6 Best Electrolyte Supplements for Motorcyclists

A good motorcycle suit is a lot of things, but cool (in terms of temperature) it is not. Encased in all that leather, aramid, and armor, you quickly begin to sweat—so, you drink some water.

But have you ever noticed that you feel more and more exhausted even if you slurp up gallon after gallon? That’s because you lose electrolytes as you sweat.

Electrolytes are a group of minerals—such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and others—that help transfer the tiny electrical pulses from your nervous system to your organs. Without them, your body simply can’t function properly.

It’s vital to replenish electrolytes, but plain water can’t do it. Fortunately, there are all sorts of electrolyte supplements that help you keep your body running as smoothly as your bike’s engine.

Here are six excellent options for maintaining your electrolyte balance in the saddle.

LMNT

For riders who don’t like added sugar (or anything else) in their supplements, LMNT’s hydration powder is a top choice. Inside the packet is nothing but a bunch of minerals and a pinch of Stevia for sweetening.

A single LMNT packet delivers 1,000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium to keep you going. The powder dissolves readily into water without excessive stirring, so mixing them into your riding suit’s water bladder or a glass of water post-ride is easy.

Despite it containing no sugar, LMNT is available in a bunch of flavors (citrus, grapefruit, mango chili, orange, raspberry, and watermelon) in addition to an unflavored variety. No matter which flavor you choose, however, the product does taste quite salty. It’s not overpowering, but you might be in for a bit of a surprise when you try it for the first time.

If there’s a downside to LMNT, it’s the fairly hefty price tag per ounce. If you like your electrolyte supplements as raw and pure as they come, though, LMNT is worth it.

Liquid IV

Liquid IV was among the first oral rehydrations solutions available to the general consumer. The veteran of electrolyte supplements hasn’t fallen off the wagon and is still a great choice for boosting your hydration.

Like LMNT, Liquid IV comes in small bags (or “sticks”) of powder that you dissolve into 16 ounces of water. The cocktail of sodium, potassium, and vitamins absorbs fast and provides you with quick hydration. It’s also cheaper than many other electrolyte supplement options on the market.

A nice thing about Liquid IV is that it’s available in 10 flavors to suit all taste buds, and the flavors are generally tasty. The less nice thing is that the sweet flavors are due to quite a bit of added sugar, which makes Liquid IV unsuitable for riders who want or need to limit their sugar intake.

That said, Liquid IV also offers sugar-free flavors, although they are somewhat pricier. Riders who can stomach the sugar and are looking for budget-amicable hydration, however, can end their search here.

SaltStick Fastchews

There are times when you need to replenish your electrolytes, but you don’t have the facilities or time to prepare and then drink a water-soluble booster. Don’t worry—SaltStick Fastchews can rejuvenate you without water.

The Fastchews come in the form of a chewable tablet that contains 100mg of sodium, 15mg of potassium, 5mg of calcium, and 3mg of magnesium (and just 10 calories). The minerals begin absorbing through the membranes of your mouth, so they provide fast relief. These tablets are very popular among marathon runners, so you know they work quickly and efficiently.

SaltStick produces the chewable tablets in eight flavors. They’re not sugar-free, but contain only 2g of sugar.

All taste pretty good, but there’s a kind of indescribable chemical aftertaste that lingers for a while. It doesn’t affect the tablets’ effectiveness, but some riders might find it unpleasant.

The Fastchews don’t have quite as high a mineral content as the drinkable powders. They’re also not a water replacement, so you must remember to drink. Nonetheless, they’re a great option for fast rehydration that you can pop in your mouth and head back on the road.

Nuun Sport

The Nuun Sport hydration supplement sits somewhere between the powder pouches and tablets in format. They come in a small tube containing 10 tablets, but you must dissolve the tablets in water like the powdered products.

A single Nuun Sport tablet contains 300mg of sodium, 13mg of calcium, 25mg of magnesium, and 150mg of potassium—a respectable mix of minerals. The dissolved tablet rehydrates you quickly and is very efficient at relieving the effects of electrolyte imbalance, such as muscle cramps and stomach issues.

Where Nuun really shines is the flavor. Despite containing only one gram of sugar and no artificial sweeteners, all the options are delicious. If taste matters to you, Nuun is the way to go.

That said, you might want to look elsewhere if you need your hydration boost quick, as the tablets take up to five minutes to fully dissolve. They also do leave your water slightly fizzy, which may or may not please you.

In the end, though, Nuun is the tastiest electrolyte boost option. It’s also a compact choice, with 10 servings packed into the small tube.

Primal Harvest Primal Hydration

It is possible to enjoy both motorcycles and natural living. Primal Harvest’s Primal Hydration powder pouches appeal to the greener with a strong hydrating punch and touted clean ingredients.

In one pouch (similar in format to LMNT and Liquid IV), you’ll receive 400mg of sodium, 50mg of magnesium, 23 mg of calcium, 350mg of potassium, and various vitamins. That’s a potent mixture that beats the Nuun and SaltStick tablets and rivals the other powders. And, as a highlight, there’s no sugar in the powder.

The hydrating effect is very fast and effective. Primal harvest is a good option if you get easily exhausted from sweating.

This is quite a pricey product, though, so you do pay a premium for the powerful performance. Additionally, if you don’t like the lemon-berry flavor, there are no other options.

The quick rehydration can easily be worth the price, however.

DripDrop

DripDrop certainly has impressive credentials behind it. Its formula was doctor-developed to help fight dehydration in developing countries impacted by cholera. It’s additionally certified for use by first responders and major sports leagues, like NFL and NBA.

As such, you can rely on DripDrop to work well. It delivers 330mg of sodium, 39mg of magnesium, 185mg of potassium, 70mg of vitamin C, and even 1.5mg of zinc—stat.

Compared to some other powder stick-format electrolyte boosters, those numbers don’t seem particularly impressive. However, DripDrop’s impressive performance in relieving muscle cramps, headaches, and other effects of dehydration punches above its apparent mineral content. We’re no chemists, so don’t ask us how the stuff does it.

DripDrop comes in seven flavors that are all pretty tasty and sweet, partially due to the seven grams of sugar per package. That said, the company offers a zero-sugar variety that doesn’t cost any more than the regular.

That might be because they’re both fairly pricey. But there’s no denying DripDrop supreme effectiveness.

Why Not Just Drink Gatorade?

But why should you blow your hard-earned cash on these fancy, expensive electrolyte powders and tablets? Can’t you just grab a bottle of Gatorade or a similar sports drink and be done with it?

The thing is, Gatorade actually isn’t that great at rehydrating you.

Looking at a 32-ounce Gatorade bottle’s nutrition profile, it contains 270mg of sodium and 75mg of potassium. That’s it.

Now, compare this mineral content to virtually any of our listed hydration supplements. You’ll see that Gatorade doesn’t contain many minerals and what it does have, there’s not that much of it.

And then there’s the sugar. That 32-ounce Gatorade bottle packs 34 grams of sugar, which is a lot.

We’re not singling out just Gatorade here, since it’s the same story for practically all of its competitors that you can buy at any gas station and supermarket. Gatorade is just the most popular product, so it has the misfortune of serving as the example.

The bottom line is, despite what their marketing departments would tell you, the Whatever-ade sports drinks aren’t very effective at maintaining your electrolyte balance and also come with a heaping helping of sugar. If you’re serious about staying hydrated, it’s best to go for products that do it well.