The 10 Best Electrolyte & Sports Drinks for Athletes

Electrolytes should be replenished before, during and after workouts or sports activity to boost both performance and improve recovery afterwards.

If you consider yourself a fitness enthusiast, then you probably already know the importance of proper hydration. But did you know that electrolytes play a crucial role in the body’s level of hydration and performance of muscle tissues?

And in 2023, companies offer a variety of top-notch electrolyte formulas meant to keep your body at peak hydration and peak performance–both during and after your exercise routine.

Because let’s face it: sticking to an exercise routine often presents a challenge in itself.

And with a whopping 75% of Americans being chronically dehydrated, finding the right hydration-support might provide the boost you need to take your exercise routines to the next level.

Due to rampant dehydration among most people, electrolyte supplementation is a safe and beneficial option for staying healthy and feeling your best on a day to day basis.

Key Takeaways

• Proper electrolyte balance is key to maintaining optimal hydration and performance of muscle tissue during workouts.
  
• The more strenuous the physical activity, the more necessary electrolyte supplementation becomes.
  
• The best electrolyte sports drinks on the market deliver optimal doses and combinations of electrolytes.

Ranking and Methodology

To get back in the game as quickly as possible, choose SHIFTED Hydration, RAVE Reviews’ pick for 2023’s best electrolyte and sports drink for athletes.

This drink mix offers everything you need: optimally dosed levels of 6 essential electrolytes along with Coconut Water, Pomegranate Juice, Vitmain C and Taurine. Plus it’s got 2-3x more hydration supporting ingredients than other products on our list.

But we have ranked many other top-tier electrolyte boosting products, too. Each of which is distinguished by a unique selling point and might offer more value to you.

To construct this ranking, we scoured the internet and spoke with fitness experts to find out the best method for evaluating sports drinks. We not only asked them which sports drinks they prefer and recommend, but also, how electrolytes fit into the picture and why they’re important. 

If you already wield great knowledge concerning electrolytes and why they matter, then feel free to jump to the ranking section, oh mighty one.

Quick Links

• Defining Electrolytes and Their Functions
• Electrolyte Deficiency
• Replenishing Electrolytes
• Jump to the Ranking

What Are Electrolytes?

Ashlee Van Buskirk owns and operates the fitness and nutrition coaching business Whole Intent. 

She received her degree in dietetics and clinical nutrition studies from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2017. She has extensive experience in the fitness industry, performing in body-building competitions and working as a fitness influencer and personal trainer. 

Electrolytes, she says, are positively or negatively charged ions that become charged once dissolved in liquid. 

“Those electrolytes serve an important purpose for many bodily functions,” she says, such as muscle contraction, heartbeat regulation, nerve impulse conduction, and balancing fluids within the body, among many others.

David McHugh, CEO and founder of My Mixify, a business and blog focused on health, wellness, exercise and fitness, agrees that electrolytes are essential nutrients in the body. 

And keeping them balanced is an important part of the health and wellness puzzle, he says. 

That’s especially true for athletes, but also for anyone who works out heavily, or even someone who just has a particularly strenuous job, he continues. Electrolytes are also particularly important for anyone on a keto or paleo diet.

And if electrolyte levels in the body become too high or too low, McHugh says, various health problems can occur. “Without electrolytes,” McHugh continues, “we humans could not survive.” 

Examples of electrolytes include the following nutrients:

• Potassium, 
• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Calcium
• Phosphorous
• Chloride
• Bicarbonate

Electrolyte imbalance can include the following symptoms:

• Muscle weakness
• Cramping
• Mental confusion
• Fluctuation in blood pressure
• Muscle spasms

And in some worst-case scenarios, seizures.

“Since our kidneys will filter out excess electrolyte levels if they get too high,” McHugh explains, “low electrolyte levels are far more common, and often the byproduct of exercise” he says. 

A Deeper Look at Electrolytes and What They Really Do

For a deeper understanding of electrolytes, consider checking out this short but helpful video. In the video, Dr. Eric Berg explores common electrolytes and what they do.

What are the Symptoms of Low Electrolytes?

While other symptoms may occur, these symptoms represent the major concerns when the body’s electrolytes become depleted.

Muscle Cramps

Since electrolytes manage water balance and nerve health, frequent muscle cramping means it may be time to try an electrolyte-reinforced sports drink, according to registered dietitian Trista Best from Balance One Supplements.

When electrolyte levels drop too low, she says, “muscles will begin to cramp as they experience water imbalance and poor nerve function.” 

High Blood Pressure

Best goes on to say that high blood pressure is another common symptom of dangerously low electrolyte levels in the body.

“Electrolytes are particularly responsible for arterial pressure,” Best continues. “Loss of these nutrients can cause poor blood flow due to restriction, which can also lead to high blood pressure,” she says.

GERD (Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease)

GERD can also be caused by low electrolytes, Best continues. 

GERD is a condition where stomach acid makes its way up through the esophagus, Best explains. “It is painful and can be quite life-altering,” she says, and those suffering with this condition benefit from drinking low acidic drinks, or any drink that will make the pH of the stomach more basic or alkaline, like a sports drink.

“Some electrolytes can help bring the stomach’s pH back into balance as well, especially potassium,” Best continues. “Coconut milk, unsweetened in particular, is rich in this electrolyte and also soothing to existing burning that may be present,” she says. 

Clearly, it’s important to keep your electrolytes balanced. Accomplished by drinking an electrolyte-reinforced sports drink. But should you drink your formula before or after a workout? We’ll answer that question, next.

The Best Way to Replenish Electrolytes

Lisa Richards is a nutritionist and author of The Candida Diet. When replenishing electrolytes, she says to seek out plant waters, of which coconut water or juice is perhaps the most common. 

“Plant waters carry with them the benefit of increased electrolytes and some beneficial plant compounds,” Richard explains, with wide-ranging benefits. 

“For instance, watermelon water contains potassium as well as beta-carotene, and citrulline,” she says. “Citrulline is needed to make the amino acid, arginine, which is good for blood vessel health.” 

In addition to plant waters, here are just some of the many healthy and effective ways to replenish your electrolytes:

• Electrolyte-infused waters
• Electrolyte tablets
• Milk

But perhaps the most interesting (and flavorful!) means of replenishing electrolytes is through a sports drink. 

“Traditional water can become boring over time,” Richards admits, “and other hydrating beverages can be considered,” she says.

How Did We Rank Electrolyte Sports Drinks?

Before presenting our list of the 10 best electrolyte and sport drinks for athletes, we first consulted health and wellness experts.

We wanted to know what makes an electrolyte formula or sports drink work the best in general. Additionally, we wanted to know the signs of inferior products that should be passed on. We arrived at the following methodology to create this ranking:

• We evaluated each product in our list on the following criteria:
• All-natural ingredients
• Electrolyte, nutrient and vitamin blend included
• Available flavors
• Low sugar and caffeine
• Consumer feedback and price

Our methodologies combine to make a thorough and comprehensive ranking of electrolyte sports drinks, that we can’t wait for you to read.

After surveying 10 of the best electrolyte and sports drinks for athletes in 2022, you may have some lingering questions, a few of which we hope to answer in our next FAQ section.

Just click the question in blue for a drop-down answer!