Hydration is a sodium question, not a water question
Most people are told to drink more water. Fewer are told that water without electrolytes can leave you no better hydrated than you started.
Why plain water isn't always enough
Hydration is about fluid held in the right compartments of the body, not litres consumed. Water moves across cell membranes by following solutes — mainly sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride. Without adequate electrolytes, a large volume of plain water dilutes plasma sodium and is largely excreted.
That's why you can drink steadily all day, visit the bathroom constantly, and still feel foggy, crampy and flat by mid-afternoon.
What each electrolyte does
Sodium is the primary driver of extracellular fluid volume, and the one most people under-consume relative to their sweat losses if they train, sauna or work outdoors. Potassium governs intracellular fluid and works in balance with sodium. Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function and is commonly under-consumed in modern diets. Chloride accompanies sodium and helps maintain acid-base balance.
When you actually need electrolytes
You benefit most in specific conditions: exercise lasting longer than roughly 60 minutes, heavy sweating, hot or humid environments, sauna use, low-carbohydrate or fasting protocols, illness involving fluid loss, alcohol recovery, and long flights.
Sedentary day in a temperate office with a normal diet? Food and water probably cover you. Honest guidance beats selling every person a sachet.
How much sodium do you need?
Sweat sodium concentration varies widely between individuals — roughly 200 to 2,000 mg per litre — which is why blanket numbers are unhelpful. A practical approach: match intake to output. Salty sweat, white marks on clothing, cramping and post-training headaches all point to higher needs.
Anyone with high blood pressure, kidney disease or a doctor-issued sodium restriction should follow medical advice over any product label, including ours.
A hydration routine that sticks
Front-load the morning: you wake dehydrated after 7 to 9 hours without fluid. Drink before coffee. Attach fluid to existing anchors — each meal, before and after training, on arriving home. Track colour, not volume: pale straw is the target.
Consistency beats intensity here. A hydration habit you keep at 80% every day outperforms a perfect protocol you abandon in a fortnight.
Frequently asked questions
- Do electrolyte drinks actually work?
- Yes, in the right circumstances. When you've lost significant fluid and sodium through sweat, illness or fasting, electrolytes help your body retain water and restore normal nerve and muscle function. On a sedentary day with a normal diet they add little beyond taste.
- How much water should I drink per day?
- There is no universal number. Bodyweight, climate, activity, diet and caffeine intake all shift the requirement. Use urine colour as your feedback loop — pale straw is well hydrated, dark yellow means drink more, completely clear all day may mean you're over-drinking relative to your sodium intake.
- Can you drink too much water?
- Yes. Consuming large volumes of plain water quickly can dilute blood sodium, a condition called hyponatraemia. It's rare but serious, and it's most often seen in endurance athletes who drink heavily without replacing sodium.
- Are electrolytes good for a hangover?
- They help with one part of it. Alcohol suppresses vasopressin, increasing urine output and fluid and sodium loss, so replacing both eases headache and fatigue. It doesn't address the other mechanisms behind a hangover.
HYDRATE is our electrolyte formula — sodium, potassium and magnesium, no sugar, no dyes. Currently waitlist only.
View HYDRATEGet the next guide by email
One considered email when we publish something new or open a batch.