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This is my favorite electrolyte powder — here’s why

The perfect everyday water enhancer

Ultima Replenisher
Ultima Replenisher / Ultima Replenisher

For as long as I can remember, I’ve hated the taste of plain water. I remember specific childhood memories where I was asked, “How can you hate water when it doesn’t taste like anything?” I can’t recall how I responded to these fair but hard-to-answer questions. I know drinking enough water has been a personal struggle for as long as I can remember. I can quickly drink several cups of tea or coffee daily, but plain water never seemed to cut it.

I first discovered the Ultima Replenisher electrolyte powder in 2017, transforming my water intake. Over the past eight years, I’ve tried dozens of electrolyte brands but always return to Ultima when it’s time to order more electrolyte powder. Here’s why I love this brand for everyday drinking electrolytes (and why it’s different than the hundreds of other brands on the market).

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Discovering electrolyte powder

Ultima Replenisher
Emily Caldwell / The Manual

2017 was the year when I took a deep interest in transforming my health. After losing my grandfather to Type 2 Diabetes, I realized a significant change was needed in my health habits. I soon discovered the wonderful Dr. Jason Fung on YouTube, a Canadian doctor specializing in intermittent fasting and low-sugar diets. As I learned more and more about health, I learned about the importance of consuming electrolytes for everyone (especially if intermittent fasting or exercising).

At the time, Ultima Replenisher only offered a few flavors compared to the extensive flavor selections available today. Lemonade and Raspberry were two of my go-to flavors back then. This electrolyte powder made drinking water so much easier and easy to mix into water.

Adding a light, naturally sweetened flavor to water makes it much more enjoyable. Ultima uses Organic stevia leaf extract to create the sweetness, yet each serving of the electrolyte powder contains zero calories. With zero calories and zero sugar in this powder, I can consume it all day (unlike other brands that may break a fast due to added sugars).

Electrolytes geared toward everyday hydration

Ultima Replenisher
Ultima Replenisher / Ultima Replenisher

Many electrolyte powders are targeted towards athletes, which can help to replace the electrolytes lost during an intense workout. I know I always consume extra electrolytes during and after a challenging workout. But here’s where Ultima Replenisher differentiates itself from other brands. Throughout the years of trying different brands, they almost always taste too salty for everyday enjoyment. I like a sweet-flavored drink, not a salty one.

Ultima Replenisher is an electrolyte powder geared toward the everyday water drinker. Other brands contain too much sodium, which is only necessary for those who participate in high-intensity exercise. This brand sets itself apart by offering an electrolyte powder to enhance daily hydration, rather than one only suitable for athletes.

Per the brand’s recent Instagram post, “Unless you’re doing intense training or running a marathon every day, there’s no really no need for all the sodium. Our electrolyte drink was specifically crafted with daily hydration in mind”. The brand’s website also notes, “Most Americans get enough salt in their diet, and because we wanted our drink mixes to be suitable for daily use, we limited the sodium. Potassium and sodium work together to balance the fluids in our cells. Too much sodium can counteract potassium, preventing water (and nutrients) from absorbing into our cells.”

What’s inside Ultima Replenisher

Ultima contains six nutrients that help support daily hydration, which include:

  • Calcium to help support nerves, blood flow, and muscle movement
  • Chloride for body fluid regulation
  • Magnesium for blood sugar management, fat metabolism, and muscle/nerve function
  • Phosphorus is for blood pH level balance, growth, maintenance, and repair of all your body’s cells and tissues.
  • Potassium works with sodium to maintain fluid balance and support the movement of nutrients and waste around your body’s cells
  • Sodium for water retention, ion balancing, and removing excess carbon dioxide, as well as expanding and contracting muscles and regulating blood pressure

Taste, versatility, and ease

Ultima Relpenisher
Emily Caldwell / The Manual

For home use, I always have at least three flavors of Ultima Replenisher in my cabinet. Since the brand’s recent rise in popularity, they’ve released several new flavors, such as the Cranberry Cosmo and the Peach Bellini. I’ve had difficulty deciding which flavors I enjoy most recently, but my top flavors include the Pink Lemonade, Watermelon, and the Blue Raspberry.

I recommend trying multiple flavors (perhaps starting with a variety pack) until you find one you love enough to drink every day. For example, I dislike the Grape flavor, yet it’s my husband’s favorite flavor (he describes it as similar to the Grape Jolly Rancher candy we used to have as kids).

There’s no question that the 90-serving canisters are the best value for using Ultima at home. However, the single-serving stick packets are perfect for taking on the go. You won’t catch me traveling anywhere without my Ultima packets for hydration (and my Jelly IV sticks for pre-drinking). These little sticks are convenient for staying hydrated on planes (yes, you can take these through airport security lines) and help me fight against travel-related dehydration.

Electrolyte powder in cocktails

Ultima Replenisher
Ultima Replenisher / Ultima Replenisher

I could go on for days about why Ultima Replenisher is my favorite electrolyte powder because it genuinely is. Beyond the ease of use, flavor selection, and the fact that it makes me drink water, something else makes this brand unique. At first, I thought using an electrolyte powder as a cocktail mixer sounded crazy.

However, Ultima ran with this concept and made it a game-changer (check their Instagram page for more cocktail inspo). The brand’s newest “Mocktini” flavors include Strawberry Margarita, Cranberry Cosmo, Peach Bellini, Appletini Mocktini, and Pina Colada.

These delicious Mocktini flavors don’t contain any alcohol and can be enjoyed on their own mixed with water. However, Ultima Replenisher has created interesting cocktail recipes like this Zero-sugar Sparkling Strawberry Margarita. There are cocktail suggestions that pair with every flavor on the brand’s recipe page. This makes Ultima different from the rest, serving as a daily electrolyte beverage and a zero-sugar cocktail mixer. Switching to Ultima for your cocktails will help deter dehydration from drinking alcohol and help you avoid cocktail mixers that are full of sugar.

Emily Caldwell
Emily is a freelance journalist with a focus on food, travel, health, and fitness content. She loves to travel to new…
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