What are hydration tablets?

What are they and why might you need them?

Surely water is all you need when you exercise right? Water is amazing. It makes up most of our body and yep. In most circumstances, it does the job pretty well. But when your body sweats, you're losing a lot more than just water, and this is where these magic little tablets come in. 

Sweat contains sodium and chloride (mainly) and potassium, magnesium and calcium (in lower amounts). When you start to lose these, then you can experience decreased aerobic performance. 

As soon as you start running you become dehydrated, so you need to pay attention to this when you train. We lose a lot of energy through running as we generate 20 times more heat than when we rest. In warmer temperatures, this can be even more acute.

Research has found that runners drinking electrolyte tablets improve running time (in a marathon) by 4 minutes compared to drinking water. That's a huge difference just in what fluid you're taking on. 

Do I have to use hydration tablets?

No, of course not. Eating a balanced diet will replace everything that your body needs. The following table shows some recommended sources. 

 If you did want to look at using hydration tablets, then these are some of our best sellers: