The short answer
The mineral that matters in a sports drink is sodium: it is what sweat carries away, around 825 mg per litre on average. Yet products sold as ‘electrolytes’ provide from 58 to 500 mg per serving, and the price of a gram of sodium ranges from 0.83 to 8.53 EUR. Decathlon’s sugar-free tablets offer the best balance: 252 mg per tablet, enough to exceed the European claim threshold in 500 ml, at 0.30 EUR a tablet.
The products compared by price of sodium
| Product | Sodium per serving | Sugars per serving | Format and price | Price per serving | Price per gram of sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myprotein THE Electro, tablets | 500 mg | less than 0.1 g | 12 tablets, 5.00 EUR | 0.42 EUR | 0.83 EUR |
| Decathlon, sugar-free tablets x40 | 252 mg | 0 g | 40 tablets, 11.99 EUR | 0.30 EUR | 1.19 EUR |
| Decathlon, sugar-free tablets x20 | 252 mg | 0 g | 20 tablets, 6.99 EUR | 0.35 EUR | 1.39 EUR |
| Myprotein Impact Hydrate, powder | 259 mg | 0.6 g | 40 servings, 18.79 EUR | 0.47 EUR | 1.81 EUR |
| Nutripure Hydrapure, tablets | 307 mg (2 tablets) | 1.3 g | 30 tablets, 13.90 EUR | 0.93 EUR | 3.02 EUR |
| Nutripure Pure Electrolytes, sachets | 307 mg | 6.3 g | 15 sachets, 14.90 EUR | 0.99 EUR | 3.24 EUR |
| Waterdrop Microlyte, cubes | 124 mg | not recorded | 12 cubes, 10.99 EUR | 0.92 EUR | 7.39 EUR |
| Hydratis, lozenges | 58 mg | not recorded | 20 lozenges, 9.90 EUR | 0.50 EUR | 8.53 EUR |
A tenfold difference in the price of sodium. Hydratis lozenges and Waterdrop cubes are lightly salted flavoured drinks: pleasant, but they provide too little sodium to make up for the sweat lost in a long effort.
How much sodium you really need
A study of 506 athletes measured an average of 35.9 mmol of sodium per litre of sweat, or about 825 mg, with large differences from one person to another (Baker, 2016, PMID 26070030). In endurance sport, losses can reach 1.2 g of sodium per hour (Barnes et al., 2019, PMID 31230518).
European law authorises the claim ‘enhances water absorption during exercise’ only for a drink containing 460 to 1,150 mg of sodium per litre. Prepared as the brand directs, one tablet in 500 ml, the Decathlon tablet gives 504 mg per litre: it falls within the range. Hydratis (232 mg per litre) and Waterdrop Microlyte (248 mg) stay below it.
For an effort of under an hour, water is enough. Beyond that, or in hot weather, a salted drink makes sense. Our guide to hydration and sports performance details the volumes.
With or without sugar
The Decathlon tablets, THE Electro and Impact Hydrate provide almost no sugar: they are rehydration drinks. Nutripure’s Pure Electrolytes adds 6.3 g of sugars per serving, useful for a long effort where you also need energy. As for sweeteners, Myprotein uses sucralose, Decathlon uses stevia with sorbitol, which can upset sensitive digestive systems at high doses.
Which to choose
For everyday training and long outings, Decathlon x40 tablets: 252 mg of sodium per tablet, sugar-free, within the European claim range, at 0.30 EUR.
For the cheapest sodium, Myprotein’s THE Electro, 500 mg per tablet at 0.42 EUR. The page did not state the recommended volume of water on the day we checked: check it on the packaging.
For a fuller mineral supply, Nutripure’s Hydrapure, with potassium, magnesium and zinc in addition to sodium, but three times dearer per gram of sodium. For a detailed opinion on Hydratis and Waterdrop, see our reviews of Hydratis and Waterdrop.
Our sources
- Official Decathlon, Myprotein and Nutripure pages, consulted on 23/10/2026, Hydratis and Waterdrop, consulted on 24/09/2026: compositions, doses, formats and prices.
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, authorised claims for carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions.
- Baker L.B., Sweating rate and sweat sodium concentration in athletes, 2016 (PMID 26070030).
- Barnes K.A. et al., 2019 (PMID 31230518).