Electrolyte powders, soluble. Trendy ready-to-drink tablets and waters have moved from the pockets of athletes to one of the most popular wellness categories.

And it’s a crowded market, worth an estimated $39 billion globally in 2025 and expected to double over the next decade. Much of the growth has been fueled by wellness trends and influencer-led hype cycles, such as Prime Hydration, created by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI, which the company says surpassed $1 billion in sales in a single year. Elsewhere on the Internet, dozens of brands close to celebrities and podcasters promise a way to optimize your hydration journey.

These products are marketed as daily essentials for everyone from office workers to gym regulars, and promise to combat brain fog, improve skin, eliminate fatigue, and aid recovery. Here’s everything you need to know about electrolyte obsession and when it’s really worth buying these products.

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are essential minerals, including sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride, that carry an electrical charge once dissolved in a liquid. That load is what allows the body to do much of its basic work, such as helping muscles and nerves function properly. They work to ensure that fluid stays balanced inside and outside each cell, as a serious imbalance can lead to headaches, muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue and weakness. In more severe cases, severe electrolyte imbalances can interfere with heart function and require medical treatment.

Who needs electrolytes?

For most healthy adults, the body has been perfectly regulating electrolyte levels long before modern flavored hydration bars hit supermarket shelves. In fact, if you eat a reasonably balanced diet and drink water when you’re thirsty, there’s a good chance you’re already getting everything you need.

The envelope earns its place in about three situations. Studies from the American College of Sports Medicine suggest that water alone is sufficient for exercise lasting less than an hour, but electrolytes become increasingly useful during longer bouts of prolonged, sweaty exercise, particularly in high temperatures or humidity. They are also useful for illnesses that involve extensive fluid loss, which is why oral rehydration salts are a recognized medical treatment rather than a wellness trend. And you should also consider them during long periods of fasting, when the foods that usually provide these minerals are absent.

Are there natural electrolytes?

There are many sources of electrolytes in everyday foods. If you eat a reasonably varied diet (fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, seeds), your electrolyte stores are continually replenished without the need for special drinks or powders.

Research by the Beverage Hydration Index shows that milk-based drinks can maintain hydration longer than plain water. The combination of protein, natural electrolytes, and small amounts of fat reduces the rate at which fluid leaves the stomach, helping the body retain hydration longer. Coconut water can also replenish potassium.

The Nutrition Source from the Harvard School of Public Health notes that essentially, “any drink that contains electrolyte minerals can be labeled as an electrolyte drink. Some are very expensive but only contain a small amount of these nutrients, while others may contain a large amount of a single nutrient, such as potassium or sodium.”

Can you have too many electrolytes?

For healthy adults, an occasional drink with electrolytes is unlikely to cause harm. Daily consumption, however, can sometimes be counterproductive.

Many electrolyte products contain significant amounts of sodium, even though most populations already consume much more salt than recommended. The World Health Organization estimates that the world’s average daily sodium intake is more than double its recommended limit and approximately 1.89 million deaths annually may be linked to excessive intake. Adding extra sodium regularly may not be ideal for those managing high blood pressure or cardiovascular risk. Some formulations also contain substantial amounts of added sugar, making them nutritionally closer to soft drinks than health products.

Anyone recovering from an illness or sweating during an outdoor shift in August has good reason to take supplements. For everyone else, the best approach to hydration remains common. Electrolytes themselves are non-negotiable. Electrolyte products are mostly just a lifestyle purchase.

This story originally appeared on WIRED Middle East.