7 Best Electrolyte Tablets 2024 (Easy To Use Hydration)

Whether you’re running in hot weather, doing marathon training or simply tend to sweat a lot on any run (waves hand!), electrolyte tablets can be a key piece of your sports nutrition plan. Electrolyte Tablets for athletes

There are many options for increasing your electrolytes.

You can get some electrolytes from foods, even pickle juice for cramps, you can try homemade options like Shalane Flannagan, pre-made drinks like Gatorade or electrolyte powders which is what I use.

And finally we have tablets!

Electrolyte tablets and powders are very nearly the same supplement. It’s just a different delivery system and some people find that tablets are easier to drop in a bottle rather than trying to dump in a powder. It’s said that they dissolve better, but I haven’t found this to be the case.

Why take electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals – Sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, and magnesium – that help your muscles contract, keep your organs hydrated and manage the nervous system.

While running you lose electrolytes through sweat, through muscle use and as you continue hydrate, then through urine!

If your body starts to run low on electrolytes you could experience:

Fatigue
Headache
Nausea
Low blood pressure (dizziness)
Muscle Cramps

While the average person can get enough through food, that’s often not the case for athletes who are more susceptible to dehydration due to the increased needs of the body. electrolyte needs of runners

Most electrolyte drinks will NOT contain magnesium.

Because it can get the gut moving, it’s either in a very low amount or not included. Definitely checkout options to include magnesium as it is one of the keys to preventing cramps.

Quick Jump

7 Best Electrolyte Tablets

When you’re ready to enhance your water, it’s time to drop in a tablet and then shake your bottle as it dissolves to ensure the bottle is fully mixed.

For most of us these are preferred over sports drinks due to the lower sugar content, which means less stomach issues with things like side stitches, runner’s diarrhea or nausea while running.

Let’s look at the ingredients, taste and general breakdown of some different options for electrolyte supplementation with tablets. All of these will be vegan and gluten-free by nature of what’s included.

Hammer Endurolytes Fizz

Like a sparkling water? Then this tablet with a little fizz might do the trick to help you keep sipping during and after the workout for maximum hydration.

Super common review: “Tastes great dissolves well and doesn’t upset my stomach like most other electrolyte products do. And the best thing is it isn’t excessively sweet.”

1 tube contains 13 tabs – 1 to 2 tablets per bottle
Flavors: Grape, Mango, Grapefruit, Lemon-Lime, Cola
$4.95 per tube (.38 cents per tablet)
Very light mild taste
No Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners
No Preservatives
Can break tablet in half, 10 calories per tablet
Cola flavor has caffeine

See best pricing and flavors at REI to test a single tub >>

Best Electrolyte Tablets

NUUN Sport

The most popular of all tablets, they have the biggest variety of flavors and options.

You can find pre-workout, caffeine options and immune function.

David uses this one quite a bit while mountain biking and many of my runner friends love it. For me the flavor just wasn’t enough to get me to drink it, I’d rather have plain water or something with just a tad more sweetness.

1 tube contains 10 tabs – 1 tablet for 16 oz water
Flavors: Citrus Fruit, Fruit Punch, Grape, Lemon-Lime, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade, Tri-Berry, Tropical, Watermelon
$7.00 for single tube, $40 for 4 tubes (.68 cents per tablet)
Very light taste
1 gram Stevia Leaf Extract
No Artificial Colors or Flavors, Non-GMO
Option to get most flavors with Caffeine
Tablets for Immunity, Rest and Greens as well

See best pricing and flavors at REI to test a single tub >>

See best pricing to buy multiples and save per serving >>

GU Hydration Drink Tablets

While many of us have found the GU gels are a bit too much sugar for our gut, these drink tabs are a great solution.

Many have said the flavor is too weak with 1 tablet, so they prefer to use 2 per bottle of water. I find that with most of the tablets the flavor is much weaker than from an electrolyte powder.

Tablets are great when you’ll be taking in calories from other sources while running, as most tablets are 10 calories or less.

1 tube contains 12 tabs – 1 tablet per 16 oz of water
Flavors: Lemon-Lime, Orange, Tri-Berry, Strawberry Lemonade
$6.50 for single tube, $25 for 4 tubes (.52 cents per tablet)
Slightly sweeter than the others, but still mild
1 gram sugar from Cane Sugar and Stevia
No Artificial Flavors, Non-GMO
All are Caffeine Free

See best pricing to test a single tub >>

See best pricing to buy a variety pack and save per serving >>

Sis GO Hydro

When it comes to taste this one has people not on the fence, but clearly on one side or the other. Most note that it dissolves well, but is even better if you can mix and let sit overnight.

After that some folks love the flavor, others found it medicinal and definitely not loved when the bottle gets hot.

Really this comes down to personal preference, it’s a good brand with the right mix of electrolytes and the large pack is more affordable.

1 tube contains 20 tabs – 1 tablet for 16 oz water
Flavors: Berry, Grapefruit, Strawberry and Lime, Lemon, Cola, Pineapple and Mango
$10.00 for single tube, $40 for 4 tubes (.50 cents per tablet)
Very light taste
Sweetened with sucralose, less than 1 gram sugar
Cola GO-Hyro has Caffeine
Tablets for Immunity

See best pricing and flavors to test a single tub >>

See best pricing to buy multiples and save per serving >>

Amazing Grass Fizzy Hydrate Tablets

I’ll be the first to admit that I have never loved the taste of Amazing Greens, but it is a valuable tool for when I’m traveling and feel like I’m not getting in the regular quality nutrition that I’d like.

You’ll be getting a mega dose of greens with this, so expect that in the flavoring.

People who love the brand, love this and often drink it daily to stay on top of electrolytes and for a little energy.

1 tube contains 10 tabs – 1 per 8-10oz of water
Flavors: Strawberry Lemonade, Watermelon Lime
$8.99 for single tube, $21 for 3 tubes (.70 cents per tablet)
1 gram sugar, Sweetened with Stevia
Contains a serving of veggies
No Artificial Flavors, Non-GMO
Other options may not contain all the electrolytes, look specifically for Hydrate option

See current pricing and flavors >>

Electrolyte Tablets for athletes

Hydralyte

Another fizzy tablet, so be ready for the bubbles of a sparkling water. This one has slightly more sugar than other options, but again is still very low for a drink you’ll be using during sport.

While the directions say 2 tablets, you can adjust this to your taste buds and might find as others have that 1 did the trick. And you like celebrity endorsements it’s backed by Dr Drew Pinksy.

1 tube contains 10 tabs – 2 tablets per 7 oz of water
Flavors: Berry, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade, Lemonade
$9.99 for single tube, $55 for 4 tubes (.44 cents per tablet)
Looks cheapest, but since you use more tablets it’s not
Sweetest of the options
4 grams of sugar – sweetened with Sucralose
No Artificial Flavors, Non-GMO
All Caffeine Free

See best pricing to test a single tub >>

Cheapest option to get multiples and reduce cost >>

Salt Stick FastChews

This is not QUITE the same thing, but I think an option that deserves a nod because technically a pill is a tablet. Right?!

I actually used these during the Chicago marathon when it was so blazing hot. Early in the race I was carrying my preferred drink, but later switched to popping these in because I knew I would have stomach issues drinking what was provided on course.

In fact, I gave my packet to another runner who was suffering from cramps around mile 21.

They are a bit chalky, but nothing a swig of water doesn’t fix. I’m a fan.

1 bottle contains 30 chews – recommendation is 2 tablets per 30 minutes of exercise
Flavors: Peach, Watermelon, Lemon-Lime, Orange, Mixed Berry
$15 for single bottle, $29 for 2 bottles (.25 cents per tablet)
This one does actually contain magnesium
Mild sweet taste
2 grams of sugar sweetened with Stevia
No Artificial Flavors, Non-GMO

You can buy individual packets, which is what I carried during the race. But cheaper to buy a bottle and put some in a little ziplock of your own.

Checkout all the details to get yours now >>

There you have it! A bunch of great options for electrolyte tablets which will make it easy to get yours on the go.

Not only are they great for athletes, but think of them like Pedialyte. It’s a re-hydration option after getting sick or yes indeed for those trying to prevent a hangover.