Electrolytes
Useful when you sweat out a lot; otherwise food can replace the salt
What it is
Supplements and drinks with sodium and potassium, usually low in carbohydrate. Their job is targeted, rapid replacement of fluid and salts.
Benefits
They help restore fluid and salts quickly, especially if you won't eat soon after exercise (AIS). During heavy training in the heat, extra salt helps maintain fluid balance and prevent hyponatraemia (ISSN). Even so, there is no consensus on the value of sodium during exercise itself, for performance or health (AIS).
Dose
During exercise the general advice is 0.5–0.7 g of sodium per litre of fluid (AIS); ISSN cites 300–600 mg of sodium an hour for prolonged exercise. Afterwards, drink 1.2–1.5 times the volume you lost within 2–4 hours (AIS). For comparison, Europe's safe and adequate sodium intake for adults is 2.0 g a day (EFSA).
When to take it
Before, during and after exercise, at any time of day (AIS). During a session the aim is to avoid losing more than 2% of body weight as water and large shifts in electrolyte balance; afterwards, to replace any fluid and electrolyte deficit (ACSM).
Who it's for
People who lose a lot of sodium in sweat: a high sweat rate, prolonged exercise, salty sweat, ultra-endurance events (AIS, IOC). More sodium is lost in sweat during the first days of intense training in the heat (ISSN). Losses vary widely between people, so drinking plans should be individual (ACSM).
Who can skip it
Electrolytes are a special case for a specific group of people, not a rule for everyone (AIS). Sodium can also be replaced with food: salty foods or salt added to meals. The general population is advised to cut salt intake because of its link with hypertension in susceptible people.
Safety
No upper level has been set for sodium: the data are inadequate (EFSA). The main cause of serious hyponatraemia is drinking far more during exercise than you lose in sweat; sodium in the drink does not fix this and may give a false sense of security. Severe hyponatraemia means confusion, nausea, headaches and a risk of fatal brain swelling. Too much salt during exercise can cause gut problems (AIS).
From regular food
This is a summary of public sources, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, talk to a doctor before taking a supplement.
Sources
- AIS Sports Supplement Framework — Group A . Australian Institute of Sport, 2026.
- ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations . International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2018.
- IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete . International Olympic Committee / British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018.
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement . American College of Sports Medicine, 2007.
- Dietary reference values for sodium . European Food Safety Authority, 2019.
- Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels as derived by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) and the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) . European Food Safety Authority, 2025.
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