How to read an electrolyte label

"Electrolytes" on the front of a pack tells you almost nothing. The story is on the back — and once you know what to look for, the differences between products get obvious fast.

1. The sodium number.

Sodium is the electrolyte you lose most in sweat, so it is the one worth checking first. Look for the actual milligrams per serve, not just a tick on the front. If a hydration product is shy about its sodium figure, that tells you something.

2. Potassium and magnesium — present, and how much.

Plenty of drinks list potassium and magnesium without telling you the amount, or include them in token traces. The number matters more than the name on the label. SALT’s are 200 mg potassium and 60 mg magnesium, printed in full.

3. Sugar — and what it's there for.

Classic sports drinks can carry 20–40 g of sugar a serve. A small amount has a purpose — it helps the body take sodium on board — but it should not be the headline. SALT uses 3 g. Check whether a product’s sugar is doing a job or just doing the flavour’s work for it.

4. Serving size vs actual water.

Some doses are designed for 250–350 ml — half a bottle. Read what volume the numbers assume. SALT is built for a full 750 ml, so the figures on the pack are the figures in a real bottle, not a concentrated mouthful.

5. Disclosed, or hidden in a "blend".

The big one: are the amounts published, or buried in a "proprietary blend" that lists ingredients without doses? Published numbers let you compare. A blend asks you to trust. We publish every milligram — on the pack and on this page.

These are category-wide habits, not a dig at any one brand. Read any label this way — including ours.