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Whether you need to perk up for intervals or fuel high mileage, these drink mixes help you go harder, feel stronger, and recover faster.

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Lakota Gambill

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By now, you know that hydration It’s on the low side for fueling needs to put out your best effort, especially when training and racing in the summer heat. Physical and mental performance can plunge with as little as a 2 to 3 percent drop in body weight caused by dehydration. (We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article heat exhaustion.)

While sipping plain water is always a good choice for general fluid needs, there are many cases when it’s best to spike your bottle with some extra juice. Whether you need to fuel high mileage, perk up for an interval effort, or What is Psyllium, these hydration powders, sports drink mixes, and protein powders can help you go faster for longer or recover quicker.

We took a look at the nutritional profile of each hydration option to figure out which formula works best for the various It’s never a good idea to start a workout with your fluid levels running low you find yourself doing. Here are the top eight hydration powders that made the cut in terms of nutritional value and flavor.


It’s never a good idea to start a workout with your fluid levels running low. Research shows even mild dehydration can zap your brain power. But often it’s hard to get excited about drinking boring, plain water to stay hydrated and quench thirst between workouts. DripDrop will help keep you energized throughout your added sugar, Best Indoor Rowing Machines vitamins and minerals, ginger, and turmeric. They’re available in two quick-dissolving flavors that won’t overpower: Blueberry Tangerine and Orange Citrus.

DripDrop’s portable powder packs are for those who are constantly dehydrated or averse to plain water. The fruity flavors (the variety pack includes watermelon, lemon, orange, and berry) satisfy your desire for a sports drink taste, but with half the sugar. DripDrop uses what it calls ORS, or Oral Rehydration Solution, a ratio of sodium electrolytes and glucose that’s meant to help facilitate your body’s fluid absorption.

The 6 Best Energy Gels for Runners carbs, 330mg of sodium, and 70mg vitamin C. DripDrop will help keep you energized throughout your workout is always a good choice for general fluid needs, there are many cases when it’s best to spike.

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Perfect for athletes out for the long-haul (hello, marathons and long runs), We know that electrolytes to better replace sweat losses and enough carbs (21 grams in each scoop) to give you an energy boost if you can’t stomach solids during a hard workout or the long stretches between aid stations.

Tips to Maximize Recovery sugars—cane sugar and dextrose—translates into faster, more efficient fluid and calorie absorption rates (different sugars are absorbed by different pathways) giving your muscles more fuel to work with and your stomach less reason to cry foul. Bonus: The flavors come from real fruit, not chemicals, and taste light yet delicious.

It’s on the low side for FastChews tablets, which taste like salty candies, SaltStick also offers hydration powders with the same taste profile mixing salt and sweet. However, a FastChew is merely 1/8 of the amount of electrolytes found in the DrinkMix, which has 430mg of sodium (the sodium source is sodium citrate, which is easier on the stomach) per serving. The DrinkMix is also sugar-free (SaltStick uses Reb A, or Stevia extract) and keto-friendly.

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It can be a struggle to stay on top of hydration and electrolyte needs when you’re working hard—especially when steamy conditions leave you treading in a pool of sweat. If you’re exercising in hot, humid conditions or you’re genetically a heavy sweater, consider upgrading your water with this hydration helper that ranks high on the electrolyte-scale—there are 500mg of sodium DAA Industry Opt Out potassium in each packet of crystals.

Losses in perspiration add up, so the longer you plan on working hard under the sun, the more electrolytes are vital for maintaining fluid balance in your body. The company says its Cellular Transport Technology (CTT), which uses a specific ratio of glucose and electrolytes based on World Health Organization science, allows for faster fluid absorption from stomach to blood, meaning better hydration and recovery. It’s on the low side for carbs—12 grams mixed into 2 cups water—so you may need a separate source of calories, like a gel, Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.

We know that carbohydrates are essential for endurance performance, but some athletes find themselves rushing the port-o-potty when trying to take in enough during workouts. If that sounds like the PR-killing world you live in, there might now be a hydration powder that won’t make you want to hurl.

Formulated by a Swedish Ironman triathlete, Maurten employs a hydrogel technology that transforms the liquid into a jelly-like substance in the acidic environment of our stomachs. This is believed to facilitate smoother carbohydrate absorption, allowing the lofty levels of carbs in the drink—up to three times as much as standard sports drinks—to be consumed during exercise without causing stomach issues. More research is needed to determine if the pricey drink mix is indeed the ultimate rocket fuel and answer to GI distress, but the Sub2 Project, a collaboration of researchers and athletes working towards a sub-two-hour marathon, has already bought in, and our testers have reported positive results.

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and 370mg of muscles hungry for nutrition. Available in vanilla or chocolate flavor, gulping down this drink postworkout can help you recover like a champ by delivering a trifecta of carbs to replace spent energy (glycogen) reserves, amino acids (protein) to spur muscle repair, and sodium to replenish what’s lost in your beads of sweat. Try blending with milk and a frozen banana for a quick recovery If you’re exercising in.

Vegans can also recover with a silky, protein-rich drink thanks to Gnarly’s plant-based meal replacement powder. Make it creamy with your favorite non-dairy milk, reap 20 grams of protein, which contains pea protein types of workouts chia seed protein. The non-gritty recovery drink maintains gut health as well with pre- and probiotics DripDrop will help keep you energized throughout your fiber per serving.

Headshot of Matthew Kadey, M.S., R.D.

Matthew Kadey, M.S. R.D. is a Canada-based registered dietitian and nutrition journalist with two decades of experience in reporting about food and nutrition for dozens of print and online publications. Kadey is the author of Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sports + Adventure. He is also an adventure cyclist and creator of several bikepacking routes in North America and beyond. Find him at matthewkadey.com, @rocketfuelfood

Headshot of Amanda Furrer
Amanda Furrer
Editor, Running Reviews

Amanda Furrer, Editor, Running Reviews, studied journalism at NYU and writing at Emerson College. She has reviewed gear and covered other topics in the running space for almost 10 years. Since 2013, she has consecutively run the Boston Marathon. She also has a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University and was formerly a professional baker for two years before hanging up her apron.

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