It depends entirely on how much sodium you're losing. For someone doing a 45-minute gym session in air conditioning, 1000mg is more than they need. For someone running two hours in Australian summer heat, it may not even cover it.
Most general-purpose electrolyte drinks sit between 200mg and 500mg of sodium per serve. Drinks built for heavy sweating and longer efforts sit between roughly 700mg and 1500mg. Both are correct — they're built for different people on different days.
Why sodium is the one that matters
Sodium is the electrolyte you lose in the largest quantity by a wide margin, and it does the most work in helping you hold onto fluid. Drink plain water after heavy sweating and a good portion of it passes straight through rather than rehydrating you. That's why a drink with a token amount of sodium can leave you still feeling flat.
Potassium and magnesium matter too, but you lose far less of them in sweat — which is why sensible formulations dose them lower, typically a couple of hundred milligrams of potassium and under a hundred of magnesium.
Sweat varies more than people expect
Sweat sodium concentration differs enormously between individuals. Two people doing an identical session in identical conditions can lose very different amounts.
You can get a rough read on yourself without a lab:
- White marks on dark clothing after training. Those are salt crystals.
- Gritty or stinging skin, particularly around the eyes.
- A distinctly salty taste when sweat runs to your mouth.
- Cramping late in long sessions, especially in heat.
If several of those sound familiar, you're likely at the higher end, and a 200mg drink isn't doing much for you.
When higher sodium makes sense
- Sessions over roughly an hour
- Training or competing in heat or humidity
- Team sports with repeated high-intensity efforts
- Back-to-back sessions in one day
- Anyone showing the salty-sweater signs above
When it doesn't
- Short, easy sessions in mild conditions
- Rest days
- If you already eat a high-sodium diet and aren't sweating much
On those days, water and food will cover you.
Who should be careful
If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or you've been advised to limit sodium, a 1000mg serve is a meaningful addition to your daily intake — talk to your GP before adding it in. The same applies if you're pregnant.
High-sodium drinks are built for people losing a lot of sodium. They aren't a general wellness product, and more is not automatically better.
The honest summary
1000mg isn't “too much” or “correct” in the abstract. It's a dose aimed at a specific situation: people who sweat hard, for a while, often in heat. If that's your training, a low-sodium drink is under-delivering. If it isn't, you don't need it every day.
HIIT sachets carry 1000mg sodium, 230mg potassium and 70mg magnesium per serve, dosed for hard sessions rather than casual sipping.
