I Tried 6 Electrolyte Drinks—This Is the One I Can’t Stop Drinking

As someone who has chronic migraines and often feels fatigued throughout the day, I decided to try incorporating electrolytes into my daily routine. I started with our remaining stash of Gatorade, leftover from when my child had a stomach bug.

I played soccer as a kid and always enjoyed the taste of yellow Gatorade. At the time, I never thought about how I felt after having the sports drink—I was just excited for the sugary-sweet refreshment and hanging out with my friends. But now, as an adult, and especially in the warmer weather, I notice I feel significantly better if I drink Gatorade. My afternoon fogginess burns off, and my headaches are less severe and frequent.

However, as much as I liked Gatorade, I wanted to find a “grown-up,” healthier version (i.e., less sugar) of electrolyte drinks or water enhancers that tastes great and makes me feel my best. And after trying what felt like every electrolyte drink on supermarket shelves, I found one I can’t stop drinking. 

My Testing Process

I limited my sample size to electrolyte products I could find at the grocery store. (You can find many more online, purchasing directly from the brand.) In staying loyal to my nostalgic lemon-lime Gatorade, and to keep the flavor profile consistent, I tried to sample only lemon, lime, lemonade or other citrus-flavored drinks. But it’s worth noting that not every brand had an option available in these flavors. 

When doing the actual testing, I used water as a palate cleanser in between sips. From those parameters, there was a clear winner. Here are my thoughts on all the ones I tried and my top pick.

Nuun Sport Hydration Tablets (Lemon-Lime)

Nuun was recommended to me by a friend of mine who likes sweaty spin workouts. Of all the products I tried, it seems to be the one that is most readily available at most grocery stores in my area. Dextrose and stevia leaf extract are used as sweeteners in the product, and I found the flavor was sweet, but not too sweet. The tablet made the water effervescent, and it took longer to dissolve than powders.

I don’t love fizzy water, and the Nuun tablets set off my “ick” when it comes to bubbles. However, if I drank it cold and sipped it quickly, I noticed I felt better afterwards in terms of my energy level and mental clarity.

Nutrition information for 1 tablet Nuun Sport Hydration (Lemon-Lime): 15 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbohydrate, 1g sugar (1g added sugar), 0g protein, 300mg sodium, 13mg calcium, 150mg potassium, 35mg magnesium, 40mg chloride

Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier (Lemon-Lime)

I’ve heard advertisements for Liquid I.V. on some of my favorite podcasts and have been inundated with targeted ads on my social media. Needless to say, Liquid I.V. was on my radar. Like several other electrolyte water enhancers, it’s individually portioned in powder form. 

I found it difficult to get this one to fully dissolve and I had to continue to stir to avoid settling at the bottom of the glass. It also appeared filmy and was much sweeter than some of the others. The product features three types of sweeteners: cane sugar, dextrose and stevia leaf extract.

Despite all this, I felt good after drinking it, which prompted me to chill the mixed drink and then guzzle it quickly. This helped my symptoms, but overall it wasn’t as pleasant as I’d like. 

Nutrition information for 1 packet Liquid I.V. (Lemon-Lime): 50 calories, 0g fat, 13g carbohydrate, 11g sugar (11g added sugar), 0g protein, 560mg sodium, 370mg potassium, 62mg vitamin C, 19.3mg niacin, 1.92mg vitamin B6, 5.79mcg vitamin B12, 9.6mg pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)

Mio Hydrate Electrolyte Drink (Lemon-Lime)

Mio makes water enhancers with and without boosted electrolytes. I tried both options—they tasted the same to me. The product is available in a little squirt bottle that you add to water and stir. One downfall I noticed is that the portion, a “squirt,” isn’t precise. You get more or less liquid depending on how hard you squeeze.

The water tasted like regular lemon water, which is to say it wasn’t sweet but did have a natural, citrus flavor. Mio uses no-calorie sweeteners like acesulfame-potassium and sucralose as well as artificial coloring.

I liked it, but as a comparison to Gatorade, it wasn’t sweet enough for my taste. I felt good after drinking it, but wondered if I would have felt just as good drinking plain water. 

Nutrition information for 1 tsp. Mio Hydrate Electrolyte Drink (Lemon-Lime): 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g carbohydrate, 0g sugar (0g added sugar), 0g protein, 126mg sodium, 50mg potassium

Propel Fitness Water (Kiwi-Strawberry)

My store only stocks Propel powders in Grape flavor, which I thought might throw off my experiment, so I settled on bottled Propel. I liked that it was clear versus a brightly colored drink like Gatorade. Propel uses maltodextrin, sucralose and acesulfame potassium as sweeteners. I enjoyed the flavor, and I felt good after drinking, but ultimately, the level of sweetness was too much.

Nutrition information for 1 bottle (500mL) Propel Fitness Water (Kiwi-Strawberry): 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g carbohydrate, 0g sugar (0g added sugar), 0g protein, 230mg sodium, 60mg potassium, 25mg vitamin C, 2.5mg vitamin E, 10.1mg Niacin, 1mg vitamin B6, 5.1mg pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)

Powerade Zero (Strawberry Smash)

In my attempt to find a drink with less sugar than my beloved Gatorade, I opted for an strawberry-flavored pre-mixed bottle of Powerade Zero. This one was not for me. The flavor was too much—I likened it to cotton candy. And while I enjoy sweet, this was not it. Similar to Mio, Powerade Zero uses artificial colorants and acesulfame-potassium and sucralose as sweeteners.

Nutrition information for 1 (12- fl oz. serving) Powerade Zero (Strawberry Smash): 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g carbohydrate, 0g sugar (0g added sugar), 0g protein, 240mg sodium, 80mg potassium, 18mg vitamin C, 0.8mcg vitamin B12

Drip Drop Electrolyte Drink Mix (Lemon)

Drip Drop electrolyte powder dissolved quickly and more thoroughly than Nuun or Liquid I.V.

It was sweet, but at a level where I enjoy. Drip Drop uses sugar, fructose, dextrose and sucralose as sweeteners. It tasted almost like Gatorade, but it offers more electrolytes. I also found several flavor options at my grocery store (as well as online). 

Nutrition information for 1 packet Drip Drop Electrolyte Drink Mix (Lemon): 35 calories, 0g fat, 9g carbohydrate, 7g sugar (7g added sugar), 0g protein, 330mg sodium, 185mg potassium, 70mg vitamin C, 39mg magnesium, 1.5mg zinc

My Top Pick 

Out of all the drinks I tested, Drip Drop is my favorite. To create the perfect drink, I do a one-part Mio-enhanced water, one-part Drip Drop combo. The Mio tones down the sweetness of the Drip Drop but doesn’t dilute it like plain water does. I find that I’m drinking more water overall and with a good dose of electrolytes. 

Our Expert Take 

If you like fizzy water and less sweet drinks, Nuun is a good choice in terms of ingredients and taste. However, if, like me, you like sweet drinks that taste like Gatorade, Drip Drop was the clear winner. Try pairing Drip Drop with Mio if you’re looking for something a little less sweet.