How much salt should be in your electrolyte drink? Probably less than you think.

The first electrolyte drink I ever bought tasted like I'd fallen off a boat at Muizenberg. I figured that meant it was working. Salty equals serious, right?

Turns out that's half true. Which is the most dangerous kind of true.

1. Salt isn't the bad guy

Sodium is the hardest-working electrolyte in your glass. It's a big part of why your body holds onto water instead of sending it straight through. With no sodium, you're mostly drinking flavoured water.

So I'm not anti-salt. I'm anti how much.

2. Some mixes are built for a very different day

One of the world's most popular electrolyte mixes has 1,000mg of sodium per serving. Fair play to them, they're upfront that it's built for heavy sweaters, hot training and low-carb eaters. (source)

But 1,000mg of sodium is close to half a teaspoon of salt. The WHO says adults should stay under 2,000mg a day, in total. (source) That's half your day in one glass, before breakfast. Great for a January half marathon. A lot for a Teams meeting.

3. Most of us aren't short on salt

South Africans average around 7.2g of salt a day, and more than one in three of us has high blood pressure. It got serious enough that the government started capping salt in bread back in 2016. (source)

At a desk, the gap usually isn't more sodium. It's water, early enough in the day, with potassium and magnesium along for the ride.

Here's exactly what's in a scoop

4. Match the dose to your day

One level scoop goes in 400–500 ml of water.

• Desk day, school run: one level scoop. That's about 340mg of sodium, under a fifth of a teaspoon of salt.
• Hot day, sweaty session: two level scoops. You've earned it.
• Travelling or away from home: a sachet, in 500–650 ml of water.
• Serious heavy sweater: a high-sodium mix might be right for you, and that's fine.

And taste is a hydration feature. If it's too salty you stop drinking it, and then it hydrates nobody.

Read the back of any tub (ours included)

• Sodium per serving vs your 2,000mg day
• Potassium and magnesium, not just salt
• No added sugar hiding behind the word “electrolyte”
• A dose you can adjust
• A taste you'd drink even if it did nothing

Kokee: balanced, not too salty.

340mg sodium per level scoop, 5 electrolytes, coconut water powder, zero added sugar. One scoop for Tuesdays, two for Saturdays.

From R 489.00

Try Kokee

Prefer sachets for your bag? Crisp Apple | 20 Pack

More salt isn't more hydration. The right amount, in something you'll actually drink every day, is.

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