Replace lost salts and minerals while staying hydrated with the best electrolyte drinks…
Electrolyte drinks help replenish the naturally occurring salts and minerals that help balance our bodies’ fluids. These get depleted through exercise, most notably through sweating. The best electrolyte drinks may also often contain carbohydrates and other nutrients to help you stay hydrated and to improve recovery.
What are electrolyte drinks? Here’s all you need to know
But not all electrolyte drinks are created equal. It pays to consider the amount of the electrolytes potassium, chloride and particularly sodium in each drink, which help with preventing cramping, aiding muscle contraction and supporting hydration respectively.
If you’re not a heavy sweater, or need to reduce your intake of sodium for health reasons, you might want an electrolyte drink with lower sodium levels (say, less than 250mg per serving).
Nutritionist Rob Hobson has testes eight of the best electrolyte drinks to help you find one to support your hydration and recovery needs. He tests them for taste, solubility and effectiveness in terms of their hydration and nutritional benefits.
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These are the best electrolyte drinks
(Keep scrolling for full reviews…)
- SIS Go Hydro (£8 per tube or £60 for 8 tubes – not available in the US)
- High 5 Zero (£7.99 per tube or £62.99 for 8 tubes – not available in the US)
- Hux Hydration Tablets (£21 for 3 tubes – not available in the US)
- Nuun Hydration Sport ($7.49 per tube or $59.92 for 8 tubes / £26 for 4 tubes or £49 for 8 tubes)
- Gu Hydration Tablets ($30 for 4 tubes / £6.99 for 1 tube or £52.95 for 8 tubes)
- MyEndurance Hydr8 (£4.99 per tube or £24.99 for 8 tubes – not available in the US)
- Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder ($44.99 for 11.4oz / £69.99 for 288g)
- Powerbar 5 Electrolytes (£4.50 per tube or £39.99 for 12 tubes – not available in the US)
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SIS Go Hydro
BUY IT NOW:
£8 per tube (20 tablets) or £60 for 8 tubes, scienceinsport.com (not available in the US)
Taste: 5/5
Solubility: 5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5
OVERALL: 5/5
Serving size: 1 tablet in 500ml water | Sodium per serving: 870mg | Price per serving: 40p | Flavours: 13 flavours available
Science In Sport is a brand driven by scientific data, so it knows a thing or two about optimal hydration. Its Go Hydro range has the highest sodium content per serving of any electrolyte drink on test and it’s also one of the most reasonably priced.
Read our full SIS Go Hydro review
High 5 Zero
BUY IT NOW:
£7.99 per tube (20 tablets) or £62.99 for 8 tubes, highfive.co.uk (not available in the US)
Taste: 4.5/5
Solubility: 5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5
OVERALL: 5/5
Serving size: 1 tablet in 750ml water | Sodium per serving: 250mg | Price per serving: 40p | Flavours: 9 flavours available
Another trusted player in the sports nutrition market, High 5 is the go-to brand for many endurance runners. It’s a good choice if you’re training for extended periods as one tablet is enough for a 750ml water bottle. They may be free or sugar, but these tabs are full of flavour.
Read our full High 5 Zero review
Hux Hydration Tablets
BUY IT NOW:
£21 for 3 tubes (20 tablets per tube), huxhealth.com (not available in the US)
Taste: 5/5
Solubility: 4.5/5
Effectiveness: 4/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Serving size: 2 tablets in 200ml water | Sodium per serving: 116mg | Price per serving: 70p | Flavours: Lemon and Elderflower / Ginger and Lemongrass / Watermelon
Hux tablets are a good low-sodium option and are more suited to general hydration and wellness than intense workout sessions. They have a good mix of electrolytes as well as a pleasantly sweet and tangy flavour.
Read our full Hux Hydration Tablets review
Nuun Hydration Sport
BUY IT NOW:
$7.49 per tube (10 tablets per tube) or $59.92 for 8 tubes, nuunlife.com / £26 for 4 tubes or £49 for 8 tubes, everyhealth.com
Taste: 4/5
Solubility: 5/5
Effectiveness: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Serving size: 1 tablet in 475ml water | Sodium per serving: 300mg | Price per serving: 65p | Flavour: 13 flavours available (4 caffeinated)
With a good range of flavours, and available with or without caffeine, these mini tubes from Nuun are ideal for hydrating on the go. They have the most natural ingredients list of any product on test, including natural sweeteners and colouring.
Read our full Nuun Hydration Sport review
GU Hydration Tablets
BUY IT NOW:
$30 for 4 tubes (12 tablets each), guenergy.com / £6.99 for 1 tube or £52.95 for 8 tubes, gu.germany.de
Taste: 4.5/5
Solubility: 5/5
Effectiveness: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Serving size: 1 tablet in 750ml water | Sodium per serving: 320mg | Price per serving: 55p | Flavours: Lemon and Lime / Three Berries / Orange / Strawberry Lemonade
Ideal for larger bottles and longer sessions, GU tablets will see you through intense or prolonged training. There’s a good amount of electrolytes in the mix, especially sodium, and flavours are particularly punchy.
Read our full GU Hydration Tablets review
MyEndurance Hydr8
BUY IT NOW:
£4.99 per tube (20 tablets) or £24.99 for 8 tubes / amazon.co.uk (not available in the US)
Taste: 4/5
Mixability: 4/5
Effectiveness: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Serving size: 1 tablet in 400ml water | Sodium per serving: 345mg | Price per serving: 25p | Flavour: Orange
Hydr8 tablets are packed with vitamins and minerals with good sodium levels to suit endurance athletes. They’re fortified with B vitamins too and work out to be the cheapest electrolyte drink per serving on test.
Read our full MyEndurance Hydr8 review
Ultima Replenisher electrolyte powder
BUY IT NOW:
$44.99 for 11.4oz (90 servings), ultimareplenisher.com / £69.99 for 288g (90 servings), amazon.co.uk
Taste: 3.5/5
Solubility: 5/5
Effectiveness: 3.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Serving size: 1 tablet in 450ml water | Sodium per serving: 55mg | Price per serving: 77p | Flavours: 9 flavours available
In powder rather than tablet form, this vitamin C-rich drink is ideal for everyday hydration and wellness. There’s a good mix of electrolytes and a range of nine moreish flavours to choose from.
Read our full Ultima Replenisher review
Powerbar 5 Electrolytes
BUY IT NOW:
£4.50 per tube (10 tablets) or £39.99 for 12 tubes / powerbar.eu (not available in the US)
Taste: 3.5/5
Solubility: 4.5/5
Effectiveness: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Serving size: 1 tablet in 250ml water | Sodium per serving: 250mg | Price per serving: 33p | Flavours: Raspberry and Pomegranate / Lemon Tonic / Blackcurrant / Pink grapefruit / Mango and Passionfruit
Powerbar’s hydration tabs have an intense yet refreshing flavour and a caffeine kick for a pre-workout pick-me-up. They’re sugar-free, too, and come in tiny tubes that are perfect for hydrating on the go.
Read our full Powerbar 5 Electrolytes review
Rob Hobson is a registered nutritionist (AFN) and sports nutritionist (SENr). He works with private clients including those looking to improve their health and body shape, and athletes looking to improve their performance. He also works with wellness brands helping with product development, insight and marketing.
