Guide · Running
Electrolytes for runners
Long runs, summer miles and race day all mean sweat, and sweat carries sodium. Here is when runners reach for electrolytes, powder or salt tablets, and how to carry them.
Runners use electrolytes on the runs where they sweat most: long runs, hot or humid days, and back-to-back training. For most short, easy runs in cool weather, plain water is enough. A simple routine is one scoop of Lula in a 500 ml bottle for a long or hot run, or your daily scoop in a big ice-cold glass afterwards.
- Sweat rates and sweat saltiness vary a lot between runners. There is no single right amount.
- Powder or salt tablets are both ways to take sodium. Powder goes in your water; tablets are swallowed with it.
- Drink to thirst, and do not force down extra plain water on long runs.
Run by run
Which runs need electrolytes?
Easy 5K, cool day
Plain water is usually enough. Food covers your minerals. Save your scoop for another moment in the day.
Long run
Carry a 500 ml bottle with one scoop, or plan your route past a refill. Take your usual fuel separately.
Hot or humid run
The sweaty ones. Mix your bottle ice-cold before you leave, and drink to thirst.
Race day
Nothing new on race day. Use only what you have tried in training, at the same strength.
Why runners use electrolytes
Running in warm weather makes you sweat, and sweat is not pure water. It carries sodium, the electrolyte you sweat out most, plus smaller amounts of potassium and magnesium. On a long or hot run, a lot can leave you.
Drinking only plain water replaces the fluid. An electrolyte drink adds minerals back as well. That is the simple reason so many runners carry one on long days.
Electrolyte powder or salt tablets for running?
Salt tablets and capsules are swallowed with water. They are small and easy to carry, and you drink whatever water you like alongside them. Sodium per capsule varies by brand, so read the label.
An electrolyte powder is mixed into your bottle, so the sodium and the water go in together, with a taste. Lula has 1,000 mg sodium per 6.5 g scoop, plus potassium, magnesium, calcium and 1.2 g of amino acids, and no added sugar.
Neither format is more effective. It is a choice of how you like to carry it and drink it.
| Electrolyte powder (Lula) | Salt tablets or capsules | |
|---|---|---|
| How you take it | Mixed into a bottle of water | Swallowed with water |
| Sodium | 1,000 mg per scoop | Varies by brand: check the label |
| Other minerals | Potassium, magnesium, calcium | Varies by brand |
| Taste | Natural peach | None |
| Carry | Mix at home in a bottle | Pocket or belt |
How to carry electrolytes on a long run
- Handheld or vest bottle: mix one scoop in 500 ml of cold water before you leave.
- Loop route: leave a bottle at the car or the front door and pass it every few miles.
- Long day out: carry a dry scoop of powder in a small tub and add water at a refill point.
- Fuel separately: Lula has 7.7 kcal per scoop. If your long runs need gels or carbohydrate, take them as you normally do.
- Sachets or a jar: see electrolyte sachets, tablets or a jar to compare single servings with a jar.
Do you need electrolytes for a 5K or 10K?
Usually not. For a short run in cool weather, food and plain water cover most runners. If it is hot, or you are a heavy sweater, an electrolyte drink before or after is a reasonable choice. One scoop of Lula a day is the label dose, so there is no need for more than one.
In your bottle
What is in a scoop
One 6.5 g scoop. Every amount on the label, in plain sight.
from pink Himalayan salt1,000 mg42%The electrolyte you sweat out most
potassium citrate250 mg13%Sodium's partner mineral
magnesium citrate75 mg20%Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
calcium citrate50 mg6%An electrolyte mineral in the blend
taurine, glycine, alanine1.2 gn/a500 mg taurine · 450 mg glycine · 250 mg alanine
sweetened with stevia0.17 gsugarsNo added sugar · 7.7 kcal · no caffeine
Good to know
Questions, answered
Do runners need electrolytes?
On long, hot or very sweaty runs, many runners use an electrolyte drink, because sweat carries sodium. For short, easy runs in cool weather, plain water is usually enough.
Should I take salt tablets or electrolyte powder for running?
Either is a way to take sodium. Tablets are swallowed with water; powder is mixed into it, with a taste. Lula is a powder with 1,000 mg sodium per scoop. Neither format is more effective.
When should runners drink electrolytes?
Sip from a bottle during long or hot runs, or take your daily scoop afterwards. On race day, use only what you have already tried in training.
How much electrolyte drink should I have on a long run?
For Lula, one scoop a day: one 500 ml bottle on a long run, with plain water as well if you need more. Drink to thirst.
Do I need electrolytes for a 5K?
Usually not in cool weather. Food and water cover most runners for short runs.
Is Lula a running gel?
No. Lula has 7.7 kcal and 0.17 g sugars per scoop, and no caffeine. Take your running fuel separately.
How much sodium is in Lula?
1,000 mg per 6.5 g scoop, from pink Himalayan salt.
Keep reading
Related guides
Try Lula
The complete amino electrolyte.
One scoop of Natural Peach in 750 ml to 1 litre of ice-cold water. 1,000 mg sodium with potassium, magnesium and calcium, plus 1.2 g of amino acids. No added sugar.
- One jar20 scoops · Tracked UK shipping, see shipping policy£24.99
- Buy 2 jars40 scoops · free UK shipping£39.99
- Subscribe & save 10%Subscription10% off, free UK shipping · pause, skip or cancel anytime
£24.99£22.49/month
Dispatch next working day · Royal Mail Tracked
Choose your Lula →Do not exceed the daily recommended dose (one scoop a day). Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Not recommended for children. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking prescription medicine or have a medical condition, speak with your doctor before use.
Lula is a food supplement. Any health claims relate to its magnesium content.