HOW TO READ AN ELECTROLYTE DRINK LABEL
Walk into almost any supermarket and you’ll find drinks promising hydration, electrolytes, recovery and more.
But what is actually inside the can?
The front of the pack is designed to catch your attention. The ingredient list and nutrition panel tell you what you’re really drinking.
Here’s what to look for.
Start with the ingredient list
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the ingredients appearing first make up the largest proportion of the product.
If you’re looking for a drink built around a particular ingredient—such as coconut water—it’s worth checking where it appears on the list.
And don’t stop at the marketing claims.
Words like “natural”, “functional” or “electrolyte” don’t tell you the complete story. The ingredient list does.
Look at the electrolytes
The most commonly discussed electrolytes are:
Sodium
Helps maintain normal fluid balance and is one of the main electrolytes lost through sweat.
Potassium
An essential mineral involved in normal muscle and nerve function.
Magnesium
Contributes to normal muscle and nerve function and plays a role in many processes in the body.
Calcium
Important for normal muscle function and the maintenance of normal bones and teeth.
Different drinks contain different combinations and amounts. So rather than looking only for a big number on the front of the can, check which electrolytes that number actually represents.
Don’t confuse electrolytes with sugar
Electrolytes and sugar serve different purposes.
Some sports and hydration drinks contain carbohydrates because they are designed around energy as well as hydration. Other drinks contain little or no added sugar.
When comparing products, look at both the total sugars and added sugars.
Coconut water naturally contains sugars, so a coconut-water drink can contain sugar without having sugar added to it. That’s an important distinction.
Check for sweeteners
If you prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners, look at the ingredient list for ingredients such as sucralose, acesulfame K or aspartame.
“No added sugar” doesn’t necessarily mean “no sweeteners”, and “no artificial sweeteners” doesn’t necessarily mean “no sugar”.
They’re different claims. The label gives you the answer.
Pay attention to serving size
This one is easy to overlook.
Nutritional information can be shown per 100 ml, per serving or per container.
If you’re comparing two drinks, make sure you’re comparing like with like.
A drink that looks low in calories or high in electrolytes per 100 ml may tell a different story when you look at the amount you actually drink.
What about Hydrate?
At Hydrate, we believe the ingredients should be easy to understand.
Our sparkling cocowater starts with coconut water and combines it with real fruit and electrolytes. Our range contains no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no conservatives.
But don’t take our word for it.
Read the label.
That’s exactly what it’s there for.
The simplest rule
You don’t need to be a nutritionist to understand a drink.
Look at:
What’s in it?
How much is in it?
Which electrolytes does it contain?
Is the sugar naturally occurring or added?
Are there sweeteners you want to avoid?
Then decide whether it fits what you’re looking for.
Because knowing what’s in your drink is a pretty good place to start.
KEEP EXPOLORING
Coconut Water vs. Sports Drinks
How do coconut water and electrolyte drinks actually differ?
Electrolyte Drinks Without Artificial Sweeteners
What should you look for when reading an electrolyte drink label?
What Is Sparkling Coconut Water?
Meet a different kind of coconut water.