The best electrolytes for avoiding thirst and fatigue this summer

Telegraph

30-05-2025

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Anyone who has finished a long training run or cycle in the summer will know how it feels to crave electrolytes. In hot weather, you lose more sodium the harder you work, leaving you feeling fatigued, thirsty and craving something salty.
Some electrolytes are chewable sweet tablets which can be eaten on their own, while others are tipped into water bottles and shaken. Electrolytes should be used in combination with energy gels and post-workout recovery drinks. They replenish lost minerals quickly, which is especially important to speed up recovery and avoid cramps.
The good news is the best electrolytes don't tend to be expensive. Every electrolyte I tested below costs around £1.50 per serving, whether that was for an individual sachet or as part of a bulk order, from somewhere like MyProtein, Humantra or Kendal Mint.
We regularly check and update this guide in line with latest medical advice and guidance and to keep abreast of new products and releases. Below, you can find my full reviews, as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
The best electrolytes: At a glance
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How to choose the best electrolytes
Choosing the best electrolytes for you should be a personalised decision, based on your activity level and health needs. If you're going to be doing intense exercise lasting over an hour, choose electrolytes with a higher sodium content like Precision Hydration, as this will replace losses from sweat.
Endurance athletes might benefit from hypotonic formulas like Styrkr, which absorb faster. Meanwhile everyday users should choose balanced, low-sugar options that combine electrolytes with vitamins.
Users have a few options to choose from including: powders, which allow custom dosing and often include recovery additives, tablets, which provide portable, pre-measured doses and ready-made drinks, which suit those wanting convenience.
It's always worth checking the label for key minerals, like sodium (non-negotiable), potassium and magnesium (preferred) and calcium (a nice-to-have). Ideally, there'll also be three to six per cent carbohydrates to help with ingestion and minimal sugars.
As with all sports nutrition, those with medical conditions or taking medication should consult their GP, and those looking for a quick vitamin hit should turn to food first. Over-supplementation can cause heart issues and nausea. Head to our FAQ section for more advice from a sports performance nutritionist if you're concerned.
How we test electrolytes
I tested these electrolytes during the Scottish Forth Bridge 20 mile race, a 34km long run in hot weather, the London Marathon, Geneva Half Marathon, a five hour mountain trail run in the Alps, and shorter runs with a distance of around 10km in 18C plus weather conditions. Each electrolyte was tested both before and after each race, ensuring the same one was used throughout for consistency and accurate results.
No sample was tested just once. I used each electrolyte for a minimum of three times during testing, with workouts and events of varying degrees of toughness. Spare samples were distributed to members of my running club to get additional feedback.
First, I evaluated the ingredients list, checking which form of electrolyte was included (sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium) and in what quantity, and noted any additives or natural flavours. I also considered ease of ingestion, especially during a race, and whether I felt a difference.
I tested more products than those are featured on this list, narrowing it down to my absolute favourites. Those that I disregarded had off-putting flavours, too many additives or a lack of discernable impact on performance.
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The best electrolytes of 2025
1. Best Buy Electrolyte: SiS Hydro+ Drink Mix
Score: 9/10
We like:
Dissolves quickly in water bottle for speedy hydration
Sachets are small and open easily so you can carry during events
Recovery was fast after using (liked addition of vitamins for extra oomph)
Not too much sodium so easy on stomach
We don't like:
Some flavours contain green tea extract so check if you're sensitive to caffeine
Having individual sachets rather than tablets creates litter
This is as close to the perfect electrolyte as I found, owing to the pleasant taste and how quickly the powder dissolves. I felt confident taking a sachet with me during the London Marathon and dissolving it in a bottle handed out on the course mid-race.
Instantly dissolving powder will be music to the ears of ultra-runners, endurance cyclists and anyone else doing long distance events where carrying tablets or gummies can result in a sticky pocket mess.
The flavours are refreshing and not salty – the mango and orange tasted like a glass of fruit squash from childhood. I felt refreshed and suffered no cramps or other adverse stomach issues during use.
The added vitamins (B12, C) were a nice touch and aided electrolyte delivery around the body. As a long distance runner I'm usually nervous to put things in my mouth that aren't just 'salts', 'sugars' or 'carbs,' but I experienced no gastrointestinal issues while taking these electrolytes.
Key specifications
Serve: 1 sachet to 500ml water
Sodium per serving: 350mg
Potassium: 300mg
Magnesium: 56mg
2. Best Value Electrolyte: HIGH5 ZERO Tablets
These are a great starter electrolyte and due to their low sodium content (250mg), they are also easy on the stomach. This is especially good after a tough workout session, where eating or drinking supplements with strong flavours doesn't always appeal.
There's a good range of flavours – I tested berry and found that although it didn't taste anything like berries, it wasn't an aggressive taste and was easy to drink. The biggest downside for me was how long it took the tablets to dissolve in a bottle. They're not something you'd be able to pop into a race bottle on-the-go, but they worked absolutely fine for a pre-workout hydration mix or for recovery hydration.
At the equivalent of less than 40p per tablet, HIGH5 (so called because of the five electrolytes) are a great budget option and tend to work for everyone. I enjoyed knowing there's a range of interesting sounding flavours, from turmeric and ginger to 'tropical'.
Key specifications
3. Best Natural Electrolytes: Huma Hydration Drink Mix
Score: 9/10
We like:
No muscle fatigue
A significant sodium hit without being able to taste the sodium
All natural ingredients - non synthetic flavour
We don't like:
Took a bit longer than the others to dissolve
A little sweeter than others (so may be quicker to get flavour fatigue)
Huma is cornering the market when it comes to naturally-flavoured, non-GMO (genetically modified organisms, which have health and environmental risks), no-baddies supplements.
This comes in a handy ready-to-use sachet, with powder that dissolved easily when I popped it into a glass. It fizzed up more than the others I tested, and for a second I wondered if I was going to have to contend with a fizzy sherbet fountain.
However, the drink soon settled and I was surprised at how sweet it tasted. Checking the ingredients, there's definitely no added sugar – that said, the sweetness was pleasant and masked any salty flavour.
Huma has 380mg of sodium which according to their blurb 'matches the sweat profile of an average person'. This is a pleasant taste and it saw off cramps and muscle fatigue during an endurance cycling Zwift session.
Key specifications
Serve: 1 sachet to 500ml water
Sodium per serving: 380mg
Potassium: 100mg
Magnesium: 40mg
4. Best for In-race Fuelling: SaltStick FastChews Lemon Lime Electrolytes
As a disclaimer, I've been using these electrolyte chews for years as my own in-race fuel. For balance, I asked two running friends to co-test these.
I'm not good at drinking during fast races because most of it goes over me, so the thought of drinking an electrolyte mixture mid-run doesn't fill me with confidence. SaltStick electrolyte chews aren't the best option for rehydrating, but they're a great choice for a mid-race sodium top up.
They can be carried in a pocket during a race and crunched down when needed. My rule of thumb is when they start to taste too salty, you've had enough.
My only criticism is their serving suggestion can be tricky to figure out. The packet suggests you take one tablet every 15 minutes. They deliver 100mg of sodium per tablet, so I can understand their reasoning on a hot day, but this feels like it could be overkill – if only because of how dry it would make your mouth. Your preferred serving size might take a bit of trial and error.
My two running friends concurred that they taste like sweets, although one said with a dry mouth already, it sucked the moisture out mid-run. That said, they both agreed it was easier than drinking, so these are a great faff-free option,
Key specifications
5. Best Electrolytes for Range of Flavours: Humantra Electrolytes
Styled as the lifestyle electrolyte, these are advertised as being for people 'who run, think or breathe'. In short, if it's warm, Humantra recommends these electrolytes.
I decided to test these after cycling. I did a sustained 50 minute threshold session on an indoor bike at a gym with no air conditioning and sweated a lot. When I came home, I knew I needed to replenish my salt levels quickly as I felt sluggish and had cramps in my toes.
I loved that these electrolytes were in sachets, so they were easy to tip into a flask and shake. The marketing for these suggest that they're good for non-sports people too, to simply remain hydrated day to day. Online, I even saw someone say that they added them to a glass of ice and a sprig of mint for a refreshing drink.
From a sports perspective, there are certainly stronger options out there. This product also has added vitamins and minerals like B12 which are handy from a lifestyle perspective, but don't contribute much to recovery. That said, on one hot day, inspired and tired from a day's humid cycling commute to the office, I do find myself mixing up an icy drink with elderberry, ice and a slice of lemon. It was delightful.
Key specifications
Serve: 1 sachet to 500ml water
Sodium per serving: 200mg
Potassium: 200mg
Magnesium: 25mg
6. Best Electrolytes for Carbohydrates and Hydration: Kendal Mint Raspberry and Mint Isotonic Hydration
This is a curveball option – it's the only one on the list that offers 34g of carbohydrate per serving, while also delivering a serious hit of sodium (146mg). Endurance athletes should look to Kendal Mint if they want to hydrate, take on electrolytes and refuel all at the same time.
The taste is hit and miss. I love mint and find it one of the only palatable flavours when I'm doing tough endurance exercise. Others may not, and if that's the case then the Kendal Mint Range is probably not for you.
Because this does come in a larger pouch, you will have to decant your own serving into a bottle or flask if you want to take it with you on the go, so it's less straightforward than other sachets to simply slip in your pocket. In addition to this, the serving suggestion is specific, so if you don't have a container to hand, you might struggle.
Key specifications
7. Best Electrolytes for a Neutral Flavour: Elete CitriLyte
Score: 7/10
We like:
Dissolves easily
No cramps
No lurid colour
We don't like:
Bottles come with added challenges (like losing lids mid workout)
The taste is odd
Difficult to transport (if you buy a big bottle)
A faff to measure
£27.99
Buy Now
Price at
Amazon
Elete markets its product as having no flavour or smell. Don't be fooled – this definitely has a flavour, and it's a little strange. Midway through rehydrating after a run, I was left wondering if I should throw in some orange squash to try to mask the saline tang.
That said, it certainly works – I used Elete during a hard interval session on track that could easily have led to cramping, had I not taken on electrolytes. The main challenge is that it's easy to get carried away with dropping the liquid into a glass.
I prefer to have a sachet or tablet that is already pre-measured out, but ultimately any imbalance here is down to user-error. Also, I found it a bit of a faff having to count the number of drops going into a glass (16 is recommended,) and I certainly wouldn't be wanting to do this mid-workout.
Key specifications
Serve: 16 drops to 250ml water
Sodium per serving: 125mg
Potassium: 130mg
Magnesium: 45mg
8. Best Electrolytes for Sensitive Insides: Active Root Electrolite
Active Root is well-known in the endurance community for their drink mixes. You'll often see a 20l barrel of Active Root at aid stations on trail runs, because ginger acts as an anti-nausea agent.
I took this Active Root electrolyte in a flask with me during a 32km training run in the Jura Mountains in Switzerland. I knew that I'd be running most of the day in direct sunlight, with a steep ascent ahead of me.
It was pleasant to sip on and made a change from water. I didn't get any cramps and the headache that had been threatening actually alleviated. It was tricky to open however, especially with tired and sweaty hands. Active Root would do well to amend its packaging for better portability.
Key specifications
Serve: 1 sachet to 500ml water
Sodium per serving: 322mg of sodium
Potassium: 0mg
Magnesium: 0mg
9. Best Electrolytes for Endurance Athletes: Styrkr Hypotonic Drink
The Styrkr drink gives users 1000mg of salt per serving, which is three times the normal sweat rate of a human. They describe it as the 'highest single and adjustable serving hydration tablet on the market.'
I can think of few instances where this amount of salt would be necessary, but if you are a pro-cyclist training for a humid jungle endurance race, then this product is for you. I would, on reflection, recommend halving the soluble tablets to take on 500mg of salt. This is still a good whack of sodium, but it will ease you into the product, rather than taking on the full load all at once.
This is a product for sportspeople, not lifestyle, and I can imagine there are a number of situations where this level of electrolyte replenishment comes into its own. However, balancing this level of electrolytes with a workout or race would be best done with a nutritionist.
Key specifications
Serving: 1 tablet per 500ml water
Sodium per serving: 1000mg
Potassium: 100mg
Magnesium: 25mg
10. Best Electrolytes for Salty Sweaters: Precision Hydration Electrolyte Tablets
Precision's hydration describes itself as for 'salty sweaters', and like the Styrkr electrolytes above, that's certainly the case when you look at the volume of sodium in the mix (1000mg). Despite this, the salt flavour is mild. It has a delicate orange taste and smells like a weak fruit squash.
It's actually refreshing, which is nice when trying to rehydrate on a hot day. One thing that did throw me was that unlike most of the other electrolytes I tested, Precision Hydration was colour-free, so it looked just like I was drinking a glass of water.
Unlike the Styrkr hydration solution, I didn't get nausea or stomach upset after sampling this. I've started to get cramp in my calves at around 80 per cent through long trail runs – even more so now the hot weather is here.
A few hours in I popped a tablet in my flask when I ran past a water fountain. It dissolved quickly and put an end to the cramps that usually haunt me when the sun ramps up.
Key specifications
Serving: 1 tablet in 500ml water
Sodium per serving: 1000mg
Potassium: 250mg
Magnesium: 24mg
11. Best Electrolytes for Weightlifting: MyProtein Impact Hydrate
Although I sampled the cherry and strawberry, I have been told the lemon and lime flavour is more palatable. The cherry is strong and the flavour made it difficult to get down, even after more dilution.
That said I liked how the drink came with extras (Vitamin C, B12). As a vegetarian, I'm always looking for extra boosts of B12 in the food or supplements I take on, so this was a nice addition (if a little irrelevant to the product as an electrolyte).
I tried this after a strength workout in the gym, which has no air conditioning, and the headache I sometimes get after a tough workout due to dehydration didn't materialise. The amount of sodium is quite low, so this might be a better choice for a lifestyle drink, or to take on after a light workout rather than a heavy hitting cardio session.
Key specifications
Electrolytes FAQs
What role do electrolytes play?
Without adequate hydration and electrolytes, your heart rate and blood pressure can increase, resulting in fatigue and cramps, potentially causing serious damage.
Cramps are often caused by electrolyte imbalances, like low sodium. This happens during hot days where sodium and potassium are sweated out without adequate electrolyte replacement.
To avoid this, drinking electrolytes while on the go or loading up before a workout could help.
When should you take electrolytes?
Sports performance nutritionist Kate Shilland says: 'Electrolytes are most beneficial during longer or more intense sessions. I generally recommend them for any session over an hour or if you're exercising in hot, sweaty conditions.
'For a slow 5k, a regular yoga class or for short workouts, water is enough as you're not typically going to be sweating too much. But, if you're already dehydrated, know you're a heavy sweater or you're prone to cramping, then electrolytes in your water can be a good idea for shorter sessions.'
Should you take electrolytes before, during or after a session?
'For most people, taking electrolytes after a session helps best with recovery, but it's also important to start a workout well hydrated.' says Katie. 'I recommend an electrolyte tab in water the night before a big event to ensure you wake up hydrated.'
She adds that if you're training in hot weather or for sessions over an hour, electrolytes before and during can help maintain performance. 'Electrolytes with an added carb source are great for performance as they help with fuelling as well as hydration.'
Can you overdose on electrolytes?
It's unlikely that you'll overdose on electrolytes using high street and over-the-counter brands. That said, there are some products (such as Precision Hydration's 1500 sports drink, which has three times as much sodium than an average drink) where it's easier to accidentally take on more sodium than expected. If this happens it's best to drink as much water as possible to help 'dilute' the salt in the body.
Hypernatremia is when your bloodstream experiences a sharp influx of sodium. It can cause gastrointestinal distress, muscle spasms, puffiness in hands and fingers and feeling incredibly thirsty.
What else should be in an electrolyte?
'Sodium is the main component as it's the primary mineral lost in sweat. We also need magnesium, potassium, chloride and calcium as these support muscle and nerve function and heart beat regulation. If you're a competitive athlete, it's essential that you look for 'informed Sport' certification for quality and safety assurance,' says Katie.
What's the price range of an electrolyte?
The price ranges of electrolyte range from £1.40 from a single serving sachet up to £45 for a tub of electrolyte powder. Tubes of tablets can be cheaper still.