Why Nuun is the Best Electrolyte Drink for Complete Hydration
What is Nuun?
In my opinion, Nuun makes the greatest electrolyte tablet in the world. Their tablets dissolve in 16oz of water and are packed with the electrolytes needed to make you perform at your best. At only 15 calories and 1 gram of sugar per tablet, Nuun is a considerably healthier option than other electrolyte drinks on the market. They have all the nutrients and electrolytes you need without excess sugar. I have been drinking Nuun for almost 10 years now, and I still rely on it to help me stay hydrated and perform my best on hot days and through tough workouts.
When Should I drink a Nuun?
The simple answer is, anytime you want to. However, the best uses for Nuun are:
1. Before a workout
2. After a workout
3. When outside on hot days
4. Whenever you've sweat a lot
5. Before and after drinking alcohol (great at preventing… or at least limiting hangovers)
6. When you get a headache (especially if you think dehydration might be a factor)
Nuun is safe to drink everyday for most people, however it has 300 mg of sodium in each tablet. Consult your doctor for your own personal sodium needs.
Nuun Facts
Nuun tablets come in tubes of 10 tablets that are super convenient to carry around. They have a variety of different purposes. Nuun's core product is Nuun Sport, meant for hydration, which the product this article is mostly about. However, they also have Nuun Immunity, Nuun Vitamins, Nuun Rest, and Nuun Energy. They also carry a few instant mix powders. You can view their whole product selection here.
Nutrition and Ingredients
Nuun Sport ingredients: Citric Acid, Dextrose, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Sodium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Malic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Carbonate, Stevia Leaf Extract, Avocado Oil, Beet Powder Color, Riboflavin (for color).
Nutrition Facts
Nuun is also certified gluten free, vegan, Non-GMO, and Kosher.
Flavors
My personal favorite flavor is Mango Orange, which is part of their Sport + Caffeine line. I'm currently hoarding over 10 cases of it, but I truthfully haven't met a flavor of Nuun that I didn't like. They have 13 total Nuun Sports flavors, four of which contain 40 mg of caffeine. All of the flavors are very fruit forward, which I find to be very refreshing.
My top five favorite flavors (in order) are:
1. Mango Orange
2. Tri berry
4. Tropical
5. Watermelon
They also have some seasonal flavors on their website so look out for those. They are under Nuun Seasonal Sport, and their current flavors are Kiwi Strawberry and Kona cola. I recently ordered a few boxes of the Kiwi Strawberry and love them!
Nuun also has a multi-flavor box that I highly recommend if you're new to Nuun or just like a little more variety. You can check that out here.
Nuun vs Other Electrolyte Drink Supplements
Some of you may be wondering why you should choose Nuun over the market leading Gatorade or competitor Liquid IV. My overall opinion is that Nuun Sport is superiour because of it's lightweight portability, great flavor, nutrition, and cost effectiveness. Nuun Sport has kept me well hydrated for the past 9 years and I don't foresee myself hydrating without it. I'll let you decide for yourself with a comparison chart below.
As you can see, for cost, electrolytes, portability, and taste, I prefer Nuun. I really can't stand the overwhelming sweetness of Liquid IV, and on the few occasions that I have had it, I diluted it significantly, which also reduces the electrolytes per oz significantly. I rarely drink regular Gatorade unless it's handed to me in the middle of a long running race. I occasionally drink Gfit to mix things. up and when I am out. and about without Nuun on me.
Cons of Nuun Sport
I've pointed out many of my favorite features of Nuun Sport but I should point out the cons of using Nuun as well. I'll lay out the two cons of Nuun Sport below.
Difficult to Break
My number one complaint of about Nuun is that the tablets are difficult to break in half. This only matters if the water bottle you're inserting the tablet into has a small neck. It takes a fair amount of force to break them in half, but not impossible (a strong boyfriend sometimes helps too). A good work around is to pre-cut them in half and put them back in the tube so when you're out and don't want to fuss with breaking it in half you have some ready. This also isn't an issue at all if the glass or bottle you're using is wider than the tablet itself.
Many years ago, Nuun tablets used to come with a perforation down the middle which made it very easy to break. I would love if they brought that back because it would completely eliminate this entire issue. If anyone at Nuun sees this, pretty please bring back the perforation!
Longer Dissolve Time
I don't really consider this a major con of Nuun Sport, but it is just something to note. It takes a few minutes for the tablet to dissolve which personally doesn't bother me. I can only see this being an issue if you're in some sort of electrolyte emergency, but in that case you probably need medical help beyond Nuun.
Summary
Nuun Sport has been a dependable part of my hydration habits for the past nine years and I fully expect to be a customer for life. Between the great taste and wide variety of flavors, I have never gotten sick of them. They are also a very affordable option compared to their competitors, and at less than a dollar per drink I don't feel guilty having more than one a day if needed. I also appreciate that there's only one gram of sugar per tablet so I know I'm getting a healthy sports drink that will provide me with optimal hydration.
Overall, Nuun is a must try if you're looking for a healthy and affordable sports drink. Purchase a variety pack here.
