LMNT vs Liquid I.V. 2026: Sodium, Sugar and Cost Compared
Buy LMNT. It has twice the sodium of Liquid I.V., no sugar, and costs $1.50 per 1,000 mg of sodium against $3.12. Buy Liquid I.V. only if you want sugar with your salt for a long effort. Want a drink on a public testing list? See the tested option below.
By Erin Rose Updated October 13, 2026 How we score
Our pick of the two
LMNT Recharge
7.0/10
- Cost
- $1.50 per 1,000 mg of sodium
- Testing
- No testing list found
How much sodium is in each?
One LMNT stick has 1,000 mg of sodium; one Liquid I.V. stick has 500 mg. An average athlete loses about 1,000 mg of sodium in an hour of hard sweating (Baker 2016, written by Gatorade staff; your hourly loss). So one LMNT stick covers more of what a heavy sweater loses. That 1,000 mg is what athletes lose, not an amount to aim for.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Average hour of hard sweating | 1,000 mg |
| LMNT Recharge | 1,000 mg |
| Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier | 500 mg |
| Transparent Labs Hydrate, the tested option | 500 mg |
What about the sugar?
Liquid I.V. has 11 g of carbohydrate a stick; LMNT has no sugar. The sugar also helps sodium and water absorb (how that works). In hard exercise over an hour, carbohydrate is also useful fuel (ACSM 1996). On a normal day, it is sugar you don’t need.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Gatorade, 20 oz bottle | 34 g |
| Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier | 11 g |
| LMNT Recharge | 0 g |
| Transparent Labs Hydrate, the tested option | 0 g |
Is either one third-party tested?
No. We did not find either one on the 5 public testing lists we searched. NSF Certified for Sport does list one Liquid I.V. flavor, Sugar-Free Raspberry Lemonade. It does not list the Lemon Lime we compare here.
If testing matters to you, Transparent Labs Hydrate is on NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, and NSF/ANSI 173.
How we checked this
We searched each program’s own list for both brands between September 22, 2026 and September 30, 2026: NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, Informed Choice, NSF/ANSI 173, USP Verified. Prices are each brand’s own list price, checked September 29, 2026. Scores were rebuilt October 1, 2026. Full method.
How big is the price gap?
A stick costs $1.50 for LMNT and $1.56 for Liquid I.V. LMNT’s stick holds more sodium, so it costs less per 1,000 mg; the card at the top and the score table below show both prices.
How did the two score?
| Mark | LMNT | Liquid I.V. |
|---|---|---|
| Dose delivered | 3/3 1,000 mg sodium per serving (400 mg or more counts in full) | 3/3 500 mg sodium per serving (400 mg or more counts in full) |
| Cost per dose | 2/2 $1.50 per 1000 mg sodium | 0/2 $3.12 per 1000 mg sodium (2.1x the cheapest) |
| Third-party testing | 0/3 No testing claim | 0/3 No testing claim |
| Label transparency | 1/1 Amount stated, no blend | 1/1 Amount stated, no blend |
| Recall record | 1/1 No recall in 24 months | 1/1 No recall in 24 months |
| Our score | 7.0/10 | 5.0/10 |
LMNT scores 2.0 points higher, all on cost. Neither earns testing points. LMNT ranks 5th of the 10 electrolyte drinks we score: see them all.
Who should buy which?
Long, sweaty training or heat, and you want no sugar: LMNT. Its edge is 1,000 mg of sodium in one stick. Transparent Labs Hydrate costs $1.50 per 1,000 mg of sodium, the same as LMNT, and it is on a public testing list, but it takes two scoops. If testing matters to you, take Transparent Labs Hydrate.
A long race where you also want sugar as fuel: Liquid I.V., plus carbs from food or gels. For a tested drink with some sugar, BUBS Naturals Hydrate or Die Electrolytes has 7 g of sugar a stick and is on NSF Certified for Sport.
A normal day or a short workout: neither. Water and food cover it. One LMNT stick is 43% of the 2,300 mg daily sodium limit, and food already gives most Americans more than that limit (the numbers).
High blood pressure, heart failure or kidney disease, or a low-sodium diet: ask your doctor before a high-sodium drink. Ask first, too, if you take a water pill (diuretic), an ACE inhibitor, an ARB or a potassium-sparing diuretic: Liquid I.V. has 370 mg of potassium a stick and LMNT 200 mg.
Sick with vomiting or diarrhea: neither is an oral rehydration solution. Ask a doctor or pharmacist what to drink. If a child is sick or seems dehydrated, call the child’s pediatrician.
Don’t overdo the water either. 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); for long races, ask a coach or doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is LMNT or Liquid I.V. better?
LMNT, for most people. It has twice the sodium (1,000 mg vs 500 mg a stick), no sugar, and costs $1.50 per 1,000 mg of sodium against $3.12 at each brand’s list price. Liquid I.V. fits a long race where you also want sugar as fuel.
Does LMNT or Liquid I.V. have more sodium?
LMNT: 1,000 mg a stick, twice Liquid I.V.’s 500 mg. Liquid I.V. has more potassium (370 mg vs 200 mg). LMNT has 60 mg of magnesium; Liquid I.V.’s label lists none.
Is the sugar in Liquid I.V. bad?
Not in a long, hard workout. In exercise over an hour, carbohydrate is useful fuel (ACSM 1996), and glucose helps the gut take up sodium and water (Wright 2011). On a normal day, its 11 g of carbohydrate is sugar you don’t need. LMNT and Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free have none.
Are LMNT or Liquid I.V. third-party tested?
No. We searched 5 testing programs’ own lists and found neither. NSF Certified for Sport lists one Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free flavor, Raspberry Lemonade, but not the Lemon Lime or the classic sticks compared here. If testing matters to you, Transparent Labs Hydrate is on NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, and NSF/ANSI 173.
How much does a year of LMNT or Liquid I.V. cost?
At one stick a day and each brand’s list price: LMNT about $548 a year (30-stick box, $45.00), Liquid I.V. about $570 (16-stick box, $24.99), and Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free about $569. LMNT gives you twice the sodium for that money.
Is Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free the same as LMNT?
No. Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free has 500 mg of sodium and 370 mg of potassium a stick, no sugar, and no magnesium on the label. LMNT has 1,000 mg of sodium, 200 mg of potassium and 60 mg of magnesium. Per 1,000 mg of sodium, Sugar-Free costs $3.12 and LMNT $1.50.
Also comparing Gatorade and Pedialyte? See Liquid I.V. vs Gatorade vs Pedialyte vs DripDrop.
Sources
- Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier, Lemon Lime: NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database, label 249696. LMNT Recharge: drinklmnt.com product page. Both read September 29, 2026.
- Testing: NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, Informed Choice, NSF/ANSI 173, USP Verified, each program’s own list, searched between September 22, 2026 and September 30, 2026. FDA, sodium in your diet (2,300 mg limit; about 3,400 mg average; high sodium raises blood pressure).
- Baker LB, et al. J Sports Sci. 2016. PubMed 26070030 (sweat sodium). Convertino VA, et al. ACSM position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. 1996. PubMed 9303999. Wright EM, et al. Physiol Rev. 2011. PubMed 21527736
- 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. Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free, Lemon Lime: its label, re-read October 12, 2026.
- FDA enforcement (recall) reports via openFDA, checked October 1, 2026.