Worth Its Salt: When To Reach for an Electrolyte Drink (Or Not)

Electrolyte drinks include sodium, salt, potassium, magnesium or calcium along with liquid. They differ from a sports drink, which may have these minerals plus carbohydrates, usually glucose or another form of sugar.

On an especially hot day, you might think, ‘Oh, I’m sweaty,’ or ‘I feel dehydrated,’ and reach for an electrolyte beverage. But when do you actually need those extra salts and minerals?

How Long and How Hard

Let’s just say it up front: Most of the time, water is the best choice for hydration. But if you’re exercising for more than an hour — meaning actively sweating for more than an hour — then you might need a sports drink, which will give you some ready energy along with those essential minerals. (You’ll most likely find an entire wall of them in your local grocery store.)

But let’s say you’re a serious athlete — high school, college or pro — who is working to meet specific performance goals. If you need to maintain that performance, and you already are including carb-based snacks in your regimen, an electrolyte beverage might be for you. If you’re working outside in, say, construction or landscaping, and you don’t have a good way to snack, the sports drink might be better.

Ultimately think about whatever you are losing by your activity: Whatever your deficit really is, choose the beverage that corrects it without extra ingredients you don’t need.

What Your Body Needs

There are a ton of sports and electrolyte beverages on the market; many include sugar alcohols or sugar substitutes that can cause GI discomfort. If you’re in a performance situation, suddenly having a stomach ache or a need to dash to the bathroom is not helpful.

In general when you are choosing a beverage, the fewer ingredients the better, which is true for any processed food. All electrolyte beverages are high in sodium, but there’s a big difference among brands in how much. Read your labels. If you are able to snack, skip the electrolyte beverage and instead opt for a piece of salted fruit — salt on watermelon is delish. Coconut water with a side serving of pretzels also can maintain hydration and electrolytes without extra supplementation.

Is This for You?

For anyone on fluid restriction — for instance because of chronic kidney disease or congestive heart failure — check with your doctor before you crack open a bottle. These drinks also can raise your blood pressure because of all the salt. If you’re a weekend warrior who struggles with high blood pressure, look at how much salt is in whatever beverage you’re considering, and ask yourself if you really need that. If you’re not having muscle cramps or you’re not a super-salty sweater — if you’re not seeing a white rim on your hat band or feeling a graininess on your skin — odds are you don’t. Some best-selling electrolyte drinks can approach 2000 mg of sodium per serving; the American Heart Association recommends a total of 2300 mg or less for an entire day.

One of the worst reasons to consume an augmented beverage is a hangover. Your problem is lack of water, not electrolytes, so next time just hydrate better (and drink less alcohol).

If You’re Already Dehydrated

If you have the classic signs of dehydration — fatigue, dizziness, confusion, dark urine — it’s natural to think an augmented beverage might help. Really, water is best — the fluid is what you lack, not the minerals. However, if you’ve been drinking water and not improving, see a doctor without delay. If this happens to you frequently, talking to a sports dietitian might be a good idea. For most folks, one experience with serious dehydration is enough — you’ll be extra motivated to do better at monitoring your fluids so it doesn’t happen again.

This content is not AI generated.