Doctors Say You Probably Don’t Need Electrolyte Powders

It seems you can’t get too far on social media without a fitness or lifestyle influencer touting the benefits of electrolyte powders.

Electrolytes are substances your body needs to function such as potassium, magnesium and sodium. You lose these minerals when you sweat, and they often need to be replenished through food and drinks.

While many drinks and foods that folks eat daily contain electrolytes (such as bananas, spinach, oranges, milk, coconut water and more), some people think they need even more in the name of “optimal hydration” or “peak fitness performance.” Enter electrolyte powders ― commonly known by their brand names such as Liquid I.V., LMNT and Ultima ― which often come in packet form that you can dump and mix with plain water. The brands all promise their own different benefits, but overall, these products claim to help you hydrate faster and replenish your lost electrolytes.

But do we really need this boost? Here’s what doctors say:

With flavors like cotton candy, mango chili, lemonade salt, passionfruit and kiwi strawberry, it’s no surprise that electrolyte packets make plain water taste better, which is the main draw for some folks.

If you’re drinking them for pure flavor and as a way to get yourself to drink water, that can be fine, said Dr. BJ Balcik, an associate professor of emergency medicine at West Virginia University. But don’t expect them to make a difference in terms of hydrating you more than a regular glass of water would.

If you’re using these packets as a way to cut back on soda or sugary juices, that’s also beneficial, noted Dr. Jeffrey Bytomski, a sports medicine specialist at Duke Health in North Carolina. However, it’s important to know that these packets aren’t calorie-, sugar- and salt-free like a regular glass of water, which is important to keep in mind if you have specific health risks or goals (more on that below).

There is truth that these can be beneficial for people who exercise, but there is a “misconception” when it comes to what kind of exercise warrants this, said Dr. Alex McDonald, a family medicine physician.

If you’re going on a walk or doing some kind of workout that doesn’t get your heart pumping too much, you don’t need to replenish your electrolytes with one of these packets, according to Balcik. Bytomski also said that folks exercising for less than two hours at a time likely don’t need these packets either and instead can rely on food to get their electrolytes and plain water for hydration.

When it comes to intense exercise, electrolyte packets can be more helpful, Balcik said, and added that someone training for a marathon or taking an intense CrossFit class could benefit. If you are prone to cramping when working out or are a heavy sweater, electrolyte packets may be of benefit, too, according to Bytomski.

McDonald said people working out hard for more than one hour may find them beneficial, but you know your body best and what helps your workouts most.

“I personally have a banana and water when I exercise because I don’t think the electrolyte drinks are really worth it, quite frankly, because thinking about added chemicals and dyes and sugars to your diet is never ideal,” McDonald said. And they can be quite pricey.

But, for people working out for long periods, these electrolyte packets can help your body retain water, which keeps you hydrated longer, and if there are carbohydrates in the packet (as there are with Liquid I.V.), that can give you “a little more energy,” McDonald said.

As long as you’re eating a balanced diet, most people get the electrolytes that these products promise from their diet, according to Balcik. Foods such as bananas, avocados and tomatoes are all high in electrolytes and are things the average American eats regularly.

These packets also promise high amounts of sodium (which is an electrolyte, too), which plainly means they are often pretty high in sodium, noted Bytomski, and most Americans already eat too much salt.

“The LMNT [electrolyte powder] has, like, 1,000 milligrams of sodium, which is, I think, pretty high. I think that’s pretty excessive,” Bytomski said.

Not all electrolyte powders are so high in sodium; Liquid I.V. has about 500 milligrams per packet (which still isn’t exactly low), but Ultima packets have 55 milligrams of sodium. According to the American Heart Association, adults should consume 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams of sodium in a day.

Eating too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

“The folks that have high blood pressure, in particular, need to be very watchful with this and monitor that sodium contents, and I think even speaking with their physician before using these regularly,” Balcik said.

The same goes for people with kidney issues or kidney disease, said Balcik, because they can’t process fluid as well as other people, “so that sodium may stick around longer and cause more problems.”

While these packets promise electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, which are essential for our body, our kidneys flush out extra electrolytes, and if you’re eating a balanced diet, you are already getting these.

“For the most part, if you drink these things … your body’s just going to flush them out. It’s really going to be a wash,” said Bytomski.

If you like the flavor and they remind you to have water, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with drinking electrolyte packets, but it’s important to think about the sodium content and know that they aren’t really necessary or making you healthier.