since the taste is not cloyingly sweet, doing so won’t sucker punch your taste buds. Some people, however, may find the trio of non-caloric sweeteners (sorbitol, stevia, and monk fruit) used in the tablets not to their liking.
What I like about these tablets are they help me to better stay on top of my sodium losses, and they're a more eco-friendly way to hydrate versus buying sports drinks in single-use plastic bottles. Keep in mind: These tablets won’t do anything to meet your carbohydrate needs during long runs, but for an extra boost of energy, the Cola flavor contains 20mg of caffeine per serving.
Pros
- Ample sodium
- Carbs and sodium
- Various flavor options
Cons
- Low in calories and carbs
- Takes a bit longer to dissolve than some
Key Specs
| Calories | 10 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 3 g |
| Sodium | 320 mg |
| Potassium | 55 mg |
This is another low-calorie tablet option that lets you better meet your daily electrolyte needs. The sodium level is higher than several other tablet options so it does a better job at offsetting losses for better muscle functioning and fluid regulation on hard, sweat-inducing runs.
These tablets don’t have enough sugary calories to be a concern if used frequently during non-exercise times. The berry lemonade flavor is worth a try and certainly more exciting than gulping back plain-Jane water, but some runners may notice a slight chemical flavor that the sweetener alternative stevia imparts.
For longer workouts, I may prefer something with more calories and carbs, but as someone who tends not to shed tons of salt in my sweat, the tabs have enough sodium to meet my needs for many workouts. If this flavor is not to your liking, GU offers four other tablet flavors to try. The Strawberry Hibiscus option, made with vegan ingredients, provides 20mg of caffeine.
Pros
- which has more carbs 16 grams and sodium 380 mg
- High sodium
- Some carbs
Cons
- May need to shake bottle a couple times for proper dissolving
Key Specs
| Calories | 80 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 19 g |
| Sodium | 400 mg |
| Potassium | 50 mg |
From Lemon Lime to Fruit Punch to Pineapple, Skratch excels at making drink mixes with perfect fruity flavor that tastes less engineered than many of its competitors do. Using real fruit will do that. The amounts of carbs (19 grams in a scoop) and sodium (400 mg) make this a useful drink mix for runs pushing past the hour long mark. However, you’ll still need additional carbs to get enough to power your muscles for the long haul. At these levels, the carbs and sodium also encourage better fluid absorption from the gut, which limits the risk for mid-run stomach woes.
The designers here recognize that it is sodium that we lose most during workouts, and they make it a point to prioritize this electrolyte. Every effort has been made to match the electrolyte levels with the amounts that are typically lost. You can buy this in single-serve packets or multi-serving bags.
Pros
- Don’t need to dissolve in water
- Easy to consume as many as you need
- Wide availability
Cons
- Very little energy
Key Specs
| Calories | 10 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 2 g |
| Sodium | 100 mg |
| Potassium | 30 mg |
For rapid sodium replenishment, these dextrose and stevia-sweetened chews from SaltStick have few rivals. For every two-chew serving, you get 100mg sodium, 30mg potassium, 10mg calcium, and 6mg magnesium, which tallies 10 calories.
Although each serving is specified as two chewable tablets (100mg of sodium) for every 30 minutes of activity, the fact that you can also buy them in a 10-count resealable packet (also available in containers of 60 and 120 chews) means you can easily calibrate exactly how much salt you need—sometimes more, sometimes less.
If you are a runner who prefers to guzzle plain water and get carb energy from items like gels and chews, which are typically lower in sodium, then a salt chew could prove useful to prevent sodium levels from dropping into the danger zone.
With salt chews, though, it’s easy to ingest too much salt without taking in adequate fluid. This can lead to dehydration as well as GI issues. Be sure to wash down these tablets with fluids. I have always found the orange flavor to be subdued so it is easy to get down even as blazing heat is crushing my appetite.
Pros
- Have to wait for the tablet to dissolve
- Delicious taste
- High amounts of sodium
Cons
- Need a blender for best mixing
Key Specs
| Calories | 240 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 43 g |
| Sodium | 440 mg |
| Potassium | 438 mg |
After a hard run, it’s important to prioritize replacing spent energy (carb) stores, repairing worn muscles, and getting in enough electrolytes. This chocolatey powder has enough carbs, protein (10 grams of complete protein in each packet), sodium, and potassium to help you recover better.
The carbs are from fast-working dextrose and cane sugar assuring a rapid muscle glycogen replenishment. Users are instructed to simply mix it with water (a shaker cup helps a lot) and chug the drink back, but I like blending the product with some milk and frozen banana for a post-workout potion that tastes like a frosty chocolate shake. This is also available in three other tasty flavors, including salted caramel.
Pros
- Lofty sodium levels
- Clean tasting
Cons
- Cyber Monday Running Shoes Deals 2024
- Most stores don’t carry it
Key Specs
| Calories | 40 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 10 g |
| Sodium | 670 mg |
| Potassium | 243 mg |
Sodium losses during runs for some people can be 1,000 milligrams per hour or more, especially when working out in a blast furnace or for those who are especially salty sweaters (A cool rock band name, right?) Instances like these call for using an electrolyte product that delivers a solid amount of sodium.
With an impressive 670 mg of sodium in each packet, this electrolyte powder is for times when I need extra amounts like for those all-day sweat-a-thons so my muscles don’t feel like they are, well, dying. But for runs under 90 minutes, it can feel like high-sodium overkill. I’m not opposed to simply using half a packet in my bottle for when I require less of a sodium tsunami.
Purists will appreciate that the electrolytes hail from coconut water powder and Himalayan pink salt. There is a modicum of carbs here to help meet your energy needs during longer workouts, and the flavors are palatable and don’t tend to upset volatile stomachs.
Pros
- Carbs and sodium
- Some caffeine
- Highly digestible
Cons
- Need to give it a good shake
Key Specs
| Calories | 100 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 25 g |
| Sodium | 250 mg |
| Potassium | 100 mg |
Designed to be an all-around sports drink powder, you’ve got a mix of 250mg of sodium, 100mg potassium, and 25 grams of fast-working, easily digested carbs in a 12-ounce fluid serving allowing your muscles to perform their best.
Worth noting is that when you consume liquid calories along with sodium (as in a sports drink), you can pull a greater amount of water across the small intestine, optimizing water absorption and retention, which will help with plasma volume levels and maintaining better hydration status. It’s possible to use two scoops when your energy and electrolyte needs are through the roof. Plus, cherry cola is a fun flavor twist and a nice break from the standard citrus or berry tastes that dominate the market.
This flavor also supplies 30mg of caffeine in a prescribed serving. The brand is NSF Sport Certified, so you can be confident you are getting exactly what the label says and nothing you don’t want.
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Our Expert Matthew Kadey on Sodium, Should You Take It While You Work Out, and How Much Do You Really Need?
Matthew Kadey, M.S. R.D. is a Canada-based registered dietitian and nutrition journalist with two decades of experience in reporting about food and nutrition for dozens of print and online publications. Kadey is the author of studies published in the. He is also an adventure cyclist and creator of several bikepacking routes in North America and beyond. Find him at matthewkadey.com, @rocketfuelfood
