Best Water Flavor Enhancers For Ringside Hydration Reviewed
Imagine you were forced to drink only one beverage, with one taste profile, for the rest of life. I imagine that you are thinking very hard right now about what you would choose. In this imaginary scenario, you can see the endless days of this one particular taste stretching out in front of you. You would, quite likely, get sick of it eventually. This scenario seems outlandish and impossible; no one would ever actually experience something like that in the real world. So if you are faced with something like this, we propose to give water flavor enhancers a try.
When it comes to the most abundant liquid on this planet, H20, oftentimes we drink it down without complaint. It lacks profile, doesn’t really have a distinct taste, and isn’t the greatest at replenishing the nutrients we lose when we sweat profusely. Among these especially important nutrients that are lost are electrolytes. A muscle needs electrolytes (such as calcium, sodium, and potassium) to contract; when there isn’t enough, it can cause muscle weakness or excessive contraction. When levels of electrolytes are adequate, the muscles have the ability to pump away, full steam ahead, allowing you to push your body to the max.
So this brings us to the idea that there are ways to improve H20, both in terms of taste and nutritional profile. One of the previously mentioned additives is electrolytes. Other common H20-boosters are carbohydrates, caffeine, and sweeteners. Carbohydrates act as an immediate energy source for the muscles; while you’re working out, you can burn up your reserves pretty fast. Caffeine asks as an energy boost to help you power through your workout for maximum results. Sweeteners, such as stevia or sugar, make the concoction more palatable and make it so that you can drink the mix right down.
Featured Water Flavor Enhancers
- Propel Energy
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Our rating - Multi-Pack
- Electrolyte Infused
- Price: See Here
- Gatorade Thirst Quencher
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Our rating - Bulk sizing
- Electrolytes
- Price: See Here
- Mio Liquid Flavor Enhancer
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Our rating - Convenient carry bottle
- Sugar-free
- Price: See Here
With all these different aspects that go into finding the right H20-taste-changer, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. After all, there’s a lot of different aspects to human nutrition and dehydration, all of which come into play with products such as these. Though it may seem like a lot of information, we’ve organized it all below to help you discover the best product to help you with your hydration needs. Whether you’re looking for a blueberry burst of electrolytes or a strawberry kiwi caffeine hit, there’s a product on this list that will perfectly suit your needs.
10 Best Water Flavor Enhancers
1. Propel Powder
Variety is the spice of life. Oftentimes plain old water won't give you the boost you need after you've been sweating profusely, not to mention that the flavor just gets plain boring. This product comes in four different flavors, including grape, pink lemonade, and more. Your taste buds will be as excited as you are.
Vitamin B,C, and E
We're all low on some vitamin or other these days, and keeping track of your levels of various ones is difficult enough. This product contains Vitamin B, C, and E to help you meet your daily recommended values. Say goodbye to vitamin deficiency!
Cost and Value
This product has a low to mid-range cost when compared to other items on our list. What it does have going for it, however, is the fact that it is a multi-pack that gets you fifty servings with each order. That, plus the variety of flavors and the fact that it is rich in certain vitamins, making it a deal too good to pass up.
10-count box
Pack of 5 boxes
4 flavors
Vitamins B, C, E
Antioxidants
Powder may spoil
2. Gatorade Thirst Quencher
Sometimes when you buy a product, you don't realize how small it is, or how little you're actually getting for your money. That can be the downfall of single-serving containers. However, with this product, each canister yields a total of six gallons of refreshment. And considering you receive three canisters with each purchase, you're actually getting eighteen gallons worth of end-product.
Replenishes Carbohydrates
When you're sweating profusely, you lose a lot of things you need. Among them are vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and more. As you're burning up energy in your body, you're also depleting your energy stores. This product contains carbohydrates to help you build those energy stores back up after they've been depleted.
Cost and Value
This is by far the most expensive item on our product. However, the high price point has to be balanced against the fact that you are going to end up with eighteen gallons worth of Gatorade, once the powder has been mixed in. Eighteen gallons of anything is a lot, so you're really getting quite the bang for your buck. Buying in bulk has always been a great way to save money.
Three 19.4oz canisters
6 gallons per canister
Low calorie
Electrolytes
Replenish carbohydrates
Contains additives
3. Mio Liquid Flavor Enhancer
Many hydration products are chock-full of additives, including vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and caffeine. However, for people who are intentionally caffeine-avoidant, perhaps due to overtaxed adrenal glands or heart conditions, this is a huge turn-off for these sorts of products. Mio is one of the only such products that is caffeine-free.
0 Calories
When you're replenishing and rehydrating during your workout, it's unlikely that you're going to want to be drinking a calorie-infused beverage. After all, one of the primary reasons that people work out is to get rid of calories--not to put more in. This product is 100% calorie-free.
Cost and Value"
This is by far the least expensive product on our list. While it may seem small-after all, you only get 10 servings in a bottle--it makes up for with many exciting features. It is zero-calorie, caffeine-free, and comes in a convenient, portable squirt bottle. Overall, this low-cost item is worth its low price.
Sugar free
Caffeine free
0 calories
24 servings per bottle
Kosher
May break in transit
4. Dr. Price Electrolyte Mix
Aside from its other great qualities, this electrolyte mix is also 100% vegan. Many other such products contain a lot of additives or are processed in facilities where they come into contact with animal products. If you're excluding animal products from your diet, this is the product for you.
Sweetened with Stevia
Many electrolyte mixes and hydration products boast about being sugar-free. However, the tradeoff for being sugar-free is that they often have a salty or otherwise unpleasant flavor. This product, however, is naturally sweetened with Stevia, and thus maintains a sweet taste profile while also being 100% free of sugar.
Cost and Value
This product has a mid-to-low range cost when compared to other items on our list. However, despite its mid-range price, it is extremely high on the metaphorical list in terms of quality and purity. Because of its purity of ingredients, being sugar-free and sweetened with Stevia, it is perfect for the person keeping an eye on what they're putting into their body.
Keto compliant
Vegan
Sweetened with stevia
Sugar-free
To-go packets
salty flavor
5. DASANI Drops
Oftentimes when you purchase a beverage, what you get is what you get. You have no control over the taste or the intensity. However, you can say goodbye to those days. With Dasani Drops, not only do you get the great taste of strawberry kiwi, but you can control how much of product goes into each serving. This gives you a degree of customizability and control you may not have seen before.
Naturally Flavored
Many times we wonder what exactly they're putting into our products. Often they put strange chemicals and additives into our food and beverage products at the factory in order to save on money. However, you won't have to puzzle over that mystery with this product. With Dasani Drops, you can be sure it's 100% naturally flavored.
Cost and Value
This product is the second most expensive on our list. However, as with the other most expensive item, this is largely due to the fact that this is because you are buying in bulk. Buying in bulk often means a higher up-front cost, but savings down the road. After all, 192 servings translate to a lot of trips to the gym.
192 servings total
6 pack
0 calorie
Naturally flavored
Flavor intensity control
May receive wrong flavor
6. DripDrop
Three Times the Electrolytes of Other Brands
Many brands can skimp out on the electrolytes. Electrolytes are vital when you consider just how quickly the body starts to fall apart without them. When you're really pushing yourself, it's one thing you want to be sure you're replenishing. This product enables you to do so with confidence, containing a higher amount than other competing products.
Clinically Proven Formula
This product is perhaps one of the few products like it on the market that has been tested so thoroughly and so intensely. Originally developed by a doctor to help children dying from dehydration, you can be sure that this is a powerful and potent formula.
Cost and Value
This product has a mid to low cost when compared to other items on our list. Sitting at the lower end of the price range, though, doesn't mean it sits at the lower end of effectiveness. This doctor-designed product is sure you give you the dehydration relief you're looking for, and well worth the low price it costs to do so.
4 flavor options
4 size options
3x electrolytes of other brands
Clinical formula
Great flavor
box may rip
7. Everly Hydration
Most hydration products offer you one option, and one option only. There is very little option and very little degree of choice. However, this product offers you two distinct formulas. The first is a formula designed to maximize hydration during your workout. The other, the Energy Formula, is designed to give you the power-boost you need to get through your workout.
Unique Taste Options
Most products come in a few generic formulas, such as pink lemonade or grape. Aside from being beaten to death, these tastes are so artificial and filled with sugar we've all gotten sick fo them. However, this product has a different array of options that you may not have seen before, including both pomegranate and peach mango.
Cost and Value
This product has a mid-to-low range cost when compared to other items on our list. It is a product that you can feel great about buying, knowing that you are supporting a wonderful cause. Aside from this, you can also be sure that you are getting a great array of flavors with your purchase.
3 flavors
All-natural
Hydration formula
Energy formula
Sugar-free
Has caffeine
8. True Lemon
One of the major problems with raw lemons is that you can't be sure you're getting a consistent density or quality to taste. However, with this product, you can be sure that 1 packet equals exactly 1 lemon wedge in terms of taste. It won't go bad, and it'll be a great experience for your tongue.
0 Carbs
For people on low-carb diets, some products are a huge turnoff when they're loaded down with carbohydrates. With True Lemon though, you won't have to worry. You can drink as much of this product as you like, because it has zero carbs.
Cost and Value
This is the third least expensive product on our list. It gives a great deal for its low price. If you're a fan of lemon, you can hardly pass this product up. However, if you're not too big a fan of citrus, you may want to pass True Lemon up in favor of another product.
0 calories
0 grams of carbs
No sugar
1 packet = 1 lemon wedge
No artificial colors
powder may harden
9. Nuun Hydration
Sometimes when you're working out, you can feel your energy flagging. At that moment, Nuun has a solution for you. This product is packed with energy-boosting B vitamins, to give you a great caffeine-free energy bump to get you head back int the game.
Innovative Tablet Formula
This product comes in a highly portable, hard-sided tube, which can go where you go. Inside of each tube are several tablets, which can be dissolved into your workout beverage. Once it's dissolved, the dehydration-fighting benefits begin to kick in with the first sip.
Cost and Value
This product is the second-least-expensive item on our list. It is extremely affordable, and is also extremely portable and gives you a great energy boost. Nuun Hydration Tablets are also sold by a company that you can feel great about buying from due to their ethical business practices.
Portable tube
B vitamins
No artificial coloring or flavors
Convenient tablets
Electrolytes
Strong flavor
10. Stur
No one likes getting sick. However, most people oftentimes have a hard time remembering to take a vitamin supplement. Kill two bird with one stone with this great product, which contains one hundred percent of your daily vitamin C value in a single serving.
Kosher
It can be difficult for those keeping kosher to find products that they can eat, let alone drinks. If you're keeping kosher, though, you'll be glad to know that this great-tasting product, which comes in no fewer than five flavors, is also compliant with your dietary restrictions.
Cost and Value
This product is the third-most expensive item on our list. However, don't let the slightly elevated price fool you. You get no fewer than five bottles, in five distinct flavors, with your purchase. You may be paying slightly more up front, but you're getting a lot for your money.
5 flavors
100% vitamin C
Keto friendly
Kosher
Satisfaction guarantee
Stevia flavor
Dehydration is a serious, life-threatening problem. If you’re not adequately hydrated, the worst possible scenario is hospitalization. At the very least, you’ll still end up with an uncomfortable headache and muscle cramps. Water makes up sixty percent of the human body; going without it is a surefire way to mess up the body’s operating systems. Finding flavorful ways to up our liquid intake is a great way to stay hydrated. In addition, many mixes that we add into our water also give us a nutrient kick to help restore electrolytes and other things that are lost as we perspire. Products such as these can be lifesavers for your workout and for your physical health.
Criteria for Evaluating
The Best Water Flavor Enhancers
Taste
- Common flavors: There are many popular stand-by flavors that are generally much beloved by consumers. After all, their popularity is the reason they’ve stuck around so long. Taste profiles that fall into this category are the easily-recognizable names such as grape, pink lemonade, and fruit punch. It is extremely common to find these tastes within products.
- Less-common: Some products, especially the more niche ones, can get a bit more creative when it comes to the taste profiles of their products. Many of these products also tend to be all-natural and organic, so the tastes can be more unique, exotic, and up-scale. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, peach mango, pomegranate, blackberry, and more.
Formula
- Electrolytes: Electrolytes are a kind of liquid that contains ions that can be used by the muscles and decomposed using electrolysis. There are certain kinds of minerals that contain these ions, including potassium and calcium, which are two very important electrolytes. Your muscles, including your heart, need electrolytes to be able to expand and contract. In essence, they gain the electrical energy to move from the ions in these minerals. When they run out, your muscles lose the ability to move as easily.
- Caffeine: Caffeine is a common additive in formulas to give a quick energy boost to help you power through your workout. This chemical is a stimulant that excites the central nervous system and can also trigger your adrenal glands to produce extra adrenaline, giving you a bit of the fight-or-flight chemical to help you move faster and work out harder.
- Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are one of the most common forms of fuel used by the muscles. When you’re working out, you are using up your energy stores. Carbohydrates are added into these formulas to give your muscles a pick-me-up during the course of your workout so that you can go longer and harder.
Format
- Powder: Products that come in the form of powder require two steps. First, they have to be removed from their original container. Secondly, they have to be dissolved into the liquid prior to drinking. It is important that you remember to stir or shake your bottle or drink receptacle thoroughly after adding the powder. Otherwise, you may end up with a powder that is not fully dissolved, which could cause you to experience a sandy or grainy texture in your beverage.
- Liquid: Some formulas have eschewed the powder format altogether in the name of both texture and convenience. Some formulas come in convenient squeezable bottles that simply have to be added to H2O and shaken. The only downside of these products is that the containers are usually fairly small, with not very many servings per bottle. On the other hand, you don’t have to worry about a sandy texture as you drink.
Storage
- Bulk canisters: Some products arrive in large canisters that can make many gallons of product per each individual container. The upside of purchasing a storage method like this is that you get quite a lot for your money, as you are buying in bulk. Though it may cost a bit more upfront, you end up saving quite a lot of money down the road. The only downside is that the canisters are not very portable, and you have to mix up your beverage prior to leaving the house–and if you run out while you’re out and about, you’re pretty much out of luck.
- Single-serving: Single-serving containers do end up costing more in the long run, as you aren’t getting quite the same volume as the powder. However, the tradeoff for that is the extreme convenience and portability that this option gives you. Whenever you’re out and about, all you have to do is fish a single-serving packet out of your pocket and stir it into your beverage. If you run out, all you have to do is pour out another packet. This gives you a degree of control that bulk canisters can’t.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is this product shelf-stable?
A: Most of the products in this category are shelf-stable. As long as they are stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place that is out of direct sunlight, you are unlikely to see any degradation. That being said, it is also advisable that you use it up within a reasonable amount of time; it’s not recommended that you leave it sitting around on your shelf for longer than a few months, especially once it’s already been opened.
Q: Does this product have aspartame?
A: Most products do not contain aspartame. The majority of products on this list either do not contain sweeteners, or the sweeteners they contain are naturally derived, such as stevia. A few are artificially flavored; to learn the exact details of the contents, you’ll need to read the ingredients list.
Q: Is this product sugar-free?
A: Again, in order to know exactly what the contents are, you’ll want to read the ingredients list. However, many products use the fact that they’re sugar-free as a selling point, and will likely be labeled on the front of the bottle or canister.
Q: Does it have caffeine?
A: Some rehydration products do contain caffeine in order to give you a boost during your workout. These products are usually marketed as some kind of “energizing blend.” Again, to be sure, you’ll want to check the product specifications and ingredients list prior to purchase.
Q: What should I do if the product turns into hard clumps?
A: This means that the product has spoiled. This occurs when moisture infiltrates the canister or storage container and turns the powder into a solid, brick-like mass. When this occurs, it is generally impossible to get the substance back into its previous powdered state. You’ll want to throw it out. If you purchase more, ensure that you are sealing the container correctly to prevent moisture from getting in and that you’re storing it in a cool, dry place.
Q: What should I do if the product arrives as hard clumps?
A: Contact the seller immediately. As above, moisture has infiltrated the product and it has spoiled. The vendor should offer you either a refund or send you a replacement.
Q: Will this product restore my electrolytes?
A: Many, but not all, products that are designed for rehydration are also designed to restore electrolytes. However, you’ll want to be sure to check out the product description to ensure that it is also an electrolyte mix.
Q: How much do I stir into my drink?
A: You’ll need to check the box for the recommended serving sizes. That said, there is a large amount of wiggle room for personal preference with these sorts of products. You can stir in as much or as little as you like, and modify it to taste.
Sources
- , About electrolytes, Informational
- , Sweat: What is it made of?, Informational
- , Caffeine Metabolism, Scientific
