Most drinks you’d reach for during or after exercise contain electrolytes, but so do several everyday beverages you might not think of. Electrolytes are minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium that help your body balance fluids, fire nerve signals, and contract muscles. Sports drinks are the obvious answer, but milk, orange juice, coconut water, broth, and even tomato juice are all legitimate sources.
What Electrolytes Actually Do
Your body relies on seven main electrolytes, each with a specific job. Sodium and chloride control how much fluid your body holds and help maintain blood pressure. Potassium keeps your cells, heart, and muscles working properly. Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function along with heart rhythm. Calcium and phosphate build and maintain bones and teeth. Bicarbonate regulates your body’s pH balance.
When you sweat, you lose sodium and potassium fastest. That’s why most electrolyte drinks prioritize those two minerals. If levels drop too low, you can experience headaches, nausea, fatigue, muscle cramps, and in serious cases, confusion or seizures.
Sports Drinks: Gatorade, Powerade, and BodyArmor
The classic sports drinks vary more than you’d expect. In a 16-ounce serving, Gatorade delivers about 160 mg of sodium and 45 mg of potassium. Powerade is similar, with 150 mg of sodium and 35 mg of potassium. Both are sodium-heavy drinks designed to replace what you lose through sweat during sustained exercise.
BodyArmor takes a completely different approach. It contains only 40 mg of sodium per 16 ounces but packs in 700 mg of potassium, roughly 15 times more than Gatorade. This makes it a better potassium source but a weaker sodium replacement if you’ve been sweating heavily. All three contain sugar to fuel absorption and provide quick energy, typically in the range of 2% to 3% carbohydrate concentration.
Electrolyte Powders and Mixes
Powdered electrolyte mixes have exploded in popularity, and the two biggest names, LMNT and Liquid I.V., take very different approaches. LMNT is sugar-free, sweetened with stevia, and loaded with sodium at a 5-to-1 sodium-to-potassium ratio. It’s designed for people on low-carb diets or those who sweat a lot and want sodium replacement without calories.
Liquid I.V. uses a blend of cane sugar, dextrose, and stevia, with a more moderate sodium-to-potassium ratio of roughly 1.5 to 1. The sugar isn’t just for flavor. Glucose actively helps your intestines absorb sodium and water faster, which is the same principle behind medical rehydration solutions used in hospitals worldwide.
Natural Drinks With Electrolytes
You don’t need a branded product to get electrolytes. Several common beverages deliver them naturally.
Milk is one of the most electrolyte-rich drinks available, high in calcium, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus all at once. Research from Harvard’s School of Public Health lists it alongside sports drinks as a legitimate rehydration option. Orange juice and coconut water are both excellent potassium sources, though neither provides much sodium. Tomato juice goes the other direction: it’s naturally high in sodium, which is why it shows up in medical rehydration recipes. Chicken broth is another strong sodium source and is especially useful when you’re sick and not eating much solid food.
How to Make Your Own Electrolyte Drink
A basic homemade electrolyte drink, based on a recipe from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, requires just three ingredients: 4 cups of water, half a teaspoon of table salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. The salt provides sodium and chloride, while the sugar helps your gut absorb the sodium more efficiently. You can add a squeeze of citrus or a flavor packet if the taste is too plain.
There are also several variations worth trying:
- Cranberry juice version: ¾ cup cranberry juice, 3¼ cups water, and ½ teaspoon salt
- Tomato juice version: 2½ cups plain tomato juice mixed with 1½ cups water (no added salt needed since tomato juice is already sodium-rich)
- Broth version: 2 cups regular chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 2 tablespoons sugar
If the salt taste is too strong in any of these, cut back slightly. Drinking a less-than-perfect solution is better than not drinking it at all.
Which Drink to Choose and When
The best electrolyte drink depends on what you’re doing. For workouts lasting under an hour, plain water is usually enough. For longer or more intense exercise, especially in heat, a sodium-focused drink like Gatorade or an electrolyte powder replaces what you sweat out most efficiently.
If you’re recovering from illness with vomiting or diarrhea, a homemade rehydration solution or a product modeled on medical oral rehydration formulas is more effective than a sports drink. These solutions use a precise balance of sodium, potassium, and glucose that maximizes water absorption in the intestines.
For everyday hydration when you just want something more than water, coconut water, milk, or diluted orange juice give you a natural electrolyte boost without the added sugars and artificial ingredients found in many commercial options. Coconut water and OJ skew toward potassium, while milk and broth give you a broader mineral profile including calcium and sodium.