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5 Essential Electrolyte Powders
Add hydration, endurance, & recovery support to your workout with a quality electrolyte powder.
Electrolytes can electrify your workout — literally. These essential minerals send electrical charges throughout your body, helping to regulate hydration, inspire greater endurance, and encourage muscle recovery.
Traditionally, electrolytes have been added to flavored beverages and served up as sports drinks. But we’re in a new era of sports nutrition, and electrolyte powders are taking over as a convenient, nutrition-first way to push your workouts to the limit.
Benefits
If your body is a circuit board, electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride are the electricity conductors, transmitting important information throughout your body's "wiring." These electrical impulses regulate fluid levels, signal tissue repair, encourage energy production, and so much more.
As you sweat, you lose electrolytes. Just as a disruption in an electrical circuit can lead to a malfunction, electrolyte imbalance can affect your ability to properly hydrate and result in muscle fatigue, making it harder to push yourself during a workout and recover effectively.
Luckily, a good electrolyte powder can make it easier than ever to keep your body replenished with these vital minerals. These small, travel-friendly packets are loaded with naturally derived ingredients that support workout intensity while fighting everyday muscle cramps and soreness.
But, not all electrolyte powders are created equal.
There are seemingly endless electrolyte formulas available. When shopping, look for a blend of electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride that work together while playing their own special function in your body.
Further, some formulas elevate their electrolyte blend with supporting ingredients. For example, our Essential elements® blend includes apple cider vinegar and vitamin C to help support peak hydration and performance.
For best results, we always recommend looking for simple, effective formulas. With that in mind, check out our shortlist of key ingredients to look for in a premium electrolyte powder.
Key Ingredients
Sodium
Sodium is a crucial electrolyte that supports proper fluid balance and muscle function in your body. It also plays a huge role in facilitating nerve signaling and communication in the brain.
When you're low on sodium, nerve communications are disrupted, which can cause brain fog, dizziness, and even headaches.
Potassium
Every muscle, including your heart, relies on potassium to expand and contract. Low potassium levels can lead to irregular heartbeat, muscle rigidity, and cramping.
Chloride
Chloride aids in fluid regulation and helps deliver oxygen to your cells. Additionally, it supports pH levels and plays a crucial role in forming stomach acid, aiding digestion and nutrient absorption.
Vitamin C
Though not itself an electrolyte, vitamin C is a staple ingredient in many electrolyte blends, thanks to the supportive role it plays in collagen production, immune health, and nerve function.
It can also help reduce common oxidative stress brought on by rigorous activities like running and weight training.
Watch Out For
Artificial Sweeteners
Some brands hope to improve their formula’s taste by adding artificial sweeteners. However, some evidence suggests artificial sweeteners could work against your health goals. Avoid common ones like aspartame, acesulfame, and sucralose.
High Sugar
Your body expends additional water to process and eliminate excess sugar, counteracting the full benefits of electrolyte supplementation. Of course, more sugar also means more calories, which can undermine your workout goals if you're on a low-calorie diet.
Artificial Dyes
Artificial dyes are often used to color sports drinks, but we now know they’re unnecessary and could even cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Your best bet is to look for a product that uses natural coloring like beta carotene or beetroot.
How We Choose Products
Like you, we’re picky about products — and serious about quality.
Whether we’re featuring an award-winning product from one of our five beauty and wellness brands — or somebody else’s — a Brilliant recommendation doesn’t see the light of day until it has been medically reviewed for accuracy and has fulfilled our Brilliant Criteria.
At Brilliant, we’re not afraid to highlight and celebrate other brands who are doing things right.
Brilliant Criteria
We take great care in handpicking high-quality products to feature on Brilliant. Here’s how we choose them:
- Research-Based Ingredients: We dig deep into the latest research and look for products that contain science-based ingredients for optimal impact.
- Pure, Holistic Formulas: We prioritize products that contain clean, wholesome ingredients shown to be effective. A product should only contain what it needs and nothing else — period.
- Brand Credibility: Each product on our list is produced by a company with trusted credibility. We've also verified that each brand adheres to labeling requirements set forth under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
- Value: We evaluate products based on industry averages and price per serving or application. We also consider quantity and return policy.
Why Trust Us?
As veteran leaders in the wellness space with an award-winning brand portfolio of 100+ health and beauty products, we are committed to honesty and transparency, providing unbiased insights into the benefits and limitations of the information and products we evaluate — including our own. Every Brilliant Buying Guide is thoroughly vetted for medical accuracy prior to publication.
With our discerning selection process, you can feel confident that the products we recommend meet the highest benchmarks of quality, transparency, and efficacy. If we wouldn’t use a product ourselves, it’s not Brilliant.
Now that you know what to look for and avoid in your electrolyte powder, it’s time to shop. Check out our Brilliant recommendations below, including our own Essential elements® Hydration.
2024’s Must-Have Electrolyte Powders
What We Like:
Room To Improve:
Final Thoughts
Product Specs
What We Like:
Room To Improve:
Final Thoughts
Product Specs
What We Like:
Room To Improve:
Final Thoughts
Product Specs
What We Like:
Room To Improve:
Final Thoughts
Product Specs
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes electrolyte imbalances?
Several factors can cause an electrolyte imbalance, including dehydration, excessive sweating, or low consumption of electrolyte-rich foods.
How much water should I drink to stay hydrated?
The amount of water you need to stay adequately hydrated is different for everyone. A broad guideline suggests drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. It’s important to drink plenty of water throughout the day to ensure you’re staying hydrated, and include electrolyte-rich beverages as needed.
Do I need an electrolyte powder?
Many people can benefit from an electrolyte supplement, especially those that participate in intense exercise, have certain medical conditions, follow low-carb or ketogenic diets, travelers, or those spending time in the heat.
Citations
1. Sharma, Arun et al. Indian journal of pharmacology vol. 48,3 (2016): 237-40. doi:10.4103/0253-7613.182888
2. Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Applied. FDA, 14 July 2023, www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food.
3. Burst, Volker. Frontiers of hormone research vol. 52 (2019): 24-35. doi:10.1159/000493234/
4. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/expert-answers/low-blood-sodium/faq-20058465.
5. Sweeney, H Lee, and David W Hammers. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology vol. 10,2 a023200. 1 Feb. 2018, doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a023200
6. Taylor, Kory, and Elizabeth B. Jones. PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/.
7. National Institutes of Health. Nih.gov, 2 June 2022, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/.
8. Arnold, L Eugene et al. Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics vol. 9,3 (2012): 599-609. doi:10.1007/s13311-012-0133-x
9. WebMD, 7 Apr. 2023, www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/what-to-know-about-dehydration-in-older-adults#1.
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