12 of the Best Ways to Get Your Electrolytes In (I Know Because I Tried All of Them)

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There is no question that electrolytes have made their way into the newly minted Wellness Dictionary over the last five years.

Once reserved for pro athletes in rainbow-colored, saccharin beverages, or people in their twenties who took advantage of one happy hour too many, electrolytes have become an optimization mainstay for the wellness gurus, the biohacking baddies, the boomers who hate water (my mom!), and everyone in between.

Like anything in Big Wellness, there are nuances to everything coming through your TikTok feed, and I was going to figure out what was going on with this salt boom. I decided to do two things:

1. Try as many different kinds of electrolytes as I could and see what actually worked
   
2. Talk to an expert about the ins and outs of what we should be looking for when it comes to our daily hydration needs

I had the luxury of speaking with Dr. Lamees Hamdan, Integrative Medical Doctor & Founder of Timebeam to understand how we should be incorporating these minerals into our daily lives and who needs them the most.

Are Electrolytes Essential?

If you are a child of the 90s (and once again, baby boomers), words like “sodium” and “salt” immediately trigger a negative connotation and memories of low-sodium labels on everything in one’s pantry. However, our sodium-riddled stigma is being put to bed with the new wave of “mineralism.” (Yes, I just decided on that).

Dr. Hamdan shared that electrolytes (which include minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium)—particularly sodium—help the body to absorb and retain water. “Sodium and glucose work together in the intestine through a transport mechanism that increases fluid absorption, which is why oral rehydration solutions are so effective.” She also explained that electrolytes also create an electrical charge that directs water to inside the cell or bloodstream to maintain overall balance in the body. 

While we tend to view electrolytes as something supplemental, they are—in fact—essential because, according to Dr. Hamdan, they help regulate many of the body’s most important day-to-day functions, including hydration, fluid balance, muscle function, and nervous system communication. “While most people associate them with dehydration or sports performance, their role goes much broader than that. Electrolytes support everything from muscle contractions and heart rhythm regulation to cognitive function and recovery. When electrolyte balance is off, it can affect things like focus, mood, sleep quality, exercise recovery, and overall wellbeing.”

More Is Not Always Better

Electrolytes can optimize how our bodies utilize water for better, more sustained hydration, but more isn’t always better.

“Electrolytes are not magic powders. Not everyone necessarily needs high-dose formulations every day. The more important conversation, in my view, is around balance, mineral quality, absorption, and how these products fit into a broader wellness routine. When thoughtfully formulated, electrolytes can absolutely support hydration, performance, and recovery, but they work best as part of a holistic approach to health, not as a shortcut,” said Dr. Hamdan. 

She also emphasized that we must not forgo our daily, necessary intake of H₂O (which is half your bodyweight in ounces, by the way)—with or without electrolytes. 

Are Electrolytes for Everyone?

I was curious about who should or shouldn’t be taking a daily dose, given there’s a lot of discourse over how often someone should be uptaking their electrolytes. Dr. Hamdan underscored that it is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

People with underlying kidney disease, heart conditions, high blood pressure, or medical conditions that affect fluid and mineral regulation, should potentially avoid electrolytes as they can potentially create imbalances or place additional strain on the body. Same goes for people taking certain medications, including diuretics, blood pressure medications, or some heart medications.

And if you’re already in Health Optimization Mode, a daily “pinch” is recommended to optimize functions, “but you only need a separate, dedicated electrolyte full-size supplement if you sweat heavily, go to the sauna, feel dehydrated, spend a lot of time outdoors, etc.”

Dr. Hamdan reiterated that for most healthy people sitting at a desk, running errands, or doing a light workout, plain water is usually enough. “Research and expert consensus suggest electrolyte drinks become most useful when there is significant fluid and mineral loss through sweating, heat exposure, endurance exercise, sauna use, vomiting, or diarrhea.”

Finding Your Balance

With so many electrolytes now on the market, it can be hard to know if it’s six of one or half dozen of the other. However, something that keeps popping up as the north star for the ideal electrolyte is…balance.

“Balance is incredibly important because electrolytes do not work in isolation—they work together as a system. Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and glucose all play different but interconnected roles in hydration, fluid balance, nerve function, muscle contractions, and overall wellbeing. When one mineral is disproportionately high or low, it can influence how the others function in the body,” Dr. Hamdan explained.

She suggested that many products popping up at the moment heavily focus on sodium alone because sodium creates a very immediate hydration effect.

Mineral balance isn’t the only thing we should be keeping our eyes out for. Dr. Hamdan expressed that many products today are overloaded with sugar, artificial sweeteners, stimulants, and unnecessary additives, which can cause additional stress on the body. And what works for one might not work for another—all depending on one’s activity levels, climate, diet, stress, and health status. 

The Best Electrolytes for Every Use Case

During my electrolyte trial, the things I was looking out for:

• Balance
• Clean ingredients
• Taste
• Usability 
• Functional benefits

I tried multiple brands and products and here are the 12 I landed on—each one perfect for whatever I need in the moment, whatever I’m doing, or wherever I’m going.