Electrolytes to Stay Hydrated: If, Why, and When to Take Them

The Why
On the benefits side, hydration is about increasing mental clarity and the efficiency with which all of your body processes run. On the flipside, we’re avoiding kidney stones from your body not having enough fluids to flush toxins and excess out.

What are Electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium that are important for various critical chemical processes in the body. They are important in the hydration conversation because they facilitate a natural process called osmosis which is how your body absorbs water. In osmosis, electrolytes essentially suck water in from your gut and then keep it in your body. 

If you’re trying to improve your hydration, electrolytes will accelerate the process and help with flavor as you’re drinking more than you’re used to.  If you’re out in the heat for long it could save your life to have some electrolytes on hand. Most people don’t need to be taking electrolytes daily, but 1-3 times a week could make a huge difference.
 

This is my favorite electrolyte mix. They put in a wide variety of electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, calcium) and are passionate about minimizing unhealthy additives.
Re-Lyte® Hydration | Electrolyte Drink Mix | Redmond Life 
0.70 cents per day (60 in a pack)

This will get the job done and you can find in the grocery store 
Liquid IV
0.64 cents per day (16 in a pack)

Important!
Make sure you take these in the proportions of water they recommend on the container (for example, put 1 scoop in 8 oz of water, not 16 oz like the water bottle you happen to have on hand holds. Drink half of the water and then put the scoop in, or put in two scoops). The proportion maximizes your body’s ability to absorb the water. If you have high blood pressure, consult with your doctor before taking electrolytes.

What about Gatorade?
It makes a decent recovery drink during and after exercise, so long as the chemical flavoring doesn’t upset your stomach, but it’s basically a sodium sugar concoction for athletes, and isn’t ideal to use just for electrolytes. 

Try an electrolyte daily for a week then every other day for 2 weeks and see if you notice a difference. With either of the above products you’d have some leftover for hot days.

Learn more here
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/water/
Electrolytes: Definition, Functions, Imbalance and Sources (healthline.com)

This is a great article to get an overview of the current research on hydration.
Millard-Stafford, M., Snow, T. K., Jones, M. L., & Suh, H. (2021). The Beverage Hydration Index: Influence of Electrolytes, Carbohydrate and Protein. Nutrients, 13(9), 2933. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13092933