10 Best Electrolyte Powders and Supplements to Use in 2023

When you do cardio, you sweat. Through sweat, you lose more than water. You also lose electrolytes (various minerals), which can lead to dehydration.

But you cannot replenish them through drinking water alone. Traditional sports drinks are packed with sugar and calories and often have artificial flavors, and in the end, they are a lot less hydrating than you would desire.

What active people usually look for instead are powdered electrolytes and hydration supplements. But with so many options and vibrantly packaged products available on the market, it can get difficult to pick the right one.

Read on to discover the best hydration supplements you can buy this year. 

Top 3 Electrolyte Supplements of 2023

The 10 Best Electrolyte Hydration Supplements

In our search for the best electrolyte powders and supplements, we went beyond the manufacturer’s claims. Here are our choices, ranked according to science.

#1 NutriBiotic Essential Electrolytes – Best overall

NutriBiotic Essential Electrolytes is not one of your regular hydration multiplier electrolyte powders. It’s a hydration supplement that is conveniently packed in vegan capsules, helping you replenish all key electrolytes, boost recovery, and aid performance.

You get up to 100 servings per container. Each capsule packs vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium, chromium, sodium chloride, and potassium, making it an all-around hydration multiplier.

There are no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors to worry about, and the supplement is GMO- and gluten-free. Plus, it’s suitable for those on a keto diet.

This NutriBiotic supplement can be an alternative to sports drinks. Since it has zero sugar per serving, it’s suitable for runners on a weight-loss diet. However, it’s just electrolytes, and taking pills mid-run may not work for you. 

Depending on the duration of your runs, you may have to take several capsules before, during, and after the run. That can be a hassle; however, the supplement will quickly help you restore electrolyte imbalance and is suitable for multiple diets, making it one of the best hydration supplements today.

#2 Key Nutrients Electrolyte Recovery Plus – Best for energy

Key Nutrients Electrolyte Recovery Plus is one of the best electrolyte powders as it not only contains such key electrolytes as calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, chromium, and sodium chloride, but it’s also rich in other essential nutrients, like B vitamins that boost energy production and improve endurance.

What sets Electrolyte Recovery Plus apart from the competition is its wide range of delicious flavors – lemonade, cherry pom, raspberry, blue raspberry, pink lemonade, strawberry kiwi, and orange. Everyone can find the taste of their liking. It has no added sugar; the sweet taste is from stevia extract.

However, the main benefit of this hydration powder is that it contains no artificial ingredients and is suitable for all diets. It’s also convenient to use – you can mix 1-3 scoops with your favorite drink and take it before and during exercise or long, exhausting efforts.

You can also use Electrolyte Recovery Plus as a post-workout recovery drink to replenish electrolytes and rehydrate. Since it contains zero carbs, the powder can be a great aid to keto dieters to alleviate any keto flu symptoms.

#3 Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier – Best for hydration

Liquid I.V. is a hydration multiplier electrolyte powder that works as a complete electrolyte supplement. It can replenish electrolytes lost while hydrating faster than water.

It’s based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), and it provides three times the electrolytes of traditional sports drinks.

One stick mixed into a 16oz water bottle supplies the same hydration as up to three bottles of water. You can count on it to stay hydrated during endurance runs and avoid muscle cramps.

However, this electrolyte hydration powder has two major drawbacks. First, it’s not a sugar-free solution. It packs no less than 11g of added sugar per serving. That’s the equivalent of 44% of an adult woman’s Daily Value.

Liquid I.V. includes stevia leaf extract among its ingredients. But the extra sugar comes from cane sugar and dextrose. 

This makes it problematic for runners who want to lose weight. Or who are running with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes and need to keep their blood sugar in check. 

Second, it has 510mg of sodium, or 22% of the Daily Value per stick. Sodium is one of the main nutrients you lose running. Your body needs it to work well. 

But this can add up with the sodium you get from your diet to unhealthy levels. The WHO recommends a salt intake of fewer than 2g of sodium a day. More than this can lead to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The latter is the leading cause of mortality worldwide.

#4 Mission Critical Meal Replacement Plus – Best for sustained effort

Next, you’re not looking so much at a hydration multiplier electrolyte powder as a complete meal replacement. The formula was invented by the US military before becoming a commercial product. 

Mission Critical Meal Replacement Plus has all the trace minerals and vitamins your body needs to function well. These include iron, vitamin D, selenium, or iodine, which you may not find in other similar supplements.

However, it wasn’t specifically designed for runners. It can help hydrate and fuel your body after or during endurance races. But you’ll be paying for vitamins and minerals you may not actually need.

What’s more, it has the largest dose of sodium of any electrolyte hydration powder on our list. If you use it as a meal replacement, that shouldn’t be a problem. But if you use it as a running supplement, you may get more sodium than it’s healthy.

#5 Runfit Runner’s Performance Mix – Best for runners

Our list of electrolyte supplements continues with Runfit Runner’s Performance Mix. You’re looking at a hydration supplement that packs essential minerals and more, specifically designed to support the needs of long-distance runners.

This hydration supplement has vitamin C, B vitamins, BCAAs, and caffeine. This electrolyte powder does more than hydrate you. It can fuel you up for a long run and help you recover faster. Plus, it has no sugar, making it suitable for runners with weight loss goals. 

You get 30 servings of 10g each (heaping scoop) per container. Since you don’t have to take it every day, it can last you several months.

The downside to this calorie-free supplement is that it doesn’t have sodium, nor does it have calcium. Because of that, it’s not a contender for the title of the best electrolyte supplement. 

You may also not like the risk of allergens, the artificial flavorings, and the strong caffeine dose. 

#6 Onnit HYDRATech Instant – Best for performance

The Onnit HYDRATech Instant is a hydration multiplier that packs a good dose of calcium. Unlike other powdered electrolytes, it’s sweetened with monk fruit. 

This electrolyte powder has a fructose to glucose ratio of 1:2. This may help support exercise performance. Monk fruit is a natural diabetes-friendly sweetener. That said, this hydration multiplier electrolyte powder has 8g of sugar per serving, which is still less than in regular sports drinks.

The extra sugar makes it less than ideal if you’re running for weight loss. Or if you have prediabetes or diabetes. 

#7 Cure Hydration – Best for electrolyte boost

Next up is an electrolyte powder that Gwyneth Paltrow endorses. The key ingredients in this plant-based solution are coconut water powder, pink Himalayan salt, stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract, and fruit juice powders. 

It also has sodium citrate. The actual ingredients vary slightly depending on the flavor. Regardless of the flavor, it promises to deliver 4 times more electrolytes than sports drinks without the sugar load. It’s low on sugar (only 4g per serving) and calories (25 per serving). 

If you’re looking for simple powdered electrolyte solution, this one may work for you. It can help you stay hydrated. But it doesn’t have the goodies of other complete electrolyte and muscle recovery supplements, like vitamins. 

#8 Nuun Sport Electrolyte Drink Tablets – Best on-the-go

Nuun Sport Electrolyte Drink Tablets are neatly packed into a 10-tablet tube. This is easy to take with you and dissolve into 16oz of water. The resulting drink can deliver hydration to your whole body and restore fluid balance. 

Electrolyte tablets can be appealing to runners who are often on the go. But they don’t pack the key nutrients that other electrolyte supplements have. 

Nuun Sport Electrolyte Drink Tablets don’t have vitamin C, B vitamins, or BCAAs. It provides electrolyte supplementation, and that’s about it. 

You may still have to take those vitamins separately for optimal performance and health. This is especially true for runners who are vegans or vegetarians. 

Nuun Sport Electrolyte Drink Tablets also have plenty of sodium: 300mg per tablet. That may come in handy during long endurance races. But this electrolyte supplement can promote a high daily intake of sodium, which isn’t healthy. 

What may seem enticing about these tablets, however, is the range of interesting flavors, such as fruit punch, strawberry lemonade, lemon lime, and others.

#9 Transparent Labs Hydrate – Best for rapid electrolyte supplementation

Transparent Labs Hydrate is an electrolyte hydration powder that provides 40 servings per 304g bottle. You get important electrolytes like magnesium, sodium, potassium citrate, and calcium. This includes 500mg of sodium, a rather hefty dose.

Most of it comes from pink Himalayan salt. Other ingredients include coconut water and taurine. Taurine may help boost endurance performance under certain conditions.

This electrolyte supplement also includes Senactiv, a plant-based nutraceutical that claims to boost muscle energy and exercise recovery. It works by speeding up the replenishment of old cells with new ones. However, there are not enough independent studies to validate these claims.

#10 GU Energy Gel Shots – Best for marathons

If you want to try something other than a hydration powder, gel shots could be for you. The GU Energy Gel shots often rank among the best electrolyte gels on the market. They come in many flavors. 

These electrolytes are rich in carbs (22g per one 32g serving). Caffeine variants with green tea extract may improve brain function by reducing mental fatigue and sharpening focus. 

Similar to chia energy gels made with brown rice syrup, these gel shots are portable and convenient. They can fuel you during a marathon or another intense run and restore the electrolyte imbalance that comes from such exhausting efforts.

But they don’t have all the vitamins and minerals of an electrolyte hydration powder. For optimal hydration and to make up for losing electrolytes, you still need to drink water. 

The fructose ratio in this one isn’t clear. But for the Jet Blackberry flavor, for example, you’re getting about 6g of sugar out of the 22 carbs per serving.

That’s less than other electrolyte hydration solutions. However, it may still interfere with your weight loss goals. 

Comparing the Best Hydration Supplements

How to Choose the Best Running Supplement

Choosing an electrolyte supplement or electrolyte powder isn’t rocket science. But it’s not something you should leave to chance either.

If you’re not careful, you may end up with an electrolyte supplement that has lots of extra ingredients you don’t need. Or that under-delivers on its promises to replenish key electrolytes. 

When selecting the products above, we looked beyond the manufacturer’s product page. Here are some of the key factors that informed our best electrolyte powder list. 

Quality

Many factors go into the quality of an electrolyte supplement. Some of them are easier to research than others. Take, for example, the quality of individual ingredients and the overall quality of the formula.

The first affects the latter, but it’s hard to determine. It can also vary from batch to batch. But the best electrolyte solutions deliver consistent results. And that’s what we’ve been zooming in on. We’ve looked at the science and at what customers say across the web.

Price

You get what you pay for, and electrolyte powder is no exception. 

When you add ingredients and pack them in a format that’s easy to take, costs increase. With that in mind, electrolyte powders and other supplements use fundamentally simple ingredients. 

Our choices are balanced in terms of costs. We left out the outrageously expensive and the cheap, low-quality ones. 

Brand reputation

Supplements are not as tightly regulated as foods. However, users are quick to penalize doubtful brands.

We took into account brand trust ratings on independent sites. We also checked certifications. The brands behind the best electrolyte products tend to have relevant certifications. Such as Certified Vegan issued by the American Vegan Society. 

Effectiveness

Key electrolytes include trace minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and phosphate. You get some from the food and water you drink. Fluid and electrolyte balance happens when your electrolytes are neither too low nor too high. The kidneys handle this process. 

When it comes to key nutrients, electrolyte powder hype is big. Manufacturers make bold claims. However, these are not always backed by science. 

In our selection, we focused on science-backed ingredients and formulas. The best electrolyte supplements are informed by science. Not studies made 20 years ago, but the latest available data. 

We’ve also tuned in to what product users are saying to identify the best electrolyte powders. 

Conclusion

Choosing the best electrolyte powders can maximize your running performance, improve muscle contractions, and help your body recover. Not all electrolyte supplements, however, are the same, have essential vitamins, and are meant for the same purpose.

When you take electrolyte powders, watch out for your sugar intake. Some have added sugars, which could be useful during long endurance activities. On the other hand, you can maximize weight loss when running with zero-calorie electrolyte supplements.

On our list, NutriBiotic Essential Electrolytes, Electrolyte Recovery Plus, and Liquid I.V. proved to be the top contenders when it comes to providing proper hydration, boosting your performance, and aiding muscle recovery. Those are our top pick for maintaining healthy electrolyte/vitamins levels.