The best way to get electrolytes depends on why you need them. For everyday health, food and water cover most people. For exercise, illness, or specific diets like keto, you may need drinks, powders, or supplements that deliver sodium, potassium, magnesium, and other key minerals in the right balance. Here’s how to choose what works for your situation.
The Electrolytes Your Body Needs
Your body relies on seven main electrolytes, each with a distinct job. Sodium and chloride control fluid balance and blood pressure. Potassium keeps your heart, muscles, and cells functioning. Magnesium supports muscles, nerves, heart rhythm, and blood sugar regulation. Calcium builds bones and teeth. Phosphate works alongside calcium for bone strength. Bicarbonate maintains the acid-base balance in your blood.
For adults, the daily targets look like this: up to 2,300 mg of sodium (an upper limit, not a goal), 4,700 mg of potassium, 310 to 420 mg of magnesium (depending on sex), and 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium. Potassium is the one most people fall short on, and magnesium deficiency is common but frequently overlooked because its symptoms (fatigue, cramps, irritability) are so nonspecific.
Electrolyte Drinks and Powders
Electrolyte drink mixes are the most popular option for quick replenishment. They range from sugar-heavy sports drinks to sugar-free tablets you drop into water. What matters most is the ratio of sodium to sugar. The World Health Organization’s oral rehydration formula uses 75 mmol/L of sodium paired with 75 mmol/L of glucose in a solution with a total concentration of 245 mOsm/L. That 1:1 sodium-to-glucose ratio is the gold standard for absorption because glucose actively pulls sodium (and water) through your intestinal wall.
Many commercial electrolyte powders are modeled on this ratio. Products marketed as “oral rehydration solutions” tend to stay closer to the WHO formula, while standard sports drinks typically contain more sugar and less sodium. A typical sports drink has a 5 to 6 percent carbohydrate concentration, which works well for fueling during exercise but isn’t optimized for pure rehydration after illness or dehydration.
If you want to keep it simple, look for a powder or tablet that lists sodium, potassium, and magnesium on the label. Avoid products that are mostly sugar with trace minerals. The WHO formula contains just four ingredients: table salt, glucose, potassium chloride, and trisodium citrate.
Coconut Water vs. Sports Drinks
Coconut water is naturally rich in potassium (roughly 51 mEq/L) and contains moderate sodium (about 33 mEq/L), chloride, and a small amount of sugar (around 1 gram per deciliter). That makes it a reasonable natural source of electrolytes, especially if you’re mainly low on potassium. The downside is its sodium content is lower than what you lose in sweat during intense exercise, so it’s not ideal as a sole rehydration drink for serious athletes.
Sports drinks are designed with more sodium and a higher carbohydrate load, which makes them better suited for workouts lasting longer than 75 minutes. For casual exercise under an hour, plain water is usually enough. Coconut water sits in the middle: better mineral variety than water, less sodium than a sports drink.
Food Sources That Deliver
Whole foods are the most reliable long-term source of electrolytes, and some are remarkably dense in minerals. For magnesium, roasted pumpkin seeds lead the pack at 649 mg per cup, which is more than a full day’s requirement. A cup of dry-roasted almonds provides 385 mg. Black beans deliver 332 mg per cup (raw), and cooked spinach, lima beans, and sunflower seeds all contribute over 100 mg per serving.
For potassium, bananas get all the attention, but potatoes, sweet potatoes, white beans, avocados, and cooked spinach all outperform them per serving. Dairy products, leafy greens, and canned fish with bones (like sardines) are the most practical everyday sources of calcium. Sodium is rarely a problem to get enough of since most processed and restaurant food is loaded with it, but if you eat a very clean, whole-food diet, you may need to salt your food deliberately.
Magnesium Supplements
Magnesium deserves its own mention because it’s the electrolyte people most commonly supplement, and the form you choose matters significantly. Organic forms like magnesium citrate dissolve easily and absorb well. Inorganic forms like magnesium oxide pack more elemental magnesium per pill but have poor solubility, which means your body absorbs much less of it. Research comparing 15 different magnesium products found that organic formulations consistently outperformed inorganic ones for both dissolution and absorption, though excipients and product design also play a role.
Magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate are the two most commonly recommended forms. Citrate is widely available and well-absorbed; glycinate is gentler on the stomach and often preferred for sleep support. Magnesium oxide, despite being cheap and high-dose, ranks among the worst performers for actual absorption. If you’re taking magnesium for cramps, energy, or general replenishment, choose citrate or glycinate and take it with food for better absorption.
Electrolytes on a Keto or Low-Carb Diet
Ketogenic diets create a unique electrolyte challenge. When you cut carbohydrates sharply, your kidneys excrete more sodium and water, which pulls potassium and magnesium down with it. This is the main driver behind “keto flu,” the headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps that hit in the first week or two.
The recommended intake on keto is higher than standard guidelines: 3,000 to 5,000 mg of sodium per day, 3,000 to 4,000 mg of potassium, and 300 to 500 mg of supplemental magnesium. A practical approach is to salt food generously, drink 1 to 2 cups of broth or bouillon daily (adding roughly 2 grams of sodium), and eat at least 5 servings of non-starchy vegetables to cover potassium. If muscle cramps persist, a slow-release magnesium supplement taken daily for 3 to 6 weeks typically resolves them.
What Happens if You Take Too Much
Electrolyte supplements are not “more is better.” Excess potassium is the most dangerous risk, because high blood potassium (hyperkalemia) can cause life-threatening heart rhythm changes, including cardiac arrest. Mild cases produce nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Severe cases cause chest pain, heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, and muscle weakness or numbness. Most people with hyperkalemia have no symptoms at all until it’s caught on a blood test, which makes it particularly risky to over-supplement without monitoring.
People with kidney disease are at the highest risk, since the kidneys are responsible for clearing excess potassium. If your kidney function is reduced, potassium supplements or high-potassium electrolyte mixes can push levels into a dangerous range. Excess sodium raises blood pressure over time and causes fluid retention. Too much magnesium from supplements (not food) can cause diarrhea and, in extreme cases, dangerously low blood pressure.
How to Choose What’s Right for You
If you’re healthy, eating a varied diet, and exercising moderately, focus on food first. Prioritize potassium-rich vegetables, nuts and seeds for magnesium, and dairy or leafy greens for calcium. Salt your food normally and drink water when thirsty.
If you’re exercising hard, especially in heat, an electrolyte drink with sodium as the primary mineral makes sense. Sweat sodium losses during moderate-intensity exercise average around 1,565 mg per session, with concentrations ranging widely from person to person. Potassium losses in sweat are much smaller. A drink or powder with 300 to 700 mg of sodium per serving, plus some potassium and a small amount of sugar, covers most exercise scenarios.
If you’re recovering from a stomach bug or diarrhea, an oral rehydration solution based on the WHO formula is the most effective option. If you’re on a keto diet, you need a deliberate strategy combining salt, broth, vegetables, and likely a magnesium supplement. And if you’re simply feeling run-down with muscle cramps or fatigue, a magnesium citrate or glycinate supplement in the 200 to 400 mg range is a reasonable starting point.