Hack Your Hydration: The Best Electrolyte Drinks To Boost Your Energy

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Sometimes sorting through the bullshit can be tricky when it comes to health and wellness. There are so many products out there designed to ‘level up’ your health that figuring out the essentials is almost mind-boggling.

But if there’s one thing you know for a fact you need to survive, it’s hydration. While the NHS recommends drinking six to eight glasses of water a day, sometimes water simply doesn’t cut it.

There are moments during the heat or when you’re getting sick where it permanently feels like your mouth is dry, and you can’t seem to focus or boost your energy.

Over the last couple of years, electrolytes have made their way into pharmacies across the UK. If you’re not sure whether they actually work, we’ve asked an expert exactly what electrolytes do, and rounded up the best ones to buy now.

What are the benefits of drinking electrolytes?

You might be wondering why you can’t just drink more water when you’re dehydrated. According to Becky Bellman, co-founder of electrolyte company Good Salt, sometimes your body needs a helping hand on top of water.

“Electrolytes help your body absorb and retain water properly, making hydration more effective than drinking water alone,” she says. “They contain essential minerals like sodium, potassium and magnesium that support fluid balance, muscle function and nerve signalling.”

If your body is low in these nutrients, you might notice certain symptoms: “When electrolyte levels are low, people can feel tired, sluggish, headachy or mentally foggy, even if they’re drinking plenty of water,” Bellman says.

This is especially likely during hot weather, if you’re sweating more than usual, while travelling, after poor sleep, or if you’ve been drinking lots of caffeine and alcohol, Bellman adds. “Put simply, electrolytes help support hydration in a way that allows the body to function properly both physically and mentally,” she says. 

How can you tell when you’re dehydrated?

When your body is functioning as usual, you likely don’t need to drink electrolytes everyday. However, there are clear signs to look out for that suggest you might be dehydrated.

“The obvious signs are thirst, headaches, dizziness and darker urine, but dehydration can often show up in more subtle ways too,” Bellman explains.

“Many people experience fatigue, dry skin, brain fog, muscle cramps, poor concentration or afternoon energy crashes without immediately linking it to hydration. Often people assume they’re just tired or stressed, when actually hydration can be part of the issue.”

How I tested electrolytes

To make sure I’m only recommending the best of the best, the HuffPost team and myself tested lots of electrolyte powders across a range of functions. 

We tested each one with the advised amount of water on the packet, thinking about flavour, how salty each one tasted (because this is often an offputting factor about electrolyte drinks), how quickly the powder dissolved, and how effective they were at completing their intended function.

We drank them during the heatwave, after heavy exercise, and when ill to test out whether they were worth going back to. Those that were are listed down below.

The best electrolytes to try now