Best Electrolytes for Runners (2026): Sodium, Carbs and Cost
For most runners, buy Redmond Re-Lyte electrolytes: 810 mg of sodium a scoop, no sugar, and the lowest cost of the drinks on a testing list ($0.95 per 1,000 mg of sodium). Running under an hour? Water is usually enough. On long runs, add carbs: see Skratch Labs below.
By Erin Rose Updated October 27, 2026 How we score
Costs are brand list prices per 1,000 mg of sodium, checked September 29, 2026 (Skratch Labs: October 25, 2026; Redmond Re-Lyte: October 27, 2026).
Our pick for runners
- Sodium
- 810 mg a scoop400 mg potassium
- Sugar
- 0 gno fuel: add carbs on long runs
- Pack
- 60 scoops, $45.99$0.77 a scoop, brand list price
- Per 1,000 mg sodium
- $0.95brand list price
- Testing list
- Informed Choice
Why we pick it It gives sodium for the lowest cost of any drink on a public testing list, and Informed Choice checks it for drugs banned in sport, which matters if you race in a drug-tested event.
What you give up It has no sugar, so it gives no fuel. On a long run you still need carbs; see Skratch below.
Which electrolyte drink is right for your runs?
For this page we compared 7 products on sodium, carbs, cost per 1,000 mg of sodium and public testing lists.
Running over an hour?
The American College of Sports Medicine says drinks with electrolytes and carbs can help more than water alone in some cases (Sawka 2007), such as long runs. Skratch Labs Sport Hydration has 400 mg of sodium and 20 g carbs (19 g sugar) a scoop, in 12 to 16 oz of water. It is not on a public testing list.
Skratch Labs Sport Hydration
400 mg sodium · 20 g carbs (19 g sugar) · $2.99 per 1,000 mg sodium
Heavy, salty sweater?
LMNT Recharge packs 1,000 mg of sodium in one stick, more than any other drink on this page, with no sugar. It is on Informed Choice.
LMNT Recharge
1,000 mg sodium · 0 g sugar · $1.50 per 1,000 mg sodium
Want a tub on NSF Certified for Sport?
Transparent Labs Hydrate is on NSF/ANSI 173, NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, with 500 mg of sodium a scoop and no sugar, at $1.50 per 1,000 mg of sodium.
Transparent Labs Hydrate
500 mg sodium · 0 g sugar · $1.50 per 1,000 mg sodium
Drug-tested race and want stick packs?
BUBS Naturals Hydrate or Die is on NSF Certified for Sport, with 650 mg of sodium and 8 g carbs (7 g sugar) a stick, a little fuel for a race.
BUBS Naturals Hydrate or Die
650 mg sodium · 8 g carbs (7 g sugar) · $2.85 per 1,000 mg sodium
Want a tablet that drops in your bottle?
Nuun Sport is on Informed Choice. One tablet has 300 mg of sodium, so a heavy sweater may need more than one.
Nuun Sport
300 mg sodium · 1 g sugar · $2.50 per 1,000 mg sodium
Already like Liquid I.V.?
Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier has 500 mg of sodium and 11 g carbs a stick and costs $3.12 per 1,000 mg of sodium, about 3 times what our pick costs. It is not on a public testing list.
Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier
500 mg sodium · 11 g carbs · $3.12 per 1,000 mg sodium
High blood pressure, heart or kidney disease?
Ask your doctor before a high-sodium drink, and ask first if you take a water pill (diuretic), an ACE inhibitor or an ARB.
Questions people ask
How much sodium do runners lose?
An average athlete loses about 1,000 mg of sodium in an hour of hard sweating, but people vary a lot (Baker 2016, written by Gatorade staff). That is what athletes lose, not an amount to aim for.
Do I need electrolytes for a short run?
Usually not. For a short or easy run, water and your next meal cover it. Electrolyte drinks matter most on long or hot runs and for heavy sweaters.
Can I drink too much water on a long run?
Yes. Drinking far more than you sweat out can drop the sodium in your blood too low (hyponatremia), which can be dangerous (Almond 2005). An expert consensus advises drinking to thirst (Hew-Butler 2015).
Every electrolyte drink we score is in the best electrolyte powders; how much sodium you lose in an hour is in the dosage guide.
Sources
- Labels: each brand’s own site; Liquid I.V. from NIH’s label database; Skratch Labs from its Nutrition Facts panel (Lemon + Lime, 20-serving bag), read October 25, 2026. Testing: each program’s own list.
- Baker LB, et al. J Sports Sci. 2016. PubMed 26070030 (sweat sodium).
- Sawka MN, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007. PubMed 17277604.
- Almond CS, et al. Hyponatremia among runners in the Boston Marathon. N Engl J Med. 2005. PubMed 15829535. Hew-Butler T, et al. Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Statement. Clin J Sport Med. 2015. PubMed 26102445.