Are Electrolyte Drink Supplements Worth It?
Electrolytes are minerals that are crucial for your body to function properly whether you’re hitting the gym, going for a run, or just trying to stay hydrated. They serve to regulate fluid balance, support nerve function, maintain muscle contraction and relaxation, aid in the movement of nutrients and waste and maintain our brain and heart function. In other words – they not only help us perform optimally, but we require them to function.
We lose electrolytes when we sweat, and replenishing them with water just isn’t enough as we simply don’t absorb it well enough as we need electrolytes to help keep fluid in our cells. Without it, the water just runs right through us, literally. So you need a proper balance of water and electrolytes to stay hydrated.
Sure you can get electrolytes from the food that we eat every day – but when you’re on the go and maybe not hungry having a supplement to keep you hydrated is convenient and easy.
I’m pretty bad at drinking adequate water so keeping electrolyte supplements handy when I haven’t had enough water is pretty important. Since I can get really irritable when I’m feeling dehydrated.
So yes, electrolyte drinks are absolutely worth it in my opinion and in the new few paragraphs i’ll explain why – plus give you my recommendation on the best electrolyte drinks out there based on my research.
Not all electrolyte supplements are made the same – and some are a big waste of money
I’ve been buying electrolyte powders for years – but one day I decided to start reading the labels. Since I once looked down at the really expensive electrolytes I was buying and realized I was basically just paying for expensive salt packets.
I asked my nurse friend what she uses since she’s constantly telling me to take electrolytes whenever I complain about anything. Whether it’s headache, irritability, fatigue muscle aches, twitches or cramps.
She recommended Key Nutrients Electrolyte Powder.
What Are Electrolytes and Why Do They Matter?
Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge, found in your blood, sweat, and urine. The major players include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride. These minerals help regulate a variety of essential functions in your body.
Key Functions of Electrolytes
- Fluid Balance: Sodium helps control the amount of water in and around your cells, preventing dehydration or water retention.
- Nerve Function: Sodium and potassium create electrical impulses that allow your nerves to communicate, enabling muscle movement.
- Muscle Contractions: Calcium, potassium, and magnesium ensure that your muscles contract and relax properly, from your heartbeat to lifting weights.
- pH Balance: Electrolytes help maintain your body’s pH balance, which is crucial for all biochemical processes.
What to Look for in an Electrolyte Supplement
When I’m choosing a sports drink or electrolyte supplement, I take into account the following key electrolytes:
- Sodium: Essential for fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions. Replenishing sodium lost through sweat is crucial during exercise.
- Potassium: Vital for muscle function, heart health, and fluid balance. Helps prevent cramps and supports recovery.
- Magnesium: Supports muscle relaxation, nerve function, and energy production. Helps prevent muscle cramps during intense physical activity.
- Calcium: Essential for muscle contractions and nerve signaling, particularly important for high-intensity sports.
- Chloride: Works with sodium to balance fluids and electrolytes, maintaining proper blood pressure and aiding in digestion.
How Much of Each Electrolyte Do You Need Per Day?
Okay so we know how they work but now it’s important to know exactly how much we need here’s a quick overview of the recommended daily intake for key electrolytes:
- Sodium (Na+): 1,500 mg to 2,300 mg. Sodium is essential for fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions. Too much can lead to high blood pressure.
- Potassium (K+): 2,500 mg to 3,000 mg (women), 3,000 mg to 3,400 mg (men). Potassium helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals.
- Magnesium (Mg2+): 310 mg to 320 mg (women), 400 mg to 420 mg (men). Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, including energy production and muscle function.
- Calcium (Ca2+): 1,000 mg to 1,200 mg. Calcium is crucial for bone health, muscle contractions, and nerve signaling.
- Chloride (Cl-): 2,300 mg. Chloride works with sodium to maintain fluid balance and is also involved in digestion.
Brand Comparison of Electrolytes
I decided to compare a few brands I’ve used before as well as added a few popular ones to the mix. Keeping in mind, brands change their compounds and some flavors or formulas vary – However, it’s a pretty good reference point if you wanna’ compare. Also prices vary between retailers and countries. So just bear this in mind.
Brand | Sodium (mg) | Potassium (mg) | Magnesium (mg) | Calcium (mg) | Chloride (mg) | Price per Serving ($) |
110 | 250 mg | 100 mg | 110 mg | 160 mg | $ 0.44 | |
Liquid I.V. | 500 mg | 370 mg | 0 | 0 | 510 mg | $ 1.56 |
Nuun Sport | 300 mg | 150 mg | 25 mg | 13 mg | 40 mg | $ 0.62 |
LMNT | 1000 mg | 200 mg | 60 mg | 0 | 2000 mg | $ 1.50 |
Hydralyte | 250 mg | 130 mg | 0 | 0 | 0 | $ 0.52 |
What the data told me
Key Nutrients had every single mineral I was looking for – and had the highest or one of the highest quantities in nearly every category. The only thing I thought that was significantly lower was sodium – but this is an easy fix. Salt is pretty cheap and easy to add if needed, in my opinion.
The best part was definitely the price for a 90 serving container. At $0.44 cents per serving it’s beating out every brand and significantly lower than sports drinks like Powerade and Gatorade – by a landslide.
As if the electrolytes weren’t enough – check out the other nutritional benefits
Most of the other brands, in my opinion, had little or no other benefits. When I checked out the additional vitamins and minerals in Key Nutrients, I was floored.
Vitamin C, Biotic, Thiamin, Niacin, and so much more. Check out the label to see for yourself and check out the daily value. It’s insane. In a good way.
A few of these things I was paying additional money to supplement. Which I no longer need to do.
Not to mention the taste- there’s a ton of flavors and some of the nutritional values vary from flavor to flavor. They blend well and taste awesome.
Conclusion
If you generally want to feel better or perform more optimally whether you’re an active person or live a fairly sedentary lifestyle but often feel dehydrated. Electrolytes are definitely worth the investment in my opinion. I definitely recommend Key Nutrients for the best bang for your buck electrolytes on the market.
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Sources:
- CDC – Electrolyte Information
- Harvard Health – The Importance of Electrolytes
- American Heart Association – Sodium Guidelines
- Key Nutrients Official Website
- NIH Sodium Factsheet
- NIH Potassium Factsheet
- NIH Magnesium Factsheet
- NIH Calcium Factsheet
Always be sure to do your own research to ensure information is factual and correct as brands do make changes to their compounds and retailers set their own prices. This is designed to give you a baseline so you can make your own comparison. This is not medical information please ensure you check with your physician before trying any new supplement.