As an athlete, you want to be properly hydrated at all times. We now know that optimal hydration includes not only water intake but also, perhaps, more importantly, electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
And there are now plenty of electrolyte supplements and sports drinks on the market, but some of them are simply loaded with too much crap and not enough of the good stuff. That’s why it’s important to know which sports drinks will actually benefit athletes and other active people.
So, in this article, we’re going to look at an electrolyte supplement called LMNT to gauge its overall effectiveness and quality.
LMNT Review: Overview
- LMNT is an electrolyte supplement for athletes with a focus on high sodium, as well as magnesium and potassium
- Each serving of LMNT contains 1,000mg of sodium to replenish levels during high-intensity activity
- LMNT is advertised to support athletic performance, mental clarity, fasting, and overall health
- There are 8 available flavors; you can buy them individually or in certain variety packs
- LMNT is pretty affordable overall. The price per serving ranges from $0.98 to $1.67
- Overall, LMNT seems to be a high-quality electrolyte supplement
About LMNT
LMNT is an electrolyte supplement designed to stand apart from competing supplements like DripDrop and Liquid IV due to its high sodium content.
Yes, you read that right: high sodium.
The makers of LMNT dug into the research and realized that athletes (and most people in general) need a lot more sodium for optimal hydration and health, which is why they included 1,000mg of sodium per serving.
LMNT also comes with potassium and magnesium for additional electrolyte support and is free from added sugar, fillers, or colors sometimes found in other sports drinks.
All in all, LMNT is designed to be a pure and superior electrolyte supplement for those who need it most
LMNT Benefits
Essentially, LMNT is designed to support optimal hydration, which can have benefits for:
- Athletic Performance
- Mental Clarity
- Overall Health
Athletic Performance
LMNT is advertised to improve athletic performance by maintaining optimal fluid balance and thus aiding muscular and nervous system health and function.
Mental Clarity
Increased hydration can also improve brain function, so LMNT is also designed to boost mental clarity.
Overall Health
LMNT is also advertised to promote overall health by helping you reach your daily targets for key minerals/electrolytes involved in many bodily processes.
So, is this LMNT supplement a truly superior electrolyte supplement? Let’s take a look.
LMNT Ingredients
LMNT keeps its ingredient list short and simple, with the main ingredients as:
- Sodium chloride
- Magnesium malate
- Potassium chloride
And they also include natural flavors and stevia leaf extract in their many different flavored varieties (not in the raw unflavored variety).
Sodium
The key feature in LMNT is 1,000mg of sodium. Sodium is an essential mineral and electrolyte, which helps to maintain fluid balance in the cells.
Plus, it is lost in sweat at a much higher rate than other electrolytes, such as potassium and magnesium. And the overall research on sodium shows that it can improve athletic performance by enhancing metabolism and fluid absorption.
Without enough sodium, one may run the risk of cramps, headaches, fatigue, and other unpleasant symptoms. Something that happens much more than most people realize.
Research suggests 3 to 5g as healthy for the normal population, so athletes likely require even higher amounts, especially in hot conditions and long exercise periods.
Potassium
LMNT also has potassium, which has an integral relationship with sodium and also plays a role in fluid balance. It also is important for muscular contractions and heart health during exercise, so athletes need to make sure to get enough potassium too.
Most people need around 5g of potassium per day, but this isn’t lost as much in sweat, so it might not be as crucial for athletes to take in as much.
Generally, a couple hundred mg of potassium is a good amount around workouts.
Magnesium
The third electrolyte in LMNT is magnesium, which also has many roles in athletic performance and overall health. Magnesium is important for energy production, normal muscle function, heart health, and aspects of recovery too, such as sleep and relaxation (which is why you can find it in many sleep supplements, such as HVMN Yawn).
Magnesium deficiencies can lead to headaches, cramps, fatigue, and even heart problems. And intense exercise drains magnesium like no other, so this is another mineral to be very mindful of.
Most athletes are best off consuming around 600mg of total magnesium per day, sometimes more (up to 1,500mg in some cases).
Does LMNT Work?
LMNT is likely an effective electrolyte and athletic performance supplement.
After diving into the research, it’s clear that athletes need quite a bit of sodium for optimal athletic performance, so having 1,000mg per serving helps athletes get the sodium they need.
And with added potassium and magnesium, which are two other well-researched electrolytes in overall performance, this should further aid athletic activities and overall wellness.
60mg of magnesium might even be a little low, though, especially since most people don’t get enough magnesium in their diets, and that intense exercise and stress depletes magnesium. But it’s still a decent amount.
And together, LMNT provides a nice blend of electrolytes for athletic performance and overall health.
Claims vs Reality
LMNT is really just designed to enhance hydration and improve athletic performance, support mental clarity, and promote overall health.
And all in all, these “claims” should be true.
It’s well-known that you need water AND electrolytes for optimal hydration, so LMNT should help to hydrate athletes and others who use up a lot of electrolytes.
This enhanced hydration may also support mental clarity since the brain is negatively affected by dehydration pretty rapidly.
And lastly, LMNT may support overall health and wellness by simply supporting the body with the nutrients it needs to function.
Who is it Best For?
LMNT is best for anyone with an increased need for electrolyte consumption. This includes athletes and also people on a low-carb or keto diet, since these diets are less likely to include adequate electrolytes.
LMNT could also be useful during fasting periods to maintain fluid balance and electrolyte status.
Safety and Side Effects
Possible side effects of LMNT include:
- Diarrhea, gas, nausea, vomiting, and other digestive symptoms
- Flushing
- Cramps
- Changes in blood pressure
- Mood changes/altered consciousness
With the modest dosages in LMNT, these side effects are less likely (and shouldn’t be severe if they do occur), but they’re still important to go over.
Also, LMNT is vegan-friendly, paleo and keto-friendly, gluten-free, sugar-free, and free from artificial flavors, colors, fillers, and other unnatural ingredients.
How to Take LMNT
You can take LMNT whenever you’re in need of a hydration boost. Just mix it in with water.
The makers state that most people do well taking one packet first thing in the morning and about 30 minutes prior to a workout, high-intensity activity, or when you need high mental clarity. Most people don’t take more than 2 packets per day.
Where to Buy LMNT
You can buy LMNT on the LMNT website at this link.
It comes in 8 different flavors: Citrus Salt, Orange Salt, Watermelon Salt, Raspberry Salt, Raw Unflavored, Lemon Habanero, Mango Chill, and Chocolate Salt. Each of these come in 30-count packages.
Plus, they have a 12-count Variety Pack (Orange Salt, Citrus Salt, and Raspberry Salt), as well as a 12-count Fiesta Pack (Lemon Habanero, Mango Chill, and Chocolate Salt).
Finally, they have a Value Bundle, in which you can pick 4 different 30-count boxes of your choice.
And with all options, you can either choose a one-time purchase or their Subscribe & Save option.
Here are the prices for these products, with the regular price listed first.
- Regular 30-Count (all flavors): $45.00 ($1.50/serving)/$39.00 ($1.30/serving)
- 12-Count Fiesta and Variety Packs: $20.00 ($1.67/serving)/ $18.00 ($1.50/serving)
- Value Bundle 120-Count: $135.00 ($1.13/serving)/ $117.00 ($0.98/serving)
Altogether, you won’t pay over $1.67 per serving, with most options hovering around $1.50 or lower, so this is a pretty affordable electrolyte supplement, particularly considering the moderate to high dose of the electrolytes in here. That said, LMNT is still on the expensive side for electrolyte supplements. For context, here are the costs per serving of competing products:
- NF Sports Hydrate – $0.60/serving
- Hi-Lyte – $0.38/serving
- Celarity Electrolytes – $1.00/serving
- Perfect Keto Electrolytes – $1.27/serving
- Mixhers Electrolytes – $1.60/serving
Final Verdict
LMNT is a well-formulated, science-backed electrolyte supplement that is likely to be effective for those trying to replenish electrolytes. As such, we recommend it to anyone in need of an electrolyte and hydration boost on a regular basis, especially athletes, low carb/keto dieters, and intermittent fasters.
