Electrolytes

Electrolytes are minerals that carry a small electrical charge once they dissolve in water. Sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride are the ones that matter here. You lose them through sweat and urine. A long run in the heat, a sauna session, a low-carb diet or a day of illness all raise those losses. Water alone replaces the fluid, not the minerals.

What each mineral does in a hydration formula

Sodium is the mineral you lose most in sweat, and it helps your body hold on to the water you drink. Potassium contributes to normal muscle function and to the normal functioning of the nervous system. Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, which is why most blends include it, and why some people prefer a separate product with magnesium in a well absorbed form. Chloride contributes to normal digestion, because your stomach uses it to make acid. Sodium itself has no approved health claim in the EU, so we describe what it does and leave it there.

Powders, tablets and capsules differ in more than convenience

A powder or sachet lets you adjust the strength: more water on a light day, less when you sweat hard. Effervescent tablets give a fixed dose and need an acid plus bicarbonate to fizz, so they carry more helper ingredients. Capsules bring no fluid at all, so you still have to drink. Sodium per serving varies widely, from a few hundred milligrams in daily sachets to around 1,000 mg in salt-forward drink mixes.

• Sodium per serving, not per 100 g
• Whether the magnesium is citrate or the cheaper oxide
• Sugar content, and whether you actually need it
• Potassium, which some blends keep close to zero

If you only want one of these minerals, a separate product with potassium is usually clearer than a blend.

How we choose the electrolyte products we stock

We judge three things: the mineral form, the dose per serving and whether the combination makes sense. We prefer citrate and other well absorbed forms when a product is meant to deliver magnesium, and we read the sodium per serving, because a mix with 200 mg does a different job from one with 1,000 mg. We are brand-neutral and outcome-first: we only carry brands we stand behind, we buy directly from them, and our compliance team checks every label before it goes live. We also test products ourselves, and independent labs spot-check batches. You can read how we select brands and products.

Who they suit, and who can skip them

If you train longer than an hour, sweat heavily, work in heat, fast, or follow a low-carb routine, an electrolyte drink does something plain water cannot. For a desk day with normal meals, your food already covers most of it. Be realistic about the timescale too: electrolytes act within the hour you drink them, not over weeks of building up, so judge them on the days you genuinely need them. Cramp has several causes, and minerals are only one of them. If long sessions are your focus, our range for endurance sports puts carbohydrate and electrolyte options side by side.