Over 90 minutes: During endurance exercise, you need to focus on both hydration and energy to keep you going for longer. Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions enhance the absorption of water and helps your endurance performance.

For those of us who run in the heat, being proactive with fluids, carbohydrate, sodium, and potassium before a run can also be helpful, says Bonci. But you’re not limited to electrolyte drinks—you can do that with a healthy diet, as well. “For instance, orange juice with salt added could be consumed before a run,” Bonci says. “During the run, an electrolyte drink would be advised, and after the run, replace fluid, carbs, sodium, potassium with food and beverages rather than an electrolyte supplement or beverage.” Whatever your hydration strategy, the important thing is that you drink fluids and replace lost salt so your muscles can perform their best. How We Chose These Electrolyte Tablets The tube and label are fully recyclable (you just need to separate them from each other). The lid is also recycleable ifif you pop the silica balls out from the top. Thiscan be done by removing the cardboard protective layer inside the lid. Go Hydro is a product from Science in Sport (SiS) designed to help you stay hydrated when exercising. It comes as a tube of tablets consisting of various minerals or electrolytes. You bung a tablet in a bottle of water, wait while it dissolves, then drink it during your ride. As a way to help you avoid dehydration, it definitely does the job. The Expert: As a year-round runner in central Texas, I depend on electrolyte supplements to survive the six months of the year when my heavy sweat output leaves a crusty layer of salt on my clothes. But to learn more about how to use them—and what to look for in the best options—I interviewed sports nutritionist Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, RDN, and owner of Active Eating Advice. Bonci is not only the sports dietician to the Kansas City Chiefs NFL team, but she’s also an avid runner and the author of multiple books about nutrition and fitness. While Bonci didn’t select the products below, her input informed my decisions about which products to test. What to Consider With Electrolyte Tablets Why do you need them? Sugar: 14 g | Carbs: 22 g | Calories: 90 | Active Ingredients: Sodium, salt, magnesium, and potassium | Flavors: Watermelon, cherry, and lemon lime

As part of our Drugs Free policy, we provide products that have been batch tested. This product has been tested for substances on the WADA Prohibited List and will be shipped with a certificate from our accredited lab. Please note that HIGH5 products are not formulated with ingredients from the list of WADA named banned substances. If running in the summer leaves you feeling drained and depleted for the rest of the day, like you just sweat out your last remaining brain cell, there’s a good chance you need to take in more electrolytes. Electrolytes are particles that conduct electricity in water, and they’re vital for normal human body function. Typically, it’s not hard to get enough electrolytes from our food, but when we’re sweating a lot during activity—particularly in hot weather, for longer than an hour—we can lose more than we’re taking in. For runners, common signs of an electrolyte imbalance include dizziness, nausea, cramping, and fatigue, though more serious consequences are possible in extreme cases. Although ZERO and ZERO Protect is not a caffeine product, it may contain traces of caffeine (less than 2mg) from the Green Tea Leaves Extract. ZERO Caffeine Hit contains 75mg caffeine per tablet. Yes, but some of the natural colouring used in ZERO Protectcan stain the bladder if left in there for longer periods of time. You can continue to use your bladder with the discolouration.

Sugar: 18 g | Carbs: 20 g | Calories: 80 | Active Ingredients: Sodium, calcium, and potassium | Flavors: Strawberry lemonade, fruit punch, orange, lemon lime, and moreSugar: 1 g | Carbs: 3 g | Calories: 10 | Active Ingredients: Sodium and potassium | Flavors: Orange, lemon lime, tri-berry, and strawberry lemonade Pink Grapefruit: Acidity Regulators (Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Sodium Bicarbonate, Firming Agent (Sorbitols), Magnesium Carbonate, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Citrate, Beetroot Concentrate, Natural Flavourings, Sweetener (Sucralose), L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Calcium Carbonate, Leucine, Green Tea Leaves Extract (Camellia Sinensis O.Ktze), Sodium Chloride, Colour (Riboflavins). One of the best indicators is the number of times you need to go to the toilet and the colour of your urine, which should be pale yellow. If you don’t have to go as often as you normally would, and your urine is of a dark colour, it’s likely that you’re dehydrated. Having a headache, and feeling lethargic and tired can also be a sign of dehydration. During exercise, a dry mouth or lip can also be a strong indicator.