Electrolit vs. Pedialyte: Which is Better? It Might Surprise You

Dehydration is a condition that occurs when the body loses too much water. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including diarrhea and vomiting, excessive sweating, and extreme exercise.

If you’re experiencing dehydration, you may feel thirsty and fatigued. You may also experience dry mouth and skin (especially if your skin is normally oily), headaches, nausea, and muscle cramps.

The key to treating dehydration is drinking enough fluids to prevent further dehydration. Water is the best choice for drinking, but electrolyte drinks like Electrolit or Pedialyte can also help hydrate your body quickly.

What are electrolytes, and why are they important?

Electrolytes are minerals found in your body’s cells that help to regulate the movement of fluids. They’re critical for the function of many of your body’s systems, including your muscles, nerves, and heart.

The most common electrolytes are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride. Your body requires these substances to produce energy, maintain fluid balance (hydration), and control muscle contractions.


Electrolytes and their recommended intakes in milligrams:

  • Sodium: 1500 mg for age 50 or below, 1300 mg for people over 50, 1200 mg for people over 70
  • Potassium: 4700 mg
  • Calcium: 1000 mg for age 50 or below, 1200 mg for people over 50
  • Magnesium: 420 mg for men, 320 mg for women
  • Chloride: 2300 mg for age 50 or below, 2000 mg for people over 50, 1800 mg for people over 70

Sodium is important because it helps regulate the amount of water in our bodies. If we don’t have enough sodium in our diet, we can get dehydrated and pass out.

Potassium helps the heart muscle work properly and contributes to a healthy nervous system.

Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth and assists with muscle contraction and relaxation.

Magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzyme reactions that help keep your body running smoothly!


Electrolyte imbalances can lead to serious health problems like dehydration or even heart failure. If you’ve been sweating or vomiting a lot or have been losing water through diarrhea or other means—like excessive urination—it’s important to drink plenty of water with electrolyte replacements so that you don’t become dehydrated.

Electrolit vs. Pedialyte comparison

Both of these products contain electrolytes, which help your body stay hydrated. Let’s go over some basic information about each product so that you can decide which one will be best for your needs.

The Facts about Electrolit® drink mix

Credits: Brandon Gould

What is Electrolit?

Electrolit® is a premium hydrating beverage created by Grupo Pisa, the leading pharmaceutical company in Latin America. Electrolit was so successful in Mexico that Grupo Pisa decided to create CAB Enterprises Inc., which distributes the beverage in the United States.

Electrolit is a scientifically formulated hydration and recovery drink. It’s perfect for athletes who are constantly on-the-go, like trail runners, bikers, and climbers. And it’s clinically tested to keep you hydrated and energized for any adventure.

Electrolit has been formulated specifically for athletes—it comprises four primary electrolyte minerals, namely potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium, along with two ion sources, which are magnesium citrate malate and sodium citrate malate.


If you’re going to be running or cycling or climbing for long periods of time, Electrolit will help you maintain proper hydration levels—and that means better performance!

Ingredients

Electrolit® is a high-quality electrolyte sports drink that is scientifically formulated with the best ingredients for optimal hydration and energy replacement. The ingredients in each flavor are slightly different, but most flavors have some common ingredients:

  • Water
  • Dextrose Monohydrate
  • Sodium Lactate
  • Potassium Chloride
  • Natural Flavors
  • Malic Acid
  • Molasses
  • Magnesium Chloride
  • Citric Acid
  • Calcium Chloride
  • Sodium Chloride
  • Stevia

It contains better ingredients than most leading brands.

Nutrition Facts

Electrolit® provides 20 cal / 100ml. It has better ingredients than the leading brands and is fewer calories per serving than Gatorade or Powerade. One bottle contains 31 g of sugar. The sodium content is also low compared to other sports drinks at 170mg/240ml.

Per 625 ml bottle, you’re getting:

  • 487 mg Potassium
  • 29 mg Magnesium
  • 51 mg Calcium
  • 430 mg Sodium

They also make a zero-calorie version called Electrolit ZERO.

Taste & Flavor Options

Electrolit comes in a variety of flavors, which can be found at your local 7-Eleven or online. Whether you prefer a fruity flavor or something more neutral, there’s an Electrolit for you.

The regular version of Electrolit® comes in Orange, Berry Bliss, Coconut, Fruit Punch, Grape, Guava, Hibiscus, Lemon, Passion Fruit, Strawberry, Strawberry Kiwi, and Apple.

The zero-calorie version has Fruit Puch, Lemon Breeze, and Berry Blast flavors.

These drinks provide a taste experience that is much more palatable than Pedialyte and does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth as many other electrolyte brands do.

What Makes Electrolit® Different?

There are a few things that set Electrolit apart from other electrolyte solutions. First, they taste good, not too sweet in my opinion. And the flavors are pretty good. Our favorite flavors are coconut, strawberry kiwi, and orange.

We also love that they have a ton of electrolytes, which is important for athletes. It doesn’t taste like medicine, which is a major plus.

It has the right amount of electrolytes to help keep your body hydrated without upsetting your stomach or causing an unpleasant aftertaste.

The smaller bottle sizes are more convenient for taking to the gym, hiking, or even just sitting at home on the couch.

As someone who lived in Mexico for many years, I was excited to see this beverage available at local stores and online here in the United States. But when I found out how much it cost, I was disappointed. It costs two times as much here as it does in Mexico.

In addition, this product contains artificial colors, which I wish it didn’t. Other than that, Electrolit® is a great option!

The Facts about Pedialyte drink mix

Credits: Bruce

What is Pedialyte?

Pedialyte is a rehydration drink that’s used to treat dehydration in children and adults. It’s available in both powder and liquid forms, and it comes in a variety of flavors.

It’s important to note that Pedialyte is not meant to replace water or other fluids, but rather help with rehydration when you’re experiencing symptoms associated with dehydration. Pedialyte has been shown to be safe for use by children over the age of one year, as well as adults who are experiencing mild dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhea.

The Pedialyte product line includes a variety of products, including Classic, AdvancedCare, AdvancedCare Plus, and Sport. Each product contains the same ingredients but has different concentrations of electrolytes and calories. The products can be used interchangeably as needed based on your specific needs.

Ingredients

The ingredients used in Pedialyte products are dependent on the product you choose, but here’s a general breakdown of their composition:

  • Water
  • Salt
  • Dextrose
  • Galactooligosaccharides
  • Citric Acid
  • Potassium Citrate
  • Sodium Citrate
  • Natural & Artificial Flavors
  • Sucralose
  • Acesulfame Potassium
  • Magnesium Chloride
  • Zinc Gluconate (AdvancedCare Plus)
  • Potassium Phosphate (Pedialyte Sport)
  • Food Colorants

Nutrition Facts

If you’re looking for a product that contains more electrolytes, Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus and Sport are the best choices. They both have a higher concentration of electrolytes than their “regular” counterparts.

For Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus, Per 360 ml, you’re getting:

  • 490 mg Sodium
  • 280 mg Potassium
  • 630 mg Chloride
  • 2.8 mg Zinc

For Pedialyte Sport, Per 360 ml, you’re getting:

  • 490 mg Sodium
  • 470mg Potassium
  • 690 mg Chloride
  • 140 mg Phosphorus
  • 40 mg Magnesium

They contain more sodium and potassium than sports drinks such as Gatorade, but less than half the carbs.

Taste & Flavor Options

As far as taste goes, Pedialyte has quite a few options. They have the original unflavored version and then they also have a variety of fruit flavors. Some of the more popular options include Orange Breeze, Berry Frost, Kiwi Berry Mist, Chilled Cherry, Iced Grape, Lemon Lime, and Fruit Punch.

They’re also available as powder packs that can be added to water bottles for kids’ lunch boxes so they have something tasty to drink instead of plain water when they’re outside playing all day long during hot summer weather conditions!

The flavor is pretty much what you would expect from a sports drink—very sweet. I usually dilute it with a little bit of water because otherwise, it would be way too sweet for me to drink straight up!

When you first try Pedialyte, it may taste like water-downed cough syrup at first glance, but after you get used to the flavor you will come to love it! It’s not necessarily the most delicious beverage, but when you’re dehydrated it really works miracles.

What Makes Pedialyte Different?

Pedialyte is great if you’re dealing with a lot of sweating or if you’re going to be dealing with an infection.

They are designed to provide fast rehydration and replenish electrolytes in children or adults who are dehydrated due to sickness, vomiting, or diarrhea. It also helps to keep healthy levels of fluids as well as potassium and sodium at a normal place.

Another thing that makes Pedialyte different is that it comes in both powder form (to be mixed with water) as well as ready-to-drink bottles, which are preferable if you’re just looking for something quick to drink.

I like to keep a lot of Pedialyte around because it comes in large bottles and has a long shelf life. The only problem is that once you open the bottle, it has to be used within 48 hours or it goes bad.

My favorite way to drink Pedialyte is chilled, but sometimes I forget to put it in the fridge ahead of time. If it’s been sitting out, it doesn’t taste as good! I don’t mind the price so much, though; this stuff is great for hangovers.

Which Hydration Drink is Better, Electrolit or Pedialyte?

Well, we think it depends on what you’re looking for.

*Electrolyte content of hydration drinks per 12 fl oz (360 mL)

Electrolyte DrinkSugarSodiumPotassiumMagnesiumCalciumChloride
Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus7 g490 mg280 mg00630 mg
Pedialyte AdvancedCare6 g370 mg280 mg00440 mg
Pedialyte Sport5 g490 mg470 mg40 mg0690 mg
Electrolit Electrolyte Beverage18 g248 mg280 mg17 mg29 mg0
Electrolit Zero Electrolyte Beverage0 g248 mg280 mg17 mg29 mg0

The consistency and texture of Electrolit are much thinner than that of Pedialyte. Electrolit has calcium but Pedialyte doesn’t. So if you want to replenish your calcium while rehydrating yourself, Electrolit would be the way to go.

If you’re looking for a drink that doesn’t have that syrupy salty taste that Pedialyte has and doesn’t have an unpleasant aftertaste, then Electrolit is a great choice. However, if you are looking for a drink with higher electrolyte contents, then Pedialyte Sport is your best bet. It has more electrolytes than Electrolit but less than regular Pedialyte.

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Electrolit Zero contains less sugar and sodium compared to Pedialyte. Although it has fewer electrolytes than the options provided by Pedialyte, it is significantly more affordable.

Final Thoughts

Proper hydration is key to your health, energy level, cognitive performance, and athletic ability. When you don’t drink enough water, you’ll have a hard time getting through the day.

When you’re dehydrated, your body doesn’t work as well. Your brain isn’t able to think clearly or remember things as easily; your muscles don’t perform at peak levels, and your body temperature may rise. You might even feel lightheaded or dizzy.

If you have to choose between these two electrolyte drinks, don’t fret. Both are very tasty and effective at hydrating you after a workout or game—and they’re sure to come in handy on those long hike, bike, or run commutes.

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  1. Paola October 9, 2022

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