Best Electrolyte Powder 2026: 7 Drink Mixes for Before, During and After Training

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Mile 18 on a humid Sunday, white salt lines drying on your cap. Third set of a tennis match in August. A two-hour jiu-jitsu class where the mats are wet by the end. Sweat takes water and sodium with it, and that’s when athletes reach for a drink mix. The best electrolyte powder for you depends on when you drink it (before, during or after training), how salty a sweater you are, and whether you need carbs in the bottle too. We compared seven real, currently sold options by sodium per serving, sugar, price per serving and third-party certification.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Safety first: electrolyte mixes are foods and supplements, not medicine. High-sodium products are not for everyone: if you have high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, are on a low-sodium diet or take medication, or are pregnant, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian first. Follow the label and don’t double up servings.

Our top picks

Electrolyte powders compared

Product	Sodium per serving	Sugar	Certification	About (Oct 2026)	Per serving
Precision Fuel & Hydration PH 1500	750 mg	15 g	Informed Sport	$14 / 8 packets	$1.75
Nuun Sport	300 mg	1 g	Informed Choice	$7.49 / 10 tablets	$0.48–0.75
Thorne Advanced Electrolytes	600 mg	13 g added	NSF Certified for Sport	$39 / 20	$1.95
Skratch Labs Hydration Sport	400 mg	19 g	Maker says NSF; not found in NSF database	$24 / 20	$0.77–1.20
LMNT	1,000 mg	0 g	Not third-party certified for sport	$45 / 30	$1.13–1.50
Liquid I.V. (Lemon Lime)	500–560 mg	11 g	Not certified for sport (one sugar-free flavor is NSF)	$25 / 16	$1.10–1.56
Tailwind Endurance Fuel	303 mg	25 g	Not confirmed	$31 / 30	$0.86–1.03

The best electrolyte powders, one by one

1. Precision Fuel & Hydration PH 1500: best for heavy, salty sweaters

Precision Fuel & Hydration built its range around how much sodium people lose in sweat, and PH 1500 is the strongest: one 20 g sachet in 500 ml (16 oz) of water gives 750 mg sodium, 125 mg potassium, 61 calories and about 15 g of carbs. There’s also a near-zero-sugar effervescent tablet with the same 750 mg sodium (about $12 for 10), and milder PH 1000 and PH 500 versions. The maker shows the Informed Sport logo, which means batch testing for banned substances.

• Good: lots of sodium in a normal-tasting drink; three strengths; Informed Sport.
• Watch out: too salty for short, cool sessions; Amazon often sells it in multi-box bundles.
• Best for: marathoners, triathletes, cyclists, football and soccer players in the heat.

Check the Precision Fuel & Hydration PH 1500 price on Amazon

2. Nuun Sport: best value, for every day

Drop a tablet in 16 oz of water and you get 300 mg sodium, 150 mg potassium, 25 mg magnesium, 13 mg calcium, 15 calories and 1 g of sugar. A tube of 10 is $7.49 at Nuun, and multi-packs on Amazon bring it closer to $0.50 a tablet. Nuun says its tablets are Informed Choice certified, and its Podium Series is Informed Sport certified. A caffeinated version exists, so check the tube if you train late.

• Good: cheapest per serving; tubes fit a gym bag or jersey pocket; low sugar.
• Watch out: moderate sodium, so heavy sweaters may want more.
• Best for: gym sessions, practice, tennis and pickleball, and sipping through the day.

Check the Nuun Sport price on Amazon

3. Thorne Advanced Electrolytes: best for drug-tested athletes

This one is listed in NSF’s Certified for Sport database (Lemon Lime). Each scoop has 600 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 100 mg magnesium and 80 mg calcium with 15 g carbs (13 g added sugar) and B vitamins. Thorne says to mix it with 16–20 oz of water and drink it 30–90 minutes before or after training. It’s 20 servings for $39, so not cheap.

• Good: NSF Certified for Sport, confirmed in the database; balanced minerals, more magnesium than most.
• Watch out: the priciest per serving; Thorne’s older Catalyte appears to be discontinued, so older reviews describe a different product.
• Best for: NCAA, pro and tested athletes; before and after hard sessions.

Check the Thorne Advanced Electrolytes price on Amazon

4. Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix: best to drink during training

Skratch was developed by sports scientist Allen Lim for endurance athletes: a light drink made with real fruit, not syrupy. A 22 g scoop has 400 mg sodium, 80 calories and about 19 g carbs, plus magnesium and calcium, mixed in 12–16 oz of water. It’s $23.95 for 20 servings at Skratch and less in the 60-serving bag. Skratch’s page says NSF Certified for Sport, but we couldn’t find it in NSF’s public database in October 2026, so tested athletes should check before they buy.

• Good: easy on the stomach for most; a little energy with the salt; caffeinated flavors available.
• Watch out: 19 g sugar is a lot for sipping at a desk; certification not confirmed.
• Best for: rides, runs and matches of an hour or more.

Check the Skratch Labs Hydration price on Amazon

5. LMNT: best zero-sugar, high-sodium mix

LMNT is the salty one: 1,000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium and 60 mg magnesium per stick, with no sugar. A box of 30 is $45 at LMNT (about $1.13 a stick in the big bundle). LMNT treats it as a beverage and is made in an NSF-registered, GMP facility, but it is not third-party certified for sport.

• Good: most sodium per stick here; zero sugar; many flavors.
• Watch out: very salty for some; no carbs for long efforts; not for tested athletes who need certification.
• Best for: heavy sweaters, low-carb eaters, hot-weather workouts and saunas.

Check the LMNT price on Amazon

6. Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier: easiest to find

Liquid I.V. is sold in many supermarkets and big-box stores, Costco included. The Lemon Lime stick has about 11 g sugar and 370 mg potassium; sodium is listed at 500 mg in most databases and 560 mg on Costco’s current listing, so read your box. It’s $24.99 for 16 at Liquid I.V. and about $1.10 a stick at Costco. The original line is not certified for sport; only the Sugar Free Raspberry Lemonade appears in NSF’s Certified for Sport database.

• Good: easy to buy anywhere; tastes sweet and familiar.
• Watch out: sugar in the original; only one sugar-free flavor is certified.
• Best for: weekend warriors, travel days, tournaments where you forgot your own.

Check the Liquid I.V. price on Amazon

7. Tailwind Endurance Fuel: best for long efforts

Tailwind is fuel and electrolytes in one bottle, made for long runs, rides and races. One 27 g scoop gives 100 calories, 25 g carbs (dextrose and sucrose), 303 mg sodium and 88 mg potassium. A 30-serving bag is $30.99 at Tailwind, a 50-serving bag $42.99. Tailwind was Informed Choice certified in 2018, but we couldn’t confirm it is still certified today, so treat it as not certified until you check.

• Good: one bottle covers carbs and salt; mild flavors; unflavored option.
• Watch out: 25 g sugar per scoop, so it’s for long sessions, not the office.
• Best for: races and long rides, hikes and runs of two hours or more.

Check the Tailwind Endurance Fuel price on Amazon

How to choose an electrolyte drink mix

• Before, during or after? Before and after, many athletes use a salty, low-sugar mix (LMNT, Nuun, PH tablets). During long sessions, a mix with carbs (Skratch, PH 1500 drink mix, Tailwind) does two jobs at once.
• Know your sweat. White salt marks on your clothes or cap usually mean a salty sweater. The range here is 300 to 1,000 mg sodium per serving; start in the middle and adjust.
• Count the sugar. From 0 g (LMNT) to 25 g (Tailwind). Sugar is useful fuel in a two-hour race, less so on a rest day.
• Tested? Check the database. Certification is per product and sometimes per flavor. Look it up on nsfsport.com, sport.wetestyoutrust.com or choice.wetestyoutrust.com before you buy.
• Compare per serving. Sticks, tablets and scoops are sold in very different counts; we did the math in the table.

Hydration is one part of the session. See the best pre workout picks for before and the best protein powder for athletes for after, browse Hydration & Electrolytes and Nutrition & Supplements, and for recovery after a hot, hard day, our best recovery tools for athletes.

Electrolyte powder questions

Do I need electrolytes for every workout?

Not always. For a short, cool session, water and normal meals cover most people. Electrolyte mixes are most useful for long sessions, hot or humid weather, heavy sweating, or two sessions in one day.

How much sodium is in an electrolyte powder?

In this guide: 300 mg (Nuun Sport) to 1,000 mg (LMNT) per serving. The FDA’s Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg, so one LMNT stick is a big share of that; it’s meant for people who lose a lot in sweat.

Is LMNT or Liquid I.V. better?

They’re different tools. LMNT has twice the sodium and no sugar; Liquid I.V. has less sodium, 11 g sugar and is easier to find in stores. Neither is certified for sport (apart from one sugar-free Liquid I.V. flavor).

Are tablets as good as powder?

For electrolytes, the label is what counts, not the form. Tablets (Nuun, PH 1500 tabs) are lighter to carry and low in sugar; powders make it easier to add carbs for long efforts.

Can kids or older athletes use them?

Follow the label; several products are labeled for adults. Older athletes and anyone watching blood pressure or on medication should ask a doctor or registered dietitian which sodium level makes sense.