What are the Benefits of Electrolyte Tablets? 

Regardless of whether you’re a pro athlete, or a weekend warrior hitting the gym, staying hydrated is one of the most important parts of an effective exercise routine or training schedule. But, whilst water is a great start, there are other supplements that can maximise your hydration – mainly electrolytes.

If you’re unfamiliar with these hydration supplements, you’re in the right place. Here at Kinetica Sports, we’ve put together a guide describing the benefits of electrolytes to help you make informed choices when it comes to reaching your exercise goals.

What are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes play a vital role in regular bodily functions, in everything from regulating your heartbeat and helping your muscles contract, to balancing your internal pH levels. Some of the minerals you’ve likely heard of – like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium – are all key electrolytes that your body needs.

Interested in learning more? Check out… What are Electrolytes and Why are They Essential?

What are the Benefits of Electrolytes Supplements?

Whilst you get the majority of electrolytes from your diet, there are times where it may be beneficial to take an electrolyte supplement (such as if you’ve been ill and need to replace fluids and electrolytes in your body).

But, the main area where electrolytes can be of use is before, during, and after exercise. As you sweat, your body loses fluids and electrolytes to help regulate your temperature. These thus need to be replaced to prevent dehydration, and other uncomfortable symptoms of electrolyte imbalance – like muscle cramps and fatigue. This is where you can really see the benefits of electrolyte drinks as an easy way to replace the minerals you’ve lost.

So, to help you maximise your performance and stay hydrated, electrolytes are key. But when should you be taking them? While after exercise seems the obvious choice, there are some benefits to taking electrolytes throughout your training plan.

Before exercise

Including an electrolyte drink before exercise may seem counterintuitive, but there is actually some value in ‘prehydration’. According to a 2023 systematic review, researchers found that ‘pre-exercise hyperhydration may improve exercise capacity during constant work rate exercise due to a reduced heart rate and core temperature’ (1).

Effectively, by including electrolytes into your prehydration routine, your body is already prepared for exercise, which may allow you to train harder for longer. Your body may also find it easier to retain water, which makes you slower to dehydrate.

During exercise

During exercise, one of the main reasons you may drink is because of thirst. Thirst is a useful cue from the body that indicates you need to replenish the fluids and electrolytes you’re losing during activity – and is particularly important during endurance exercises like long-distance running and cycling. So, having an electrolyte-enriched drink to hand helps you train comfortably.

Aside from hydration, studies suggest that supplementing with electrolyte drinks benefits your muscles too, by reducing their susceptibility to post-workout cramps. A study from 2021 found that participants who drank electrolyte supplements during exercise were less likely to experience muscle cramps afterwards (2). In fact, they found that just drinking water may actually make it more likely to cramp after exercise (potentially due to the dilution of the remaining electrolytes in the body).

After exercise

As we mentioned above, you lose a lot of fluids and electrolytes when you sweat. This means that including electrolytes into your post-workout nutrition is vital – but not just for hydration.

According to a 2017 review, having ‘an appropriate post-exercise rehydration strategy is necessary to promote effective recovery and avoid detrimental effects on subsequent exercise sessions (3).’ This is because replacing your electrolytes helps your body retain water and rebalance after exercise, delay the onset of fatigue, and potentially decrease lactic acid concentration quicker (4) – all of which are useful for recovery.

Choosing the best electrolyte tablets

Knowing how beneficial electrolytes can be, the next question is how you can incorporate them into your training. Fortunately, here at Kinetica Sports, we have a solution: electrolyte tablets. Our Electro-C electrolyte tablets have loads of valuable qualities that can make them a key part of your training and nutritional supplements.

Buy now – Electro-C Electrolyte Tablets

Portable

Our electrolyte tablets come in a durable tube to maximise portability and prevent breakages – which makes them suitable for all occasions, from carrying to competitions to keeping in your training bag. Plus, our electrolyte tablets are much lighter than carrying around a pre-mixed electrolyte drink.

Ingredients

With a carefully balanced formula, our electrolyte tablets have high levels of essential minerals like sodium and potassium to help you give your body what it needs to perform well. And, with additional vitamin C, choose Kinetica for the best electrolyte tablets to help you meet your performance goals.

Sugar content

Unlike premixed electrolyte drinks, our tablets provide you with the electrolytes you need without the high sugar content that may affect your training diet. And, no need to be worried about taste. Our Electro-C electrolyte tablets come in a refreshing lemon flavour to quench your thirst.

Effervescent

The best electrolyte tablets are effervescent, which means they fizz and dissolve on their own with no need for mixing. Our electrolyte tablets are no exception, and dissolve quickly into your water for speedy hydration.

Industry-leading standards 

At Kinetica Sports, we want to help you reach your performance goals – and that means providing supplements you can trust. Our Electro-C electrolyte tablets are tested to comply with rigorous WADA standards, so you can concentrate on what matters to you.

Kinetica Sports: you know the why, we know the how

Here at Kinetica Sports, we want to support you to reach your performance goals – whatever your level and experience. Choosing the best electrolyte supplements for you is simply part of that – and we have plenty of other supplements to help you on your fitness journey. 

Explore our trusted Protein powders, or boost your Energy & Endurance from our range of pre-fuels and energy gels.

Or, if you want to learn more about how nutritional supplements can play a key role in improving your performance, check out the Kinetica Sports News blog…