Best electrolyte drink tablets reviewed

Zero-carb electrolyte drink tabs are a convenient way to replace lost minerals and prevent cramp. Here we review four of the best electrolyte tablets available and take a look at some of the top deals…

What are electrolyte tablets good for?

Hydration tablets aim to maintain electrolyte levels in the body which are depleted during sweat-inducing exercise sessions. This is important as electrolytes help the body to regulate temperature and avoid dehydration, thus leading to fatigue, and risks of further issues such as heat stroke and nausea.

Importantly, electrolytes help protect against the muscles becoming dehydrated and developing cramp, which can be debilitating and either set you back in your training or sabotage your performance on race day.

Best electrolyte drink tablets

High5 Zero

• £3.50 for 20 tabs

High5’s pink grapefruit Zero is a great little product, though only when you drop in two tablets per 750ml (High5 recommend one or two). Each tablet contains 200mg of sodium, 70mg potassium, 9mg calcium and 56mg magnesium. Just a note on magnesium, that’s applicable for all the tablets here; it’s rare an individual is deficient in magnesium even when sweating.

Like the Nuun, it comes with vitamin C (28m), which again might be better for taste than adaptation. It also contains 1mg green tea for a very minor caffeine hit. At less than 30p per tablet (£5.83 for 20), these are the cheapest on test here.

Verdict: Highly affordable option that tastes good

Score: 82%

Buy from www.chainreactioncycles.com

Powerbar5 Electro’

• £4.50 for 10 tabs

This is one for hot races punctuated with stiff climbs thanks to 79mg caffeine per tablet. That’s a weak coffee but is enough for a mild physical and mental boost taken 20mins before a tough section. You might argue that caffeine’s a diuretic, which isn’t what you want with a hydration tablet, but increasing evidence suggests otherwise.

Sodium is a standard 250mg, alongside 60mg calcium, 28.1mg magnesium and 150mg potassium, though it also includes 200mg chloride – another essential electrolyte for fluid regulation. The grapefruit taste is pleasant and, at 10 per tube, it’s wallet-friendly, too.

Verdict: Impressive hydration tablet with a caffeine hit

Score: 87%

Buy from www.wiggle.co.uk

SiS Go Hydro

• £7.00

SiS’s hydration offering is certainly palatable, with one tablet per 500ml providing a nice, sweet taste, albeit lacking the real citrus hit of lemon. As for electrolytes, sodium is at the 300mg mark, along with 102mg calcium, 8.1mg magnesium and 65mg potassium. Each tablet is 4.2g and contains just 7kcals, with added vitamins including the likes of B1 Thiamine and B6.

• The vitamin B complex: Why are the B vitamins important to athletes, and should you supplement?

Like Nuun, the Hydro can’t resist a hit of carbs, albeit just 0.8g per tablet with one tablet dropped into 500ml of water. Again, we’d prefer no carbs. Also be aware that SiS offer GO Electrolyte in powder form containing all the sweat-related electrolytes of the Hydro, but with 36g of carbs. Twenty in a tube equates to 35p per tablet.

Verdict: Tasty but not quite as carb pure as we’d like

Score: 82%

NUUN Active

• £6.99

Nuun’s Active ticks the electrolyte boxes thanks to 100mg potassium, 25mg magnesium, 13mg calcium and 360mg sodium, the latter too much for many. Its vitamin C addition is debatable, with research stating antioxidant supplement hampers muscular adaptation. It features sugar in the form of 1g dextrose and Nuun argue that’s down to increased hydration, presumably because glycogen attracts water in a 3:1 ratio, but we’d rather see no carbs in a hydration drink. The recipe has been upgraded using Stevia leaf extract as a sweetener, beet juice powder and avocado oil. But these come at a monetary cost.

• What foods are rich in antioxidants?

Verdict: A proven product loaded with electrolytes

Score: 80%

Best hydration tablet deals

Wiggle Nutrition Hydration Tablets

• £3.99 for 20 tabs

As with most tabs, Wiggle recommend that you mix one tab per 500ml of water, that means that one tube of tabs should be good for 10 litres of electrolyte water. Designed to ‘taste great’ but also be ‘gentle on the stomach’, the Wiggle tabs are available in lemon, orange, strawberry and blackcurrant, all of which are vegan. The tabs also contain 8.4mg of caffeine, to help give you that extra performance boost (blackcurrant flavour is caffeine free).

• Buy Wiggle hydration tablets from Wiggle

O.R.S Hydration Tablets

• £4.99 for 24 tabs

Available at a reduced price from sites such as Wiggle, these O.R.S (oral rehydration solution) tabs seems great value for money at 24 tabs a tube. Boasting an all-natural and preservative-free composition, the O.R.S tabs can be purchased in strawberry, lemon, or blackcurrant and are vegan-friendly.

How do they work? O.R.S say they ‘allow your body to absorb water almost as soon as you drink it using a scientific process called osmosis’. The added glucose is said to optimise this process. Bear in mind, however, that serving size is significantly less that others mentioned here, with O.R.S recommending two tablets to be used in every 200ml of water.

GU Hydration Drink Tabs

• £9.00 for 12 tabs

Well known for its luxury desserts, GU is also a big name in the sports nutrition world, producing gels, capsules and hydration tabs for athletes. These naturally flavoured tabs contain 320mg of sodium and 10kcals per serving, they’re also caffeine-free. Just plop one tab into approximately 500ml of water and away you go.

A stand-out ingredient in these is the addition of xylitol, which GU claims should ‘help reduce gastrointestinal distress’ in comparison to more widely used substances like sorbitol. So, if you’re prone to stomach cramps and upset, these could be the tabs for you.

OTE Hydro Tab

• £7.50 for 20 tabs

Recently launched these OTE hydro tabs aim to be refreshing and contain multiple electrolytes including sodium, potassium and magnesium. One eight-calorie tablet is needed per 500ml of water, along with important hydration salts, these also contain vitamins B6, B2 and B1. These tabs are available in four different flavours: orange, pink grapefruit, blackcurrant and lemon. Full review coming soon.

Elite Activ Hydrate

• £9.99 for 40 tabs

Available in berry burst or citrus twist flavour, these vegan-friendly hydration tabs are composed of a score of electrolytes including 300mg sodium, 100mg potassium, 40mg calcium and 20mg magnesium. Recommended dosage is one tablet in 500ml of water. Elite pride themselves on being a trustworthy range of products as they have been tested by the ‘Sport and Specialised Analytical Services’ for banned substances.

Best hydration powders for triathletes

SiS Go Electrolyte

• £33

Another hybrid offering with 36g carbs accompanying a host of electrolytes. Those carbs derive from maltodextrin and fructose sources, which is a proven mix to crank up the amount of sugar you can absorb and assimilate in the intestine.

As for electrolytes, that’s an odd one. For such an acclaimed outfit, and despite selling itself as an electrolyte drink, the nutritional breakdown doesn’t list electrolytes. All we’re told is that 500mg sodium swills around in every serving.

Calcium comes in at 27mg, magnesium 5mg and potassium 60mg. So an oversight? Maybe not as many brands cite sodium as the real biggy when it comes to sweating and rehydration. Either way, the blackcurrant taste’s pleasant and 40 servings pack out each 1.6kg tub, which is around 82p per hit.

Verdict: Another strong hit from SiS, but information could be clearer

Score: 78%

Aptonia ISO+ Isotonic

• £24.99

From sporting giant Decathlon’s own brand offering, this 2kg bag delivers 52 servings, which equates to 38p per hit. That’s impressive, but what does that mean for its contents?

We’re not huge fans of the strawberry cherry flavour, which tastes a little synthetic. But that could be explained by the vast ingredients list. Then again, Decathlon’s thrown the performance bucket at it with not only electrolytes, antioxidants and carbs (38g), but branched chain amino acids (BCAA), too, which are proteins found in food.

They include leucine, which kickstarts muscle repair. So great for post-exercise, but what about during? This could be a pick for long, fasted rides, but the jury’s out on their race benefits. However, sodium’s at 1,000mg per serving, which is the highest here.

Verdict: The greatest bang for your buck, but with an overwhelming ingredients list

Score: 76%

High5 Isotonic Hydration

• £24.99

High5’s known for its fine value for money and, at 57p per serving, that fiscal thread’s maintained by this 1.23kg isotonic tub. Like many here, it features carbs, here at 28g per serving from sucrose and dextrose sources.

As for electrolytes, there’s 240mg sodium, 90mg potassium, 25mg magnesium, 70mg chloride and 36mg calcium. Solid but low for heavy sodium sweaters. The USP, though, is heat-treated postbiotics.

These haven’t attracted the same attention as pre- and probiotics but are gaining popularity for their mooted benefits, namely supporting immunity and preventing diarrhoea.

Apparently, the fact they’ve grown to maturity and then been heat-treated means they take effect immediately, but that’s hard to verify unless you hit the labs.

Verdict: Could help those with a dodgy tummy. Low sodium hit, but does its job

Score: 78%

Rawvelo Organic Hydration Mix

• £25.99

Not only are all Rawvelo’s products 100% organic, but you can return the gel wrappers back to them via freepost and they’ll deliver to a specialist recycling company. But what about physical performance? Well, impressive.

We tried the lemon option – there’s also raspberry – and it was appreciatively refreshing. True to their word, organic ingredients dominate with organic raw-cane sugar, glucose, coconut water powder and lemon juice powder.

It also contains Himalayan sea salt. Two scoops make up a 500ml bottle and, when mixed, you’ll enjoy 403mg sodium, 6mg magnesium, 118mg potassium and 11mg calcium. That’s pretty good for most. You’ll also get 21g carbs per intake via that rawcane sugar and glucose, and 16 servings equals £1.62 each.

Verdict: Most expensive on test, but you can taste the quality ingredients

Score: 85%

Applied Nutrition Endurance Velocity-Fuel

• £24.99

We’ve criticised Applied Nutrition in the past for their lack of clarity with user directions. Not here, though, as it’s clearly a carb and electrolyte powder. We’ve discussed whether that carb addition helps or hinders hydration, but this tub certainly delivers energy with 48g carbs per serving.

That’s from maltodextrin and fructose sources. Again as mentioned, this is a proven mix to, in theory, increase the amount of carbs you can consume each hour. When it comes to electrolyte content, each 50g serving breaks down as: 209mg sodium, 26.4mg calcium, 60mg potassium and 5.2mg potassium.

That’ll satisfy those who sweat little or those whose sweat has low sodium content. As for value, you’re looking at around 83p per serving.

Verdict: One of Applied Nutrition’s better products for those after a sodium and carb hit

Score: 77%

Skratch Sport Hydration Mix

• £14.95

We’re big fans of Skratch Labs’ founder Dr Allen Lim, who worked on cycling’s WorldTour and co-wrote Feedzone Portables, the go-to recipe book for on-the-bike fuelling.

Unfortunately, that strong footing couldn’t mask the fact our summer peach flavour tasted of tea, which I detest. Thankfully, there are a further seven flavours available!

The ingredients list comprises of cane sugar, peach (!), dextrose, sodium citrate, citric acid, magnesium, lactate, calcium citrate, potassium citrate and vitamin C. The result is 19g carbs, 380mg sodium, 24mg vitamin C, 44mg calcium, 38mg magnesium and 76mg potassium.

That’s a solid profile. It’s up to 20 servings per pouch depending on whether you use a 500ml or 750ml bottle, so starts from 75p per hit.

Verdict: Hydrates proficiently, but we found taste confusing as a vocal tea hater!

Score: 79%

Enervit Isotonic Rehydration

• £7.99

This ‘rehydration’ drink from Enervit is one of many powders on test whose remit arguably stretches beyond hydration. It contains 25g of carbs per 500ml from four different sources: sucrose, dextrose, fructose and maltodextrins.

This is a doubleedged sword when it comes to topping up your fluid levels. On one hand, every 1g carbs retains 3g water; on the other, increasing amount of carbs tends to decrease the amount of water that can be absorbed from a drink and so slows down absorption rates.

Each 420g tub delivers 14 servings per 500ml and within that, the electrolyte profile is: 240mg sodium, 45mg potassium, 147mg chloride and 13.5mg magnesium. That sodium hit’s on the low side but will suit some, taste is a moderate lemon, and it works out at 57p per hit.

Verdict: Solid offering for those after a hydrating carb energy hit, but low on sodium

Score: 78%

What is the difference between hydration tabs and electrolyte powder?

Both hydration powders and tabs are effectively the same thing in that they are effervescent substances (dissolve in water) that contain electrolytes and sometimes other substances such as vitamins, glucose and sweeteners, dependant on the specific product in use. They both aim to keep the user hydrated during and after exercise, by replenishing salts lost through sweat. How they differ, however, is in their form.

Quite simply, a powder must be spooned into water and measured out depending on desired quantity, and a tab can be considered more convenient as it is already portioned out and easier to transport; all the user needs to do is simply plop one into a bottle and go. You may find powders to be slightly better value for money, but it really depends on which you go for, check out our sports drink page for more info.

What is hyponatremia?

Hyponatremia is a condition that develops as a direct result of low sodium levels in the blood. Levels are reduced due to too much water in the body diluting the sodium in the blood, this is a common cause of potentially life-threatening issues such as diuretic use, liver disease and heart failure.

However, it can also occur due to excess sweating and subsequent rehydrating with liquids that don’t contain salts to replace those lost. This is why it is important to consider adding electrolyte tabs to your refuelling arsenal during particularly hard, hot, or long efforts.