As a registered dietitian, I've noticed an increase in the number of clients inquiring about hydration products lately. I receive a variety of questions about whether electrolyte powders and tablets can enhance energy and athletic performance, support daily hydration, and even help with hangovers. That's why I was eager to try Nuun Sport Hydration Tablets.
I researched and sampled the Nuun tablets, and while I think they may be a viable option for some people, I'll continue to recommend Live it Up Vital Minerals for hydration support. Follow along to find out why.
My in-depth Nuun Sport Hydration review covers:
- Is Nuun Sport Hydration Good for You?
- What Is Nuun?
- Purported Health Benefits
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Cost Analysis
- Taste Review
- Why I Choose Live it Up Vital Minerals
Nuun Sport Hydration Quick Facts
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Key ingredients:
- Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride
- Sweeteners: Dextrose and stevia leaf extract
- Additives: Avocado oil, baking soda, beet juice
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Flavors: 9 options
- Strawberry lemonade
- Citrus fruit
- Watermelon
- Fruit punch
- Grape
- Lemon lime
- Orange
- Tri-berry
- Tropical
- Health claims: Hydration balance, pH balance, and muscle and cell support
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Nutrition Facts: 1 serving = 1 tablet (5 grams)
- Calories: 15
- Carbohydrates: 4 grams
- Total sugars: 1 gram
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Cost:
- Single tube (10 tablets): $7.49 for one-time purchase, or $0.75 per serving
- 8-tube box (80 tablets): $53.50 for one-time purchase, or $0.67 per serving
- Shipping: Free for orders over $45
Formula Snapshot: How Well Does Nuun Hydrate?
Why ratios matter: Optimal hydration depends not only on consuming fluids rich in essential minerals but also on achieving the correct electrolyte balance. As each electrolyte blend varies from brand to brand, understanding these differences helps you choose the option most likely to meet your hydration needs.
Nuun Sport tablets have five core electrolytes:
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Potassium: 150 mg
- Calcium: 13 mg
- Chloride: 40 mg
- Magnesium: 25 mg
I believe Nuun’s electrolytes are balanced with a 2:1 ratio of sodium to potassium that’s likely effective for rehydration.
Bottom Line: Is Nuun Sport Hydration Good for You?
While Nuun Sport tablets contain electrolytes to help support an active lifestyle and a solid 2:1 ratio, they're not the best formula in my opinion because they contain dextrose, stevia, and other additives. In contrast, I believe Live it Up Vital Minerals provides a more delicious electrolyte formula plus vitamin C to help support daily hydration without additives.
What Is Nuun?
Nuun was founded in 2004 by a group of triathletes who were tired of relying on sugary sports drinks for hydration. They designed this sports hydration tablet to help hydrate, fuel athletic performance, and prevent "muscle and mental fatigue."
The brand claims to be the first hydration company to offer a viable source of hydration without high concentrations of carbohydrates. Interestingly, though, the hydration tablets still have 4 grams of carbohydrates, which is actually more than many of their competitors. For reference, Live it Up Vital Minerals contain no carbohydrates.
In addition to offering sports hydration tablets, Nuun also provides a variety of daily hydration powders. The Nuun brand is certified by Informed Sport, ensuring the tablets do not contain any banned or illegal substances.
Nuun Pros
- Comes in 8 different flavors
- Convenient (easy to use on the go)
- Contains five electrolytes
- Non-GMO ingredients
- Vegan and gluten-free
- Affordable
Nuun Cons
- Contains added sugars
- Contains stevia and dextrose
- Very sweet flavor with a somewhat artificial aftertaste
- Large tablet size (can be difficult to fit in some water bottle mouth openings)
- Takes a long time to dissolve and leaves behind a gritty texture
Nuun Purported Benefits
Now, let's explore some of the Nuun Sport purported health benefits.
#1: Rehydration
Rehydration is the process of restoring lost fluids in your body. Your body needs to replenish fluids after intense exercise, heat/sun exposure, alcohol consumption, travel, illness, or other occasions when you've sweated, vomited, or had diarrhea.
When you're dehydrated, your body may need more than just water to rehydrate, because it has lost fluids along with the minerals they contain. That's where electrolytes come in.
The Nuun electrolyte tablets contain a variety of these minerals, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride, which carry an electric charge, helping to move fluid to the cells in need through osmosis.
While electrolyte tablets can be beneficial in certain situations, consuming excessive amounts of electrolytes may lead to adverse health effects. If you're already hydrated, you likely don’t need to increase your electrolyte levels.
#2: Hydration Balance
Hydration balance refers to the state in which your body maintains the ideal amount of water. In other words, it's the balance between consuming liquids through food and beverages and losing them through bodily functions, such as sweating or urination.
The electrolytes in these tablets, particularly sodium and chloride, may help regulate the amount of fluid in your body by maintaining the internal and external balance of fluid within your cells.
That said, these electrolyte tablets are not effective on their own. You must be drinking the recommended amount of water to help maintain fluid balance within your body.
#3: pH Balance
Dehydration can also negatively impact your pH levels, as it can cause an acid buildup within your body. However, electrolytes help maintain pH balance, allowing them to regulate acid and base levels for optimal health. Balanced pH levels help ensure that your organs, cells, and tissues function properly.
The Nuun electrolyte tablets contain chloride and sodium, both of which play a role in balancing pH levels by helping to neutralize excessive acids and bases.
It's essential to note that consuming excessive amounts of electrolytes can also have the opposite effect, leading to a pH imbalance. While these minerals can help support pH levels, it's essential to be mindful of your daily intake.
#4: Muscle and Nerve Support
Electrolytes are charged particles that conduct electricity, which are responsible for nerve transmissions. These electrical messages allow the nerves to communicate with other parts of the body. For example, with a healthy nerve signal, nerves can send messages to the brain, telling it to move and contract the muscles.
Nuun Sport electrolyte tablets contain potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which play an essential role in supporting muscle and nerve function.
Nuun Ingredients
Let's take a closer look at some of the ingredients in these tablets:
- Sodium: Helps maintain fluid balance and supports nerve and muscle function.
- Potassium: Helps nerve function and muscle contraction, while regulating fluid balance.
- Magnesium: Helps support hydration, bone health, and immune function.
- Calcium: Helps maintain fluid balance, supports bone health, and controls pH balance.
- Chloride: Helps oversee the amount of fluid in the body and maintain pH balance.
- Flavors: Contains stevia leaf extract, dextrose, citric acid, natural flavors to enhance the flavor.
- Other additives: Includes sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), avocado oil, and beet juice for color.
While it’s great that the product includes essential minerals, I would have liked to see some vitamins, such as vitamin C, added to the formula. Vitamin C offers numerous health benefits, as it may help increase your tolerance to heat, support immune function, and protect your cells from oxidative stress.
Nuun Sport Hydration Tablets Cost Analysis
Price is another crucial factor to consider when incorporating supplements into your diet. Nuun tablets are relatively affordable, and I've broken down some of the costs below:
- Single tube (10 tablets): $7.49 ($0.75 per serving) for one-time purchase
- Single tube (10 tablets): $6.37 ($0.64 per serving) with a subscription
- 8 Tube box (80 tablets): $53.50 for one-time purchase
- Save 15% with a subscription
- Free shipping over $45
- 60-day satisfaction guarantee
Nuun Sport Hydration Tablets Taste Review
The effervescent tablets come in the following nine fruity flavors:
- Strawberry lemonade
- Citrus fruit
- Watermelon
- Fruit punch
- Grape
- Lemon lime
- Orange
- Tri-berry
- Tropical
With so many choices, it allows customers to find an option that aligns with their taste preferences. I tried several flavors and found that they were overly sweet for me, leaving somewhat of an unpleasant,, salty aftertaste that lingered.
I think the combination of stevia and dextrose contributes to the overpoweringly sweet taste. After all, stevia is a natural sweetener that’s 200-350 times sweeter than sugar. Moreover, I believe stevia is responsible for the slightly artificial and metallic aftertaste, which is a common complaint from customers. As for the saltiness, that’s likely due to the sodium content.
That said, some consumers didn't mind the taste, with several mentioning their appreciation for the tri-berry and watermelon flavors:
However, some customers, like me, found the strong stevia taste to be rather off-putting:
As for the texture, I had really wanted these to dissolve easily in water, but that wasn't my experience. When I popped a tablet in my glass of water, it floated for a bit before slowly dissolving and leaving behind gritty remnants.
Several Nuun Sport Hydration Tablets reviews agreed with me:
Why I Choose Live it Up Vital Minerals
While Nuun Sports does appear to be a viable hydration option, I’ll still continue to recommend Live it Up Vital Minerals for several reasons.
For one, Live it Up Vital Minerals does not contain any additives like the baking soda and avocado oil in Nuun Sports or added sugars. I also believe that the taste and texture is significantly more enjoyable than that of the Nuun tablets.
Live it Up offers a balanced formula of essential electrolytes to help hydrate you, leaving you feeling revitalized and refreshed. The powder is also unique in that it contains vitamin C for additional wellness support. In fact, some studies suggest vitamin C may improve heat tolerance.
This hydration power comes in two delicious flavors, making it a tasty addition to your water without added sugar. Furthermore, it's third-party tested, produced in GMP-certified facilities, made with non-GMO ingredients, and contains no gluten, no soy, no dairy, and no nuts.
While Live it Up Vital Minerals is hands down my favorite daily hydration option, it's essential to do your research and find an option that aligns with your specific preferences and health goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out some answers to some frequently asked questions about hydration tablets.
Are Nuun tablets actually good for you?
Nuun tablets can help you replenish lost fluids. The tablets contain electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride) that help your body rehydrate and maintain fluid balance. These minerals may offer additional benefits, including support for bone health and nerve and muscle function.
What are the benefits of Nuun Sport Hydration Tablets?
The main benefit of Nuun Sport tablets is that they can help rehydrate and maintain fluid balance. This is especially helpful when you've lost fluids due to prolonged exercise, sun/heat exposure, or illness. These electrolyte replenishment tablets also contain minerals that may support immune function, bone health, and nerve and muscle function.
Is it okay to drink Nuun every day?
These sports tablets are made for athletes who need to stay hydrated after intense workouts. Therefore, to help maintain electrolyte balance in your body, it's best to consume the sports hydration tablets only after you've engaged in activities that cause you to lose fluids. For example, if you just ran five miles or sweated in the sun all afternoon, these tablets can help replenish your fluid levels.
However, as long as you stay hydrated with regular water and consume a healthy diet, you shouldn't need to take these tablets every day.
When should you drink Nuun?
These sports tablets are designed to help rehydrate your body after you've lost fluids, such as through sweating or vomiting. For instance, you may take these tablets if you've engaged in an intense workout, experienced prolonged sun or heat exposure, or contracted a stomach bug. It's essential to take them only when you're dehydrated to avoid consuming too many electrolytes.
Is Nuun like Gatorade?
Nuun hydration tablets are similar to Gatorade in that they're designed to help you hydrate after physical activity. However, unlike Gatorade, these tablets contain much less sugar and carbohydrates. The Nuun brand created these tablets as a healthier alternative to sugar-laden sports drinks.
References
- https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajprenal.1998.274.5.F868?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/too-many-electrolytes
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration
- https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/15-food-that-help-you-stay-hydrated
- https://www.multicare.org/services/kidney-care/electrolyte-imbalance/
- https://www.revistanutricion.org/articles/an-overview-on-electrolytes-its-importance-function-and-imbalances-97603.html
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/effects-of-excess-sodium-infographic
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22584-nerves
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/21790-electrolytes
- https://medlineplus.gov/potassium.html
- https://nuunlife.com/blogs/faqs/does-nuun-contain-any-banned-substances-or-ingredients-that-may-come-up-on-a-drug-test#
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/myths-and-truths-about-vitamin-c
- https://ific.org/resources/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-stevia-sweeteners/#
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1EQ9NYN691VXA/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R22IACYYN6HY0T/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3DYYXZYQM1SO0/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R30MEHD8PU02DX/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8
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- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6997142/
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