Ahead, find some of the best drinks available to restore electrolytes quickly. Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet.

They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing.

Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider. The delicious flavors and one gram of sugar comes from natural sweeteners like watermelon juice, keeping it at a low ten calories, and the electrolytes are derived from sea salt.

This drink offers the same amount of electrolytes as traditional Gatorade, just without all the extra ingredients. This sports drink is packed with a whopping mg of potassium to ensure you are replacing any lost electrolytes in your system after a strenuous workout.

And it has no artificial flavors or added sugar. Instead, this drink includes coconut water which also provides electrolytes , B vitamins, and a load of antioxidants. White recommends coconut water as one of the best ways to get electrolytes.

Coconut water is also jam-packed with nutrients that might improve your well-being. This drink also has calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, so you can be sure your body is hydrated and receiving all the nutrients it needs.

Even better, this coconut water is lower in calories than other electrolyte drinks and is gluten-free. This electrolyte powder is available in three fruity flavors, and boasts only one calorie yes, you read that right. Bone broth is packed with electrolytes, including calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Beef, chicken, and turkey broth all provide electrolytes and protein, but this beef broth from Kettle and Fire is also packed with collagen. This bestseller on Amazon is water, but elevated. It has a slightly fruity flavor without added sugar—and with zero calories.

What it does have is loads of electrolytes. This sports drink has mg of sodium, which is a great way to consume salt after profusely sweating from a workout. Looking to rehydrate and satisfy some hunger? Compared to a traditional electrolyte drink, such as Gatorade, this is much higher in potassium.

You may want higher levels of electrolytes for days you complete an intense workout, or you might be looking for a daily electrolyte drink to keep you extra hydrated. Just remember to check with your doctor before making any drastic dietary changes, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.

Here are a few tips to follow when looking for an electrolyte drink:. Consider sodium: Sodium is an essential electrolyte for our body, but sodium recommended levels change from person to person. If you have high blood pressure , you should avoid high levels of sodium and look for sports drinks with other electrolytes potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

The recommended daily potassium intake is mg for adult men and mg for adult women. Too much potassium in our blood can cause heart attacks or even death, but this only occurs if there is an issue with your kidneys or you are ingesting over 18 g of potassium a day.

Look at added sugar: Electrolyte drinks are great for rehydrating our bodies, but many sports drinks contain sneaky added sugar. If you are already prone to high blood sugar or have type 2 diabetes, consuming too much can make you even thirstier by spiking your blood sugar levels.

Whichever electrolyte drink you choose to drink is up to personal preference, but keep your health conditions and exercise levels in mind. If you are an avid exerciser, runner, weightlifter, or athlete, you can look for and enjoy electrolyte drinks with higher levels of potassium to replenish after a tough work out.

Electrolytes are the essential minerals our body needs to maintain proper functioning. The main types of electrolytes are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, and phosphorus. Maintain bodily functions. When we are dehydrated, electrolytes can provide a quick fix. If you need to hydrate fast to improve your symptoms, using electrolytes to rehydrate is your first step.

Aid in workout recovery. Electrolytes can also enhance exercise because our body weakens after sweating. This is because cells use electrolytes to conduct electrical charges , which is essentially how our muscles contract.

Ensure better sleep and brain function. Dehydration can also negatively impact our sleep and brain functioning , so it is beneficial to drink electrolytes for rehydration. Cohen says. Each of the electrolytes found in many popular electrolyte drinks also work to rehydrate you in their own way.

Electrolyte drinks are useful when you are dehydrated , which can include after a workout, spending time in the sun, sweating, drinking alcohol, or vomiting. White says water is typically just fine for rehydrating you on a daily basis, but there are certain situations where electrolyte drinks come in handy.

There are some people who may want to consider consuming electrolyte drinks every day. You want to be sure to not overdo it. White says consuming too many electrolytes can give your body too much sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These can cause minor health issues such as dizziness, vomiting, weakness, or worse concerns such as issues with kidney function and muscular and neurological damage.

Anyone who is dehydrated, no matter the cause, can benefit from electrolyte drinks. Cohen recommends electrolyte drinks for similar situations, as well as for pregnant or breastfeeding people, people traveling, and those undergoing certain medical treatments.

We consulted Jim White, R. We also conducted our own research and sifted through tons of online reviews to find the best electrolyte drinks available.

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections.

Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.

Before joining GH, she was an editorial assistant at Prevention, where she covered health topics and celebrity news. Skip to Content Skip to Navigation.

IST EST EDT ACCT. Filter by. Sports Drinks Showing 21 out of results. Previous Page 1 current 2 3 4 5 Next Page. Most Relevant Top Rated Name ascending Name descending Price ascending Price descending BRAND Ascending BRAND Descending PACKAGE TYPE Ascending PACKAGE TYPE Descending PACKAGE SIZE Ascending PACKAGE SIZE Descending.

Case Qty. Added to Your Cart. You do not have access to equipment service. Enjoy our service on online ordering. Reset Password Reset Password. Food Food.

There are many different companies that make sports recovery drinks. Gatorade and Powerade are currently the most popular, but new up-and-coming sports drinks are trying to take over the market every day.

Listed below are the six most popular sports drinks currently on the market. Gatorade is the most popular and largest sports drink in the country. It was created in the School of Medicine at the University of Florida in Since its creation in , Gatorade has been the leader in providing athletes with a way to recover after a workout with their Thirst Quencher electrolyte drink.

Gatorade sells a line of sports drinks, including their original Gatorade Thirst Quencher, Gatorade Zero Sugar, G2 which is a lower sugar drink , the Organic Thirst Quencher, and their Bolt 24 line designed to provide athletes with different antioxidants and energy supplements. Some of the Thirst Quencher flavors include Glacier Freeze, Orange, and Cool Blue.

Gatorade also has a protein line where they sell protein bars, Gatorade Zero with ten grams of protein, protein shakes, and whey protein powder. Gatorade is the official drinks sponsor of the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and the WNBA. Some other Gatorade athletes include international soccer star Lionel Messi, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, and tennis superstar Serena Williams.

Powerade is an elite sports drink brand that the Coca-Cola Company created to compete with Gatorade. Powerade started in and hit the market as the official sports drink of the Olympics.

Since then, Powerade has been one of the leaders in the sports drink industry by constantly modernizing its drinks to keep up with health and other trends by reducing sugar content and continually improving the vitamins and electrolytes in each bottle.

Some of the sports drink flavors are Mountain Berry Blast, Fruit Punch, and Grape. All of their products contain their ION4 Advanced Electrolyte System, designed to replenish all of the sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium an athlete has lost from sweat.

Powerade is currently the official sponsor of March Madness , The PGA TOUR, NASCAR , and the US Olympic Team. BodyArmor is an up-and-coming sports drink brand that was created in by Mike Repole. In , Coca-Cola purchased the company and now owns it in its entirety, so expect this brand to continue to grow with goals to become the official sports drink for more leagues.

Bodyarmor has four different products: BodyArmor Sports Drink, Lyte Sports Drink, Edge a caffeinated drink , and SportWater.

BodyArmor says that they use no artificial sweeteners, dyes, or flavors. Some of their flavors include Fruit Punch, Blue Raspberry, and Orange Mango.

BodyArmor currently has endorsement deals with the MLS, UFC, and the US Open. They also have many major athletes and celebrity endorsers, like Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Jennifer Lopez, USWNT star Megan Rapinoe, and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. They also have a student-athlete ambassador program called BodyArmor U.

VitaminWater is a flavored drink brand that was created in by John Darius Bikoff with an emphasis on providing an excellent source of hydration and vitamins.

VitaminWater was created only a few years after Bikoff started the company Energy Brands and released Smartwater as their first product. VitaminWater currently has 15 flavors on the market. Every flavor contains a different variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, C, zinc, and different electrolytes.

VitaminWater also makes an energy drink that contains caffeine, along with vitamins and electrolytes. If you are losing excess fluids and electrolytes through sweat, vomiting, or diarrhea, consider increasing your intake of sports drinks.

The exact amount you need depends on your gender, size, age, and effort level, but most people need between 30 and 60 grams to calories of carbohydrates per hour for runs up to 2. Adequate hydration is an important factor in supporting a healthy pregnancy.

While sports drinks can help to meet your hydration goals, it's best to consult a healthcare provider to determine whether they are appropriate to incorporate into your diet while pregnant. Sports drinks are appropriate for hydration when you are engaging in strenuous exercise for over 60 minutes, exercising in the heat or at higher altitude, or if you are experiencing illness-related fluid losses.

The added electrolytes and sugars can help you prevent dehydration and provide you with necessary fuel. Budget options like this will offer adequate carbohydrates and sodium to serve as effective sports drinks, but they do contain artificial flavors and colors, which we are hesitant to recommend.

Third-party certifications will often drive up the price of sports drinks, and purchasing in bulk may help to reduce the cost. Tamar Kane, MS, RD , is a registered dietitian and marathon runner. Tamar has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Teachers College Columbia University and specializes in working with plant-based athletes, often those who are interested in incorporating electrolyte drinks.

Her goal is to help people understand how to properly fuel their bodies and supplement if needed! to optimize performance and well-being.

Brad A. Exercise and Fluid Replacement: Brought to You by the American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Health Fit J. National Institutes of Health. Dietary supplements for exercise and performance: Fact sheet for health professionals.

Kurtz JA, VanDusseldorp TA, Doyle JA, Otis JS. Taurine in sports and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, et al.

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. American Heart Association AHA. How Much Sodium Should I Eat Per Day?

Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics, dietitians of canada, and the american college of sports medicine: nutrition and athletic performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. National Institutes of Health: Potassium - Factsheet for health professionals.

National Institutes of Health: Calcium - Factsheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health: Magnesium - Fact Sheet for health professionals. Fitness C on N and the C on SM and F. Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate?

Ferraro PM, Taylor EN, Gambaro G, Curhan GC. Soda and other beverages and the risk of kidney stones. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Kenefick RW, Cheuvront SN. Hydration for recreational sport and physical activity.

Nutrition Reviews, ; 70 Suppl. Von Duvillard SPV, Braun WA, Markofski M, Beneke R, Leithauser R. Fluids and hydration in prolonged endurance performance. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising.

Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services.

Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Sports Nutrition. By Tamar Kane, MS, RD ,. Eliza Savage, MS, RD, CDN. Learn about our editorial process. and Anne Cook Carroll is a Registered Dietitian with a master's degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University.

Anne Cook Carroll, MS, RD. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates.

Medically reviewed by Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN. Learn about our Medical Review Board. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article.

Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Rich Scherr is a seasoned journalist who has covered technology, finance, sports, and lifestyle.

Fact checked by Rich Scherr. Editor's Note Our team of registered dietitians reviews and evaluates every single supplement we recommend according to our dietary supplement methodology.

Our Top Picks. Best Overall:. Best With Caffeine:. Best for Heavy Sweating :. Best Ready-to-Drink :. Best for Daily Use:. Best For Competitive Athletes :. Best with B Vitamins :. In This Article Expand. Our Picks. Where We Stand. We Also Tested. How We Tested Sports Drinks.

What to Look For. Our Experts. Why Trust Verywell Fit. Best Overall. Skratch Labs Sport Hydration Drink Mix. Our Ratings. Pros Great flavor and texture Contains quick absorbing carbs for energy and electrolytes No artificial sweeteners or colorings. Cons Higher sugar content may not be suitable for all.

Best With Caffeine. Tailwind Nutrition Caffeinated Endurance Fuel. Pros Contains caffeine for an extra energy boost Contains quick absorbing carbs for energy and electrolytes No artificial sweeteners or flavorings.

Cons Some may be sensitive to caffeine. The 11 Best Pre-Workout Snacks of Best for Heavy Sweating. Hydration Multiplier Electrolyte Powder.

com View On Vitamin Shoppe. Pros Higher sodium content for heavy sweating Contains quick-absorbing carbs to accelerate rehydration Contains B vitamins and vitamin C. Cons Salty tasting. Best Ready-to-Drink. Gatorade Gatorlyte Rapid Rehydration Electrolyte Beverage.

View On Gatorade. Cons Contains artificial coloring Plastic waste. The Best Creatine Supplements of , Tested and Reviewed. Best for Daily Use. Harmless Harvest Coconut Water. Pros Made from one simple ingredient USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified Easy, ready-to-drink option.

Cons Lower sodium content may not be adequate for more intense workouts. The 10 Best Protein Powders of , Tested and Reviewed. Best For Competitive Athletes. Precision Hydration PH Pros Informed Sport Certified Variety of sodium and carbohydrate options to meet your needs Convenient, single-serve packets.

Cons Only one flavor option. The 7 Best Protein Shakes of Best with B Vitamins. Thorne Research Catalyte. NSF Certified for Sport Higher sodium content for people who sweat heavily No artificial sweeteners or flavorings. Comes in only one flavor. Where We Stand We like Skratch Labs Sport Hydration Drink Mix for its versatility the balance of carbohydrates, sodium, and other electrolytes make it useful for many people , its simple ingredients, and how well it dissolves in water.

We Also Tested While not a top pick for any category, we also tested these electrolyte drinks and think they are still worth highlighting: Maurten Drink Mix : For endurance runners running 1. Maurten offers several different options, including higher sodium and carbohydrate options for ultra-endurance training.

However, it did rank relatively low for taste and texture in our testing lab. Drink LMNT : LMNT is a popular electrolyte powder with a very high amount of sodium at 1, milligrams per serving.

While high amounts of sodium may be beneficial in some settings think strenuous, sweaty exercise , it may not be suitable for everyone. It also does not contain enough carbohydrates to enhance electrolyte absorption or replenish energy stores after exercise.

We do like the simple ingredient list just salt, stevia, natural flavors and electrolytes , but the intense saltiness made it hard to drink, and we found the raspberry flavor to have a slightly artificial taste. Nectar Daily Hydration : These electrolyte packets are a great option for those looking for an everyday electrolyte boost, with zero calories or added sugar.

We love the simple ingredient list containing organic fruit, Himalayan pink salt, stevia, and electrolytes. However, while we found this product to be refreshing, it lacked flavor with a slight tartness but a very mild taste and did not dissolve completely in water, with some clumps left at the bottom of the glass.

Nuun Sport Electrolyte Drink Tablets : We like that Nuun Sport Electrolyte Drink Tablets are Informed Choice Certified, so athletes can be confident they are free from any banned substance for sport. They also contain an appropriate amount of sodium to rehydrate in athletic settings, but they fall short on carbohydrates.

If you prefer to have a lower-sugar electrolyte drink, be sure to refuel with food as well when recovering from strenuous exercise. We found the flavor to be relatively balanced, and not overly sweet or salty, but it did have a bit of an artificial taste and a slightly unpleasant, bitter aftertaste that lingered.

It also took longer to fully dissolve in water compared to other products on our list. How We Tested Sports Drinks Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements. When testing, we evaluated each product for the following six critical criteria: Nutrition : Our nutrition editors analyzed each product based on quality of ingredients, amount of electrolytes particularly sodium, potassium and magnesium , carbohydrates, and other nutrients added.

Then they were rated in the context of their intended use, in this case for exercise and athletics. We also considered third-party testing and associated certifications. Flavor : We tasted each product, noting how accurate it is to the flavor advertised on the packaging and if the flavor corresponds to the color of the drink.

We also took notes on if the flavor was good or bad, how strong each flavor is, and if we felt it was overly sweet or salty. Texture : We reviewed the texture of each product, noting if it was thin and smooth, or clumpy, grainy, separated, or otherwise unpleasant.

For drops and powders, we reviewed the dissolubility of the product, noting how long it took to dissolve in water and if it dissolved completely , how much stirring was required, and if there was any product left at the bottom of the glass. Aftertaste : We tested to see if any of the products left an aftertaste in the mouth after drinking it, and noted if it was unpleasant, how long it lingered, and if we had to eat or drink something after to mask the aftertaste.

Smell : Upon opening the product, we noted how it smelled, including salty, sweet, or chemical, and noted any pleasant or unpleasant aromas. We also reviewed if the smell was consistent with the flavor listed on the packaging, and if the smell impacted the taste when we drank it.

Value : We assessed the value, analyzing the cost in the context of the quality of the product, use and taste experience, and amount of servings per container.

What to Look for in a Sports Drink Third-Party Testing Sports drinks vary in their degree of testing and regulation. The Types of Sports Drinks Sports drinks come in various forms, including ready-made drinks, powders, and dissolvable tablets.

Ingredients and Potential Interactions It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know the ingredients and how much of each one is included, relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient.

How Much To Take Sports drinks are designed to support hydration, refueling, and electrolyte replenishment during exercise. The adequate intake for potassium per day is 2, milligrams for adult men, and 2, milligrams for adult women.

The RDA for calcium is 1, milligrams for adult men and women. The RDA for magnesium for adults is between milligrams per day.

Our Experts Kristy Baumann , a Registered Dietitian who specializes in working with runners. Alena Kharlamenko, MS, RD, CDN , a Registered Dietitian that specializes in health and nutrition research and supplement testing.

She developed our testing methodology for electrolyte supplements. Anne Cook Carroll, MS, RD, CDN , is a Registered Dietitian that works with patients to meet their health goals, including athletes looking to improve their performance.

She also specializes in supplement research and analysis. Frequently Asked Questions Are sports drinks good for kids? Can sports drinks cause kidney stones?