Electrolytes: Why They’re Not Always the Hydration Fix You Need

A simple, honest look at when you actually need them, and when you really don’t.

Feeling tired, foggy, and drained? If you listen to the marketing ads, the answer seems simple: reach for an electrolyte drink. After all, they promise better hydration, faster recovery, and a boost in energy. But do you actually need them, or is this just a very expensive fix for something much simpler?

Electrolyte supplements are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the health and fitness world right now. When I started training to run a half marathon, I wanted to make sure I was supporting my body properly, especially with recovery. So I started looking into electrolytes and, thanks to the algorithm, my social media feed was suddenly full of ads telling me I absolutely needed them. Not just for running, but every day.

And when I say my feed was bombarded, I’m not exaggerating, I couldn’t open Instagram without seeing someone shaking a bottle of neon water.

As someone who already drinks plenty of water (and constantly nags other people to do the same), the claims that “water alone isn’t enough to hydrate you” made me question whether I’d been doing it wrong all this time.

So I took a step back and asked myself: I’ve made it 44 years without daily electrolytes, yes, I’ve felt tired at times, but maybe that was just life, not a deficiency? And if I’m going to spend money on supplements, I want to know they actually do something.

It didn’t take long to realise the issue wasn’t my water intake, it was the messaging in these ads. And once I noticed it, I couldn’t believe how strongly these supplements are being pushed as something everyone needs every day.

So… do you actually need electrolytes?

Electrolytes sound fancy, but they’re just minerals. Sodium, potassium and magnesium are the ones most often added to supplements and sports drinks, but they also include calcium, chloride, bicarbonate and phosphate. Yes, we need them, but most people already get plenty through everyday food: fruit, veg, dairy, nuts, and even a pinch of salt on your dinner.

For most people, unless you’ve done 60+ minutes of proper sweaty exercise, trained in the heat, or have a medical reason, you don’t need a supplement. A balanced diet plus water is enough. If you’ve just done a steady 40-minute run, you don’t need an electrolyte drink. You need water.

Electrolytes don’t replace hydration, they support it. Hydration comes from water. Electrolytes help your body use that water properly, regulating fluid balance, maintain healthy blood pressure, and keep things like muscle function and nerve signalling working well.

So if you're low on water, adding electrolytes isn’t fixing hydration, it just adds minerals to a body that still needs fluid. In some cases, especially if you’re not drinking enough water, adding extra sodium (salt) can make dehydration worse.

A small note here: some people do lose more salt through sweat (you’ll often see white marks on clothing or skin afterwards). If that’s you, or if you’re training in very hot conditions, you might benefit from replacing electrolytes a little sooner than average.

When does it make sense to take electrolytes for hydration?

Electrolytes can be genuinely useful when:

• You’ve been sweating heavily for over an hour

• You’re training or racing in hot or humid weather

• You’re doing endurance events (long runs, triathlons, long rides)

• You’re ill and losing fluids

• You’ve been advised by a medical professional

In short, electrolytes are for replacing what you’ve lost through sweat, exercise intensity, or illness, not for topping up water you didn’t drink.

During my half marathon training, I used electrolytes after my longer runs (anything over an hour) to help replace what I’d lost through sweat. For shorter sessions, I just had water. The only time I used them after a run under an hour was on really hot days. I didn’t use them every day, and definitely not on rest days, because my body didn’t need them.

So what makes them seem like a daily must-have?

Some brands push electrolytes as a daily essential or even a replacement for drinking water. And lots of people swear they “felt so much better” when they started taking them.

But here’s what rarely gets mentioned: most electrolyte products are powders or tablets that you take once they’ve dissolved in water. So when someone suddenly feels better after taking them, it’s often not the electrolytes doing the magic, it’s the fact they finally drank more water.

Which makes it a very expensive way to fix a very simple habit.

I’ve also seen people say they can’t afford a couple of fitness classes… yet buy electrolyte tablets every month. That’s your class money right there and you’d get far more benefit from the movement and the extra water you’d drink while doing it.

Because electrolytes are not a shortcut for “I can't drink enough water.”

Keep it simple

Hydration doesn’t have to be complicated or cost the earth. Water is free. Electrolytes come with your dinner. Some drinks and supplements also contain sugar, so check the label as you might be adding calories you don’t actually need.

So before you crack open that packet or bottle, ask yourself: Am I really drinking enough water?

If the answer is no, that’s the habit to fix first.

Your body, and your wallet, will thank you.

If you’d like more real-life reflections like this, you can head back to the blog page to keep reading.