Electrolytes NZ

For heavy sweat, Pillar Performance Electrolyte Hydration. It lists 400 mg of sodium a serve, ahead of Ghost Hydration (323 mg) and Ryse Core Hydration (320 mg). Pillar is also the only electrolyte in our tested for sport supplements range. By format:

• Sachets to carry: Pillar Performance Electrolyte Hydration, 15 single-serve 7 g sachets to a box.
• Big tub: Ghost Hydration, 40 serves, with 1,036 mg of potassium a serve.
• Also in stock: Ryse Core Hydration, 16 serves a pack.
• No mixing: Swoleys Electrolyte Gummies, 45 serves a pack. For a long or hot session, pair them with a drink mix for sodium.

See every electrolyte we stock, ranked by sodium.

They help with normal fluid balance, nerve signals and muscle function. Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge in body fluids: sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium. Sodium is the one you lose most of in sweat, which is why it is the first number to compare on a hydration powder. A sports electrolyte powder is not the same as a pharmacy oral rehydration solution, so for vomiting, diarrhoea or illness, ask a pharmacist. Read what electrolytes do and when you need them.

No. Sugar is a carbohydrate, not a mineral, so it carries no electrical charge in body fluids the way sodium and potassium do. Glucose and sodium can help the gut absorb water together, which is why sports drinks pair them, usually at about 6 to 8 per cent carbohydrate. On a label, sugar sits under carbohydrate in grams, while electrolytes are listed in milligrams. Read whether sugar helps you absorb electrolytes.

Yes, when you want the salts without the fuel: a hot day working outside, a sweaty session soon after a meal, or a low-carb diet. For most healthy people, a correctly mixed sugar-free electrolyte is a reasonable way to get fluid and sodium without extra energy. Long, hard or repeated sessions also call for carbohydrate, so pair a sugar-free mix with FUELR (Fresh Supps) isotonic gels, which list 25 g of carbohydrate a gel. Read whether sugar-free electrolytes are good for you.

By label, yes for Ghost and Pillar. Ghost Hydration lists 0 g sugar and 2 g carbohydrate a serve, and Pillar Performance lists 0 g sugar and 3.5 g carbohydrate, sweetened with erythritol. Both come in at about 5 calories a serve. Ryse Core Hydration is labelled sugar-free, so read its carbohydrate line too, because sugar-free does not always mean low carb. If you avoid sugar alcohols, note that erythritol is one. Swoleys gummies don't itemise sugar, so check the pack before you count them in a low-carb day.

About 300 to 600 mg of sodium an hour for long or hot sessions, depending on how much you sweat. Pillar, Ghost and Ryse list 320 to 400 mg a serve, so one serve an hour covers the low end. Don't go past the serves a day on the label to chase a higher number. If a tub with hydration in its name lists caffeine and no sodium, count it as a pre-workout, not a hydration mix. See how much sodium a hydration powder should have.

For most training days, zero to one. The American College of Sports Medicine notes most people training under 60 to 90 minutes in normal weather are unlikely to run short of electrolytes, so water and meals cover a normal gym session. Have one when the session is long, hot or sweaty, and more only on big sweat days, within the daily serves on the label. Taking one every day only makes sense if you sweat hard every day. See how many electrolyte sachets a day suit each session.

During and after. Sip a serve through a long or hot session, or have one after training or through a hot afternoon to top up. Loading sodium before exercise is a pre-event step, not something to do before a routine gym session: for a long or hot event, a stronger sodium drink 1 to 4 hours out is the usual window. If a full serve tastes too salty, use a bigger bottle rather than a smaller scoop, so you still get all the sodium on the label. Read when you need an electrolyte drink.

A big pack costs less a serve than sachets. At September 2026 prices, Pillar Performance works out at $1.70 a serve in its 30 serve pack, against $3.60 a serve for the same formula in its box of 15 sachets. Ghost Hydration, with 40 serves in the tub, is $1.50 a serve. Sachets, also sold as sticks or hydration packets, cost more a serve but slip into a pocket, while a tub needs a scoop. Prices move with sales, so check the per serve figure on each card. See whether electrolyte sticks are better value than a tub.

Yes, so add up every source, not just your electrolyte supplement. Healthify NZ's general heart-health guidance is no more than about 2,000 mg of sodium a day for adults. One serve of the Pillar, Ghost or Ryse hydration mixes lists 320 to 400 mg of sodium, up to 20 per cent of that before bread, sauces or takeaways. Magnesium adds up too: Pillar lists 80 mg a serve and Ryse 74 mg, so read the magnesium line on the Ghost Hydration panel as well and count them all before adding a magnesium supplement. With blood pressure, kidney or heart conditions, or medicines that affect fluid balance, ask a doctor or pharmacist first, especially before a high-potassium mix like Ghost Hydration.