Reading an Electrolyte Label: Milligrams, Magnesium Forms and Hidden Carriers
Read each electrolyte separately
A headline like '3,205 mg total electrolytes' sums sodium, potassium, magnesium and everything else into one flattering number. It tells you almost nothing. Compare sodium to sodium, potassium to potassium, magnesium to magnesium — the three profiles on this site's comparison table are built exactly that way.
Check the pack size before the dose
Some brands sell two stick sizes with roughly double the dose in the larger one, and cite whichever figure suits the page you are reading. The serving size on the Supplement Facts panel is the only dose that counts.
Magnesium: the form matters as much as the amount
Magnesium oxide is cheap and poorly absorbed — often cited at around 4% in the analysis our study drew on — and acts mainly as a laxative. Citrate is moderate and can also loosen the stool. Glycinate and malate are the gentler, better-used forms, which is why glycinate shows up in evening formulas. And 0 mg is 0 mg: one of the biggest brands in the category lists no magnesium at all.
What 'natural flavours' can hide
Flavour systems need carriers, and a common carrier is maltodextrin — a fast-digesting carbohydrate. In 2024, independent lab analysis reported several hundred milligrams of maltodextrin per serving in a leading 'nothing you don't need' brand, which became a lawsuit and an industry-wide trust problem. The lesson is not about one brand: if a product's purity matters to you, look for full carrier disclosure and published batch testing, and treat 'clean' as a claim that should come with paperwork.
Sweeteners are ingredients, not vibes
Stevia, monk fruit, allulose, sucralose, acesulfame K and sugar all behave differently — in taste, in stomachs, and in blood sugar. Our without-stevia guide exists because aftertaste and bloating complaints about sweeteners are one of the largest recurring themes in category reviews.