Gen Z go wild for electrolyte drinks as they claim water is no longer ‘enough’ to ‘properly hydrate’ them

From collagen to oat milk, green juice and bone broth, the health industry is continually offering up new elixirs with allegedly miraculous benefits.

Electrolytes are the latest fad to have caught Gen Z’s attention with hundreds taking to TikTok to share their recipes, favourite brands, and encourage others to start sipping mineral fortified water for ‘proper hydration’. 

Usually reserved for marathon runners or upset stomachs, electrolytes often come bottled as sports drinks or in sachets to restore minerals lost through sweat or illness.

But more recently, TikTokers have gone wild for the electrolyte supplements, glugging down the mineral infused water on a daily basis, regardless of the time of day or activity.

Some daily sippers have even claimed water is no longer ‘enough’ to hydrate.

Electrolytes are the latest fad to have caught Gen Z’s attention with hundreds taking to TikTok to share their recipes, favourite brands, and encourage others to start sipping mineral fortified water for ‘proper hydration’

According to the NHS: ‘Electrolytes are salts and minerals, such as sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate, which are found in the blood. They can conduct electrical impulses in the body’

According to the NHS: ‘Electrolytes are salts and minerals, such as sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate, which are found in the blood. They can conduct electrical impulses in the body.’

Often, they are consumed to restore minerals and salts lost to sweats, or bodily fluids.

But a recent surge of interest in the liquid supplement has resulted in hundreds of clips appearing online as young people slurp up their mineral infused water.

Hailing their purported benefits, one TikToker started his video exclaiming, ‘you’re not properly hydrating,’ before going on the praise the benefits of electrolyte water.

‘The main benefit of electrolytes is that when you train in the gym and you start to sweat, you feel tired, you feel demotivated, you want to go home.  Chances are you’re not actually lazy, you just sweat out your electrolytes,’ he said.

He goes on to recommend supplementing sweat sessions with a dose of electrolytes to maximise ‘that pump’ and elevate energy levels. Another TikToker warned: ‘Just drinking water isn’t enough!’ 

They claimed that just drinking water wasn’t enough to offer adequate hydration. 

‘If you’re someone who drinks a lot of water but feels like you have to go to the bathroom every thirty minutes, that could be a sign that your body isn’t absorbing the water you’re drinking and you may need some electrolytes to help that process,’ said the TikToker. 

According to nutritionist, Fuel Hub, Edward Mather: ‘Electrolytes have gained popularity in recent years due to an increased focus on hydration, as a way of improving health and overall well-being.’

However, he doesn’t believe they are for everyone – or strictly necessary for hydration.

He said: ‘The point at which supplementing electrolytes becomes necessary, is if the individual partakes in prolonged or intense exercise, they live in a hot climate or they have an illness where fluid is lost from the body.’ 

He continued: ‘For most people, drinking water throughout the day is enough to meet their hydration needs. This is based on the assumption they consume a balanced diet containing electrolyte-rich foods and partake in light physical activity.

‘They play an important role in fluid balance, supporting nerve and muscle function and regulating many physiological processes.’

Hailing their purported benefits, one TikToker started his video exclaiming, ‘you’re not properly hydrating,’ before going on the praise the benefits of electrolyte water 

A recent surge of interest in the liquid supplement has resulted in hundreds of clips appearing online as young people slurp up their mineral infused water

Recent data shows a surge in consumers buying flavoured and function beverages – i.e. sparkling or mineral water with additional health additives

And it’s not just online health junkies purporting the supposed benefits. Recent data shows a surge in consumers buying flavoured and function beverages – i.e. sparkling or mineral water with additional health additives.

The market was valued at $50.3 billion (£37.6 bn) in 2022 and is expected to reach $112.6 billion (£84 bn) by the end of the decade. 

After being lauded as a miracle worker for runners and hangovers in the US, the electrolyte company Liquid I.V., landed in the UK earlier this year.

The premium electrolyte elixirs use Cellular Transport Technology to ensure ‘faster hydration than water alone’.

The super optimised hydration drink promises with it, reduced ageing, gut health, sleep and even boosted immunity – it even comes available in a variety of flavours including ‘popsicle’.   

A supplement brand, called W-Wellness, also reported a 40 per increase in sales of electrolytes in the last year.

A pump bottle of electrolyte delight was sold out on the the website, Oshun, after fashion mogul Trinny Woodhall gushed over the product.

The £32.99 concentrate promises ‘brain power’, improvement in nervous system function and even ‘ionic charge’.

Another popular producer of protein powders, Free Soul, recently launched their new electrolyte powder, Hydrate. 

In an Instagram post promoting their new electrolyte sachets, they claim: ‘Staying hydrated is crucial but often water alone isn’t enough.’ Another post reads: ‘Electrolytes aren’t just for athletes, they benefit everyone.’