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. SOLT’s are 300 mg potassium and 60 mg magnesium, printed in full.

3. Sugar, how much, if any.

Classic sports drinks can carry 20–40 g of sugar a serve, a lot to drink daily. SOLT uses zero, sweetened naturally. Check whether a product is electrolyte-led or really a sugar drink with a few minerals added.

4. Serving size vs actual water.

Some doses are designed for 250–350 ml, half a bottle. Read what volume the numbers assume. SOLT 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.