6 Best Keto Electrolyte Supplements in 2024

Keto diets have become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to lose weight and potentially boost performance as well. One downside to keto diets is dehydration, which is common due to depleted glycogen stores

Electrolytes are especially important on a keto diet to ensure optimal performance. We’ve picked out 6 supplements all with 0 carbs, making them ideal for keto diets.

Top 6 Best Keto Electrolyte Supplements Reviewed

1. HYDRATE by Transparent Labs
2. Promix Electrolyte Drink Mix
3. REDMOND Re-Lyte
4. LMNT Electrolyte Powder
5. HYDRASURGE by JACKED FACTORY
6. Ultima Replenisher

Product	Total	Electrolytes per Serving	Taste	Nutrition Label Transparency	Price/ Quality
Transparent Labs	39.5	10	9.5	10	10
Promix	39	10	9.5	9.5	10
Redmond	38.5	10	9	9.5	10
LMNT	36.5	10	8	9.5	9
Jacked Factory	36	8.5	9	9.5	9
Ultima	35.5	8	9.5	9.5	8.5

Starting our list, the overall best keto electrolyte powder is Hydrate by Transparent Labs. If you’re unfamiliar with this brand, they consistently deliver some of the highest-quality supplements on the market, so let’s take a closer look at their electrolyte supplement.

The electrolytes you can expect in this supplement include 84mg of Calcium, 50mg of Magnesium, 500mg of Sodium, and 250mg of Potassium. This works out to a total of 884mg per serving. Note that magnesium and potassium are of special interest to those on keto as these are the electrolytes you’re most likely to be deficient in.

Additional ingredients include 500mg of coconut water, which will also aid in hydration. There’s also 1g of taurine, which appears to have some benefits for most athletes, especially those performing endurance training.

Like all of Transparent Labs’ products, Hydrate is made with all-natural ingredients. It is sweetened largely with stevia and colored with beetroot powder. It’s worth noting that there’s fairly limited flavor variety here, as Hydrate only comes in 2 flavors. Also, hydrate falls around the average price for our list, costing around $0.75 per serving.

Our next electrolyte supplement for keto diets is ProMix’s Electrolyte Drink Mix. Similar to Transparent Labs, ProMix has an excellent reputation for producing high-quality natural supplements. Let’s see how this supplement compares to the top pick on our list.

The electrolytes here are broken down between 1000mg of Sodium, 200mg of Potassium, and 60mg of Magnesium. This works out for a total of 1260mg of total electrolytes, although it's not nearly as balanced as the top spot on our list.

Keep in mind that ProMix contains a very high amount of sodium, and will likely be too high for most people – remember that you can get too many electrolytes. As a result, half a serving may be good if you aren’t working out for long, or not sweating too much! Or consider mixing one serving into 2L of water and drinking it throughout the day!

The only additional ingredient here is Vitamin C, with each serving containing a solid 111% of the recommended daily intake!

Similar to Transparent Labs, ProMix is made with all-natural ingredients. It is a lightly sweetened product, so most of its sweetness comes from natural lemon flavoring. Like Transparent Labs, you also only have 2 flavor options. Finally, it’s worth noting this is slightly more expensive than Transparent Labs at about ~$0.98 per serving.

The next electrolyte drink for keto diets we’ll be covering is Redmond Re-Lyte’s supplement. This is the highest potassium supplement on our list, which is especially relevant for the keto diet. Let’s see how it compares to our top 2 picks.

You can expect 810mg of Sodium, 60mg of Calcium, 50mg of Magnesium, 400mg of Potassium, and 1280mg of Chloride.

This works out to 2600mg of electrolytes per serving and has the highest pure electrolyte content of any product on our list. This has the same high amount of sodium as ProMix but is slightly more balanced with high chloride and potassium content as well.

The only additional ingredient here is coconut water powder, although at a very small dose of 80mg per serving.

Like the top 2 spots on our list, this product is made from all-natural ingredients. It is also flavored largely with stevia leaf. It has the most flavor variety on our list so far with 7 different options to choose from. It is also fairly affordable costing ~$0.73 per serving.

Next on our list is LMNT’s Electrolyte powder. We’ll be focusing on the unflavored variety, which are some of the best keto-friendly electrolytes available. Keep in mind that flavored options are available as well!

First, it should be noted that this product only comes in single-serving packs that can be purchased in boxes of 30 servings. This makes them convenient for taking on the go.

You can expect 1000mg of Sodium, 200mg of Potassium, and 60mg of Magnesium.

This is an identical breakdown to ProMix, working out to a total of 1260mg of electrolytes per serving. Similar to ProMix this is a very high amount of Sodium for a single serving of electrolytes.

This supplement is also the first on our list to not contain any additional ingredients. Like the previous 3 products, this is formulated with no additional artificial ingredients. You can get LMNT in 4 different flavors including the unflavored option.

This is easily the most expensive supplement we’ve covered so far, being ~$1.50 per serving.

Next on our list of electrolyte drinks for keto diets is Hydrasurge by Jacked Factory. This takes the title of the best lower sodium product on our list, which is ideal for those who already get enough sodium through their diet. Let’s take a closer look at its electrolyte breakdown.

There’s 125mg of Sodium, 50mg of Potassium, 25mg of Magnesium, 35mg of Phosphorus, and 84mg of Calcium. This works out to 319mg of total electrolytes, giving this the lowest total electrolyte content on our list.

It’s worth noting that this has some of the lowest magnesium and potassium content on our list as well, making it less ideal for those on keto.

It has a similar additional ingredient breakdown to Transparent Labs, containing 500mg of Coconut Water Powder and 1g of Taurine per serving.

Like all the products we’ve covered so far, this supplement is flavored with all-natural ingredients like Stevia Leaf. Jacked Factory also comes in a decent variety of flavors with 2 choices. Finally, as you might have expected from the total electrolyte content, this is the cheapest product on our list, costing only ~$0.50 per serving.

Finally, closing off our list of keto-friendly electrolyte powders is the first supplement to contain the 6 electrolytes we’ve been focusing on. Let’s take a closer look at Ultima’s Replenisher supplement.

You can expect 55mg of Sodium, 65mg of Calcium, 250mg of Potassium, 70mg of Phosphorus, 100mg of Magnesium, and 78mg of Chloride. This works out to a total of 618mg per serving.

As mentioned, this supplement contains all 6 electrolytes we’ve been covering on this list. Its potassium and magnesium content is high, which is ideal for keto diets. Sodium, however, is especially low here.

Additional ingredients mainly include a solid 110% of your daily Vitamin C and 10% of your daily Zinc.

Like all the supplements covered above, this doesn’t contain any unnecessary artificial ingredients. It also has solid flavor options coming in 4 unique varieties. Finally, it is similarly cheap to Jacked Factory at only ~$0.50 per serving.

Why Do Athletes Use The Keto Diet?

The keto diet focuses on limiting carbohydrate intake in favor of a high-fat diet. Often the main purpose behind this is weight loss, as this style of diet is conducive to eating less total calories, as well as putting you in a state of “ketosis”.

Ketosis is essentially the process of your body producing ketone bodies to compensate for the lack of glucose in your body. Ketone bodies then help your body use fat as energy.

Keep in mind that it may take several months on a keto diet to fully deplete your glucose stores and for you to enter into a deep state of ketosis. People starting a keto diet will typically limit their carb intake to 20-50g a day to reach this state.

As mentioned, the primary reason people use a keto diet is to lose body fat. Keto diets may help you eat less calories throughout the day, which is the main reason they may be useful for dieting, but keep in mind - without a consistent calorie deficit you won’t magically lose weight.

Still, they are incredibly restrictive and therefore difficult to maintain for long time periods. Overall, they may be beneficial for short-term cutting periods, but may cause undesired side effects as well.

Many endurance athletes choose to use a ketogenic diet to enhance their performance. However, current studies show that the ketogenic diet produced mixed results when compared with a more standard carbohydrate-rich diet. Overall, if you’re looking to achieve peak performance, we recommend opting for a high-carb diet over keto.

Overall, athletes will mainly try to use the keto diet to either lose weight, with there being little evidence to support its performance boosting effects. Later on we’ll be covering why this diet will not be ideal for most people, especially over long periods.

Do You Need Electrolyte Supplements If You Follow a Keto Diet?

Regardless of whether it's effective or not, if an athlete is following a keto diet, they may be more in need of electrolytes than others. This is especially true in several specific scenarios related to endurance exercise. We’ll be covering these in more in-depth below. 

1. Does Your Exercise Last At Least 2 Hours in Hot and Humid Conditions?

The first reason you’ll want to consider using an electrolyte supplement whether or not you’re on a keto diet is if you regularly work out for longer than 2 hours in hot conditions.

Ketogenic diets are related to a decrease in magnesium and potassium intake specifically. This makes it more likely for those on keto diets to be deficient in these electrolytes. Also, those on a keto diet are more likely to experience increased water loss because of ketotic-induced diuresis and water loss related to depleted glycogen stores.

When you’re exercising for longer than 2 hours you’re more likely to lose a good amount of water through sweat, especially if it's hot out. If you’re already somewhat deficient in magnesium and potassium, you’ll probably experience a significant drop in performance.

In this case, rehydrating with an electrolyte supplement midway through your workout is probably a good idea.

2. Does Your Exercise Last At Least 2 Hours With Heavy and "Salty" Sweating?

This is similar to the previous point. Even if it's not hot out, you may still lose a lot of water through your sweat. When you sweat you’re also losing electrolytes, so it's a good idea to replenish them. This is especially relevant if you’re beginning your workout with electrolytes like magnesium and potassium already somewhat depleted in your body.

While you should be fine for most short bouts of exercise, the longer you go, the more likely you are to experience some of the negative side effects of electrolyte imbalance. This will lead to a decrease in performance and will lead to earlier onset of fatigue.

Taking an electrolyte supplement before or midway through your workout will help you stay hydrated and stay at peak performance. So, whenever you’re exercising for more than 2 hours, electrolyte supplementation is probably a good idea – especially if you’re sweating a lot.

3. Are You Training For an Ultramarathon?

Finally, if you’re training for an ultra-marathon or any other long endurance event, electrolytes will also be a good idea.

This ties in with the last 2 points. With ultramarathon training often lasting well over 2 hours, electrolytes become even more important the longer you’re training for.

While being dehydrated in shorter bouts of exercise performance, being dehydrated during ultra-endurance training can be outright dangerous. With many ultramarathons taking upwards of 3 hours, proper hydration is necessary.

It’s worth noting that many ultramarathoners will drink excessive amounts of plain water which can cause overhydration and decreased electrolyte concentrations. This is especially relevant for keto athletes who are already at risk of having decreased levels of magnesium and potassium.

Because of this, taking an electrolyte supplement with your water intake will ensure you have more stable electrolyte concentrations while you’re training.

Overall, proper hydration is necessary for all endurance athletes. But, it’s most important for those training for an especially long time at once like ultra-marathoners

How To Choose The Best Keto Electrolyte Powder For The Average Gym-goer?

Whether or not you’re an endurance athlete, you may still be interested in taking an electrolyte supplement. If this is the case, there are several factors you’ll want to keep in mind. These mainly include carbs, and sodium content. We’ll be covering these as well as some extra tips below!

1. Choose a Supplement With Zero Carbs

First, if you’re on a keto diet you’ll want to make sure you’re choosing a low-carb electrolyte drink. With most supplements being zero carb anyway, there’s no reason to buy an electrolyte supplement that has any carbs. With most keto diets limiting you to under 20-50g of carbs per day, why would you waste them on a supplement?

As mentioned, most electrolyte supplements have very close to zero carbs. Still, it’s worth paying attention to the label to ensure you’re not taking in any unnecessary carbohydrates. All of the supplements on our list are completely zero carb and still deliver excellent flavor, making them great options for the keto diet.

2. Choose a Product With a Low Amount of Sodium Per Serving (or Reduce The Amount of Powder From That Specified by The Manufacturer)

Next, remember that sodium is the easiest electrolyte to get in your diet and that you can easily get too much with a high-sodium electrolyte supplement. Many of the supplements on our list contain 1000mg of sodium which is high for the average person, but ideal for those losing a lot of sweat during their training.

Consider your daily sodium intake to decide which supplement is right for you. If you don’t eat much sodium then a higher-sodium supplement may be ideal. Especially with those on the keto diet being likely to be deficient in magnesium and potassium as well, it’s also important to prioritize these electrolytes.

One tip we have for higher sodium electrolyte supplements is to take a smaller serving than what’s recommended. Although you’ll also be getting less of the electrolytes, you’ll be limiting your overall sodium intake to a more reasonable level.

3. Consider The Sodium Intake Guidelines For The Average Adult

Most people likely do not need to worry too much about their total sodium intake for the day as they naturally eat within a healthy range. Still, consider how much sodium you ingest on an average day before taking an electrolyte supplement. This will help you regulate your sodium intake to stay within a healthy range. 

Why We Don’t Recommend Keto As a Long-term Diet?

You may be interested in trying the keto diet either for weight loss or improved performance. While more research is needed to draw definitive conclusions, performance likely isn’t altered greatly by a keto diet.

Results show the diet is likely beneficial for short-term weight loss for helping you eat less calories, but here’s why we don’t recommend it for everyone – especially over long time frames.

First, research surrounding the long-term effects of the keto diet is still fairly limited. Most studies conducted around the keto diet are on a short-term basis. Although these studies largely deliver positive results in areas like weight loss and blood pressure, the long-term effects aren’t as clear.

It appears that the keto diet may be more effective at helping people eat less calories when compared to other weight-loss diets for the first few months. However results will be identical with the same caloric intake, and will likely balance out over a longer time frame.

Next, the restriction of entire food groups will make this diet more difficult to stick to for the long term. The best way to lose weight is to find a diet where you can stick to a consistent caloric deficit without feeling heavily restricted. Especially if you’re a fan of carb-heavy foods like pasta or fruits, the keto diet may not be sustainable for you.

Remember that going on the keto diet is not the only way to lose weight. Eating in a consistent caloric deficit is much more important for weight loss than how much of any specific macronutrient you’re taking in.

As long as you’re getting sufficient protein intake to help maintain muscle mass and eating in a calorie deficit, you can still lose weight while enjoying carbs in your diet.

There are also some side effects associated with starting a keto diet. Some of these side effects include irritabality, hunger, headaches, and brain fog. Although many of these will likely fade over time, they make starting the diet quite difficult.

Even if you’re able to get through the initial challenge of starting a keto diet, there may be some long term health risks associated with the diet as well.

These include an increased risk of kidney stones and potential nutrient deficiencies. Like with any restrictive diet, you need to be very conscious of the nutrients you’re taking in to avoid deficiencies.

There are ways to avoid these complications like taking a multivitamin or an electrolyte supplement. Still, you need to be very conscious to make sure a keto diet is sustainable in the long-term. Getting assistance from a dietician may be beneficial for this.

Overall, if your main goal is to lose body fat, a keto diet may be effective for this. Just keep in mind that it’s much more difficult to sustain than a more balanced diet. Also, with the negative side effects associated with both starting the diet and staying on the diet long-term, it’s difficult to see much of a benefit.

A good way to use electrolyte supplements is if you struggle to drink enough water, especially during or directly after workouts. With many flavored supplements delivering excellent taste, they can be a way to encourage yourself to drink more water – the added electrolytes are just a bonus!

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t use electrolytes in all the water you drink throughout the day. As mentioned, you can get too many electrolytes especially if the supplement you’re using is heavy in salt. We recommend limiting your electrolyte intake to 1-2 servings a day to specifically prevent getting too much sodium in your diet.

FAQ

What Electrolytes Can I Take on Keto?

Any electrolytes you’re taking on keto should ideally be zero calories and zero carbs. You should also consider buying a supplement rich in magnesium and potassium, as these are the electrolytes those on keto are most likely to be deficient in. 

Can I Drink Electrolytes Every Day on Keto? 

There shouldn’t be much of an issue with taking electrolytes every day on keto, especially if you’re taking them directly after working out. With that being said, if you’re taking a supplement heavy in sodium you may risk consistently consuming too much of this electrolyte every day.

Do You Need Electrolyte Powder on Keto?

Those on keto are most likely to be deficient in the electrolytes magnesium and potassium. So, a supplement rich in these can help prevent this deficiency. Electrolytes will also be beneficial to prevent dehydration for endurance athletes who consistently train for 2+ hours at a time. 

Do Electrolytes Help Lose Weight on Keto?

Keto diets help you lose weight mainly because of heavy calorie restrictions. It does not appear that electrolytes will have much of an effect on this process. While they’re likely beneficial for those on keto, they won’t help much with weight loss.

Conclusion

While electrolyte supplements aren’t necessary for all runners, they can be especially beneficial for endurance athletes who regularly run for longer than 2 hours in hot and humid conditions. Electrolyte supplements are also useful for preventing hyponatremia in ultra-endurance athletes who are more likely to overhydrate with plain water.

Keep in mind that electrolytes are not a one-size-fits-all supplement. As a result, we recommend consulting with a sports nutritionist to determine a good individualized plan.

With this being said, if you’re interested in trying a high-quality electrolyte supplement, we recommend HYDRATE by Transparent Labs.

Are you an endurance runner, or do you train at more moderate distances? Do you have any experience using electrolyte supplements? Let us know in the comments below!

Also read:

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• Best Electrolyte Drink for Runners
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• Bcaa vs Beta Alanine
• Best Sugar Free Electrolyte Drink
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References:

1. A review of the ketogenic diet for endurance athletes: performance enhancer or placebo effect? // Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-00362-9
2. Carbohydrates THE MASTER FUEL // USADA: https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/nutrition/carbohydrates-the-master-fuel/
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4.  The effects of taurine on endurance exercise performance: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. // Journal of Nutrition, Fasting & Health . 2022 Supplement, Vol. 10, p335-335. 1/2p.: http://surl.li/mjeyb
5. Can You Drink Too Many Electrolytes? // Cleveland Clinic: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/too-many-electrolytes/
6. Should you try the keto diet? // Harvard Health Publishing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-try-the-keto-diet
7. Impact Of Ketogenic Diet On Athletes: Current Insights // PubMed Central: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6863116/
8. Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss // Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/ketogenic-diet/