Sport / Running

Electrolytes For Running

A 90 minute long run in Australian conditions can cost a runner well over a gram of sodium that plain water never puts back. LYTES stocks Sodii (from $29.95 for a 165g tub, made in Australia) and LMNT ($69.95 for a box of 30 sticks) so you can dose sodium by the number, not by guesswork. Free metro shipping applies over $149, and every order dispatches from Wollongong in 12–48 hours.

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What goes wrong on a long run

  • Fading in the last few kilometres

    The final stretch of a long run or half marathon is where hours of sodium loss catch up with pace — plain water and a carb-only sports drink rarely replace what road runners actually sweat out. That fade is a sodium-loss signal, not a fitness problem.

  • Drinking more, running worse

    Topping up with water alone dilutes blood sodium rather than replacing it. Runners end up carrying a heavier flask, making more toilet stops, and still feeling flat in the closing kays.

  • A sports drink that's mostly sugar

    Traditional sports drinks are built around carbohydrate, with sodium almost an afterthought. Separating the two lets you fuel with gels if you need to and dose electrolytes on their own terms.

  • White lines on your cap and singlet

    Salt crusting on a cap, visor or singlet after a long run is a visible marker of a heavy sweat sodium loss. Runners who see this regularly sit toward the top of the sodium-loss range and need the most replacing.

Sweat and sodium on a 90 minute long run

Typical ranges for a trained road runner at long-run or half-marathon effort. Pick the conditions to see what a session like this costs you, and what it takes to replace it.

Sweat rate1.0 litres per hour
Sodium in sweat950 mg per litre
Fluid lost over 1.5 hours1.5 litres

2 × 750 ml bidons

Sweat rate and sweat sodium concentration vary more between individual runners than almost any other measured trait in exercise physiology — heavy, salty sweaters can sit well above these figures. Use them as a starting point, not a prescription.

Sodium lost in 90 minutes 1,425 milligrams

Roughly 1.4 serves of a 1000 mg sodium electrolyte serve, or about 950 mg per hour on the run.

Plain water replaces none of it.

Sweat rate and sweat sodium ranges are typical figures for road and distance running, not a measurement of any individual runner — actual sweat rate varies roughly fivefold between runners, and sweat sodium concentration more than tenfold. Ranges drawn from Barnes et al.'s sport-by-sport normative sweat data (Journal of Sports Sciences, 2019), Lara et al.'s study of 157 marathon runners' sweat sodium concentration (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2016), and Surapongchai et al.'s sweat rate data for runners training in hot conditions (Nutrients, 2021), cross-checked against the American College of Sports Medicine's position stand on exercise and fluid replacement (300–600 mg sodium per hour for exercise over an hour). Use this as a starting point, not a prescription — see a sports dietitian for individual advice.

Brand in focus

Sodii

1000mg sodium. Australian salt. Zero sugar.

Made in Australia with Australian salt, and our everyday pick for training runs.

  • 1000mg sodium per serve - matches LMNT, the highest we stock
  • Made in Australia with Australian salt
  • Zero sugar, naturally sweetened with stevia
  • Free metro shipping over $149
  • Dispatched same day before 12pm AEST
Shop all Sodii

Brand in focus

LMNT

Zero sugar. 1000 mg sodium. Built for people who sweat.

The same 1000 mg sodium dose in a different format and flavour range — worth trying on race day or a hot long run.

  • 1000 mg sodium per stick
  • Zero sugar, fasting friendly
  • Free metro shipping over $149
Shop all LMNT

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Shop by format

On the run the format matters as much as the formula. Pick what suits your flask, vest or race day.

Don't forget the other half of fuelling

Electrolytes replace what you sweat out. Carbs replace what you burn.

Past about 90 minutes of hard running, sodium alone will not stop you fading. Gels and chews top up the carbohydrate your legs and lungs are burning, so you can dose salt and fuel separately instead of relying on a single mix to do both jobs.

Shop energy gels & chews

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Three quick questions, one recommendation

Answer three questions about how you train and we'll point you at a brand to start with. Prefer the full version? Take the complete quiz.

How salty do you sweat?

What Australian buyers say

Real reviews from verified LYTES orders across this range.

4.8 from 1,299 reviews
5 stars 92%
4 stars 4%
3 stars 1%
2 stars 1%
1 star 1%
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Collected from verified orders by Judge.me

words can't express how much more active, calm & relaxed I've become since I was put onto this product. Extremely happy 👍🏼

Rob · Verified buyerLMNT Big Fruity Pack - 30 Sticks

Excellent product from an excellent online retailer

I'm happy to be buying my LMNT electrolytes from LYTES. My subscription is easy to manage and adjust as my needs change. I appreciate the free shipping on my large orders.

K.C. · Verified buyerLMNT Lemonade Salt Electrolyte Mix - 30 Sticks

Running and electrolytes, answered

How much sodium should I take on a long run or half marathon?

Most road runners land between 400 and 1000 mg of sodium per hour once a session passes about 60–90 minutes, scaling with heat and how heavily you sweat. Start near the middle of that range on a warm long run and adjust based on how you feel in the closing kilometres.

Do I need electrolytes for a parkrun or a quick 5–10km?

Usually not, unless it's very hot or you're a heavy, salty sweater. Under about 60 minutes in mild conditions, water and a normal diet generally cover it — electrolytes earn their place once a session stretches past that or the mercury climbs.

Sodii or LMNT — which suits my running?

Both carry 1000 mg sodium per serve and zero sugar, so either replaces a similar amount. Sodii is made in Australia with Australian salt and is our everyday pick for training. LMNT is the same sodium dose in a different format and flavour range — worth trying both and going with whichever sits better on your stomach and taste.

Is an electrolyte mix the same as a sports drink for running?

No. A traditional sports drink is built mostly around carbohydrate with a small amount of sodium. An electrolyte mix flips that: high sodium, little or no sugar, so you can fuel with gels or real food on race day and dose salt on its own terms.

Can I take electrolytes without carrying a flask?

Yes. Chewable and capsule formats are built to take dry, mid-run, with whatever water you're already carrying or grabbing at an aid station.

How fast will my order arrive?

We dispatch from Wollongong within 12 to 48 hours. Many customers report next-day delivery, including regional addresses, and metro shipping is free over $149.

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