Most people don’t equate dropping an effervescent tablet into water with healthy activities like long-distance running. Quite the opposite, in fact—you’re more likely to associate fizzing vitamin tabs with desperate if futile attempts to cure a hangover.
The best electrolyte tablets can have an impressive impact on your running, however, and if you’re regularly getting out for long runs during even fairly mild conditions it’s important to keep an eye on your electrolyte levels.
How I Test Electrolyte Tabs
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I am a keen runner who usually logs between 50 and 80 miles a week, usually while marathon training. I use electrolyte tabs regularly as part of my training, especially during the summer or when doing long or particularly hard workouts. I’ve tested electrolyte tabs from most of the big sports supplement companies.
The Best Electrolyte Tabs For Running
Precision Fueling & Hydration takes your sweat very seriously, and even has a video that can help you identify if you’re a particularly salty sweater. This is important because the amount of salty you lose in sweat varies hugely between people, and affects the amount of electrolytes you need to use to replenish your stocks during and after long activities.,
The range of PF&H hydration tabs provide different amounts of sodium, with the big number on the front of each tube—500, 1000 and 1500—referring to the amount of sodium you get per liter from the tabs when mixed correctly. The tabs themselves are each designed to be mixed with 500ml of water, so you can halve the number for the sodium level per tab. With the higher sodium levels the tabs are larger, so you only get 10 tabs per tube, while you get 15 with the 500 tab. The 1500 tab is my go-to for marathons and my longest training runs, while I also use the 1000 tab regularly in training during the summer.
You can also get PF&H’s hydration salts in powder form in a sachet, which is sometimes easier to carry with you during long activities than a single tab that could get wet and start dissolving in your running belt or backpack.
Nuun’s range of electrolyte tabs for sport is extensive and contains flavors to suit all-comers, from classics like lemon and lime to more novel options like watermelon or cherry limeade, which is one of four options that also contain caffeine. The tabs all provide 300mg of sodium and are good value at their list price and also pretty easy to find at a discount somewhere, especially if you buy in bulk.
SiS’s tubes of electrolyte tabs are a common sight on the shelves of running and cycling shops, and also certain supermarkets and pharmacies as well, so they’re easier to get hold of than most. The range of flavors is bigger than with other brands too, and the tabs have strong and quite refreshing flavors that I found enjoyable to drink during hard, sweaty sessions. There is also a caffeinated cola flavor tab, which contains 75mg of caffeine to help perk you up during activities.
I’ll concede that I’m stretching the term tablet beyond acceptable limits here, since this is a powder. However, since that powder comes in a single-serving sachet and provides electrolytes in the same way as a tablet, I thought you may want to know about it, especially as Veloforte brings some unique flavors to the table.
These are peach, raspberry and rosehip (Vivo sachet), wild strawberry and basil (Attivo), and golden apricot and sage (Solo). Pretty exciting stuff I’m sure you’ll agree, and each serving contains a healthy hit of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. The Vivo sachet also contains 22g of fast-release carbs if you want to combine energy and electrolytes, while the Attivo flavor contains 75mg of caffeine.
The main downside here is that Veloforte’s electrolyte sachets are far more expensive than most tablets, but the varied flavors and focus on natural ingredients might justify the outlay for some runners.
Electrolyte Tabs Buying Guide
What are electrolyte tabs?
Electrolyte tabs are also known as hydration tabs, because that’s what they are—tablets containing electrolytes that your body needs to be properly hydrated. The most important electrolyte they provide is sodium. These electrolytes are also found in sports drinks, often alongside carbs and sugars which help fuel your exercise. Tabs just have the electrolytes, no carbs or cals, so they’re purely for hydration. Drop one in water, let it fizz for a couple of minutes, then glug it down.
Why do you need electrolytes?
Your body always needs electrolytes, but most of the time you don’t have to worry about them because they’re easily available in your diet. However, during intense or long exercise you sweat out a lot of electrolytes, and replenishing them is something you have to actively address. If you drink just water, you can actually dilute the electrolytes in your body further—in extreme cases this can even lead to hyponatremia (low blood sodium). Many first-time marathon runners are at more risk of this than dehydration, because they drink vast amounts of water but don’t consider their electrolytes. Electrolyte tablets are some of the most important running supplements for marathon runners.
When should you use electrolytes?
Any time your body is dehydrated. That can be because of illnesses like diarrhea or because you had a few too many drinks last night (OK, I admit that stocking up on electrolyte tabs for running will also provide you with a handy rehydration option when hungover).
When exercising, you need to replace electrolytes lost in sweat. If you’ve only been working out for an hour or so, you won’t need tabs because you can do this at your next meal. However, if you’re exercising for more than 90 minutes, you’ll want to hydrate on the go, and electrolyte tabs help with this. Either pre-mix a drink or carry the tab with you and drop it in water at an opportune moment. At big events like the London Marathon water will be handed out on the course, and during training runs you can buy water and drop the tab in when the need arises—it’s better than carrying a bottle the whole way.
What are the differences between electrolyte tabs?
The main differences between most electrolyte tabs are the price and range of flavors, but there are also some specialist sports supplement companies who will vary the amount of sodium found in their electrolyte tabs so you have a range of options. During harder activities, or if your sweat is saltier-than-average, you might benefit from a tab higher in sodium.
Some tabs also contain caffeine and when it comes to flavors, let’s just say if you like berry and/or citrus-flavored things, you’re in luck. If you’re buying online it’s worth buying in bulk, because postage will often be more expensive than a tube of tabs. On the high street, specialist running and cycling shops sell hydration tabs.
