Updated . Numbers come from checked labels and cited research. How we check.
Sodium in sports drinks varies more than most labels let on. A 12 fl oz serving of Gatorade Thirst Quencher has 162 mg. LMNT, mixed as directed, has 2,114 mg per liter. Compare drinks per liter, not per serving, because serving sizes differ widely.
Why sodium is in sports drinks at all
Sodium is the electrolyte you lose in the largest amounts when you sweat [1]. That’s the main reason it’s in the bottle. The ACSM position stand on fluid replacement gives two more: sodium helps stimulate thirst, and it helps your body hold on to the fluid you drink [6].
How much you need depends on how much you lose. Whole-body sweat typically carries 230 to 1,610 mg/L of sodium [1]. That range is the yardstick we use across the site. A drink that sits near the bottom of it replaces less sodium per liter than most people sweat out. A drink near the top suits heavy, salty sweaters in long sessions, and is more than a short gym workout calls for.
Sodium in sports drinks, compared
The table below is built from our label-checked product records. Every figure is converted to the same basis, so a 20 oz bottle and a powder stick mixed into 16 oz of water line up fairly. Dates show when we last checked each label.
Sodium in 148 sports drinks, highest per liter first
Powders and tablets are shown mixed as the label directs. Where a label gives a range of water, we use the smallest amount. Bands compare the drink with typical sweat sodium; see the methodology.
Use the per-liter column when you’re comparing drinks for a long session. Use the per-serving column if you want to know what one bottle or stick gives you.
How to read a sodium label
Nutrition labels list sodium per serving. The serving can be one 20 oz bottle, one 12 oz can, a stick meant for 16 oz of water, or a tablet meant for 16 oz. Three things trip people up.
The serving size: A bottle’s label may cover the whole bottle or only part of it. Check the serving line before comparing.
The water you add: Powders and tablets list sodium per stick or tablet. The concentration you actually drink depends on how much water you mix it with. One stick in a big bottle is a weaker drink than the same stick in a small one. We calculate per-liter figures from each brand’s own mixing directions.
Millimoles: Research papers report sodium in mmol. To convert, multiply by 22.99 mg/mmol per mmol. The WHO oral rehydration solution, for example, contains 75 mmol/L of sodium [4].
Three groups of drinks
Looking across the database, sports drinks fall into rough groups by sodium per liter.
Rehydration-style mixes: Products like Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier (1,057 mg per liter as directed), DripDrop ORS (1,392 mg) and Pedialyte Classic (1,080 mg) pair sodium with glucose, the same basic pairing as the WHO oral rehydration solution [4]. We list their label data only. We don’t cover their use during illness; for that, ask a doctor.
High-sodium electrolyte mixes: Products aimed at endurance athletes and heavy sweaters, like LMNT (2,114 mg per liter as directed) and Precision Fuel & Hydration PH 1500 (1,586 mg), put sodium first, and some have no sugar at all. See LMNT vs Liquid I.V. for a head-to-head between two very different approaches.
Flavored waters sit in the table too. Propel has 460 mg per liter and vitaminwater has 0 mg. Check the per-liter figure before you count on any of them to replace sweat sodium.
Cost per 1,000 mg of sodium
If sodium is what you’re buying, price it per unit of sodium. We calculate cost per 1,000 mg of sodium from the pack price and label data. For example, Gatorade Thirst Quencher works out to $3.24 per 1,000 mg, and LMNT to $1.50. Prices change, so each product page shows the date we checked it. The drinks database sorts every product by this figure.
Is more sodium better?
Only if you lose a lot. For a 45-minute workout in mild weather you probably don’t need a high-sodium mix, because normal meals with enough sodium restore what you lost [6]. For a hot marathon or a long day on the bike, especially if you sweat heavily, a drink near the top of the range makes more sense.
One caution applies to every drink in the table. Sodium does not protect you from drinking too much. Overdrinking is the main cause of exercise-associated hyponatremia, and the recommendation is to drink to thirst [5]. If you have high blood pressure or kidney problems, check with your doctor before using high-sodium products.
FAQ
Which sports drink has the most sodium?
It depends on how you measure it. Per liter as mixed, high-sodium electrolyte mixes aimed at endurance athletes tend to lead our database. Per serving, a single stick can carry a lot of sodium even when you dilute it in a big bottle. Check the per-liter column in the table above for the current leaders.
How much sodium is in Gatorade?
Gatorade Thirst Quencher has 162 mg per 12 fl oz, or 457 mg per liter, based on our last label check. Gatorlyte and Gatorade Endurance Formula are separate formulas with different sodium. Each has its own product page with the full label and check date.
Is the sodium in sports drinks bad for you?
For active people replacing sweat, sodium in sports drinks replaces what sweat takes out [1]. If you drink them while sitting still, the sodium adds to your daily intake without a sweat loss to offset it. People with high blood pressure or kidney conditions should ask a doctor about high-sodium drinks.
Do sports drinks have enough sodium for long races?
Some do and some don’t. Sweat sodium ranges from 230 to 1,610 mg/L [1], so a lower-sodium drink may cover a light sweater but fall short for a salty one. Compare each drink’s per-liter sodium to your own estimated loss using the hydration calculator.
How much sodium per hour you lose depends on your sweat rate and how salty your sweat is. See the published ranges and how to work out your own number.
Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge in body fluids. What each one does, which ones you lose in sweat, and how to read them on a drink label.
Sugar in sports drinks compared per 12 fl oz from label-checked data, plus when the sugar helps performance and when a zero-sugar drink makes more sense.