Overall Score
- Effectiveness 75%
- Flavor 80%
- Ingredients 100%
Key Takeaways
Recharge After a Hard Workout
Reviewers felt rejuvenated when they took LMNT after a strenuous workout.
Made for Ketogenic Diets
LMNT was intentionally made for electrolyte replacement for keto diets.
This Stuff is Salty
With 1000mg of sodium, LMNT will restore your salt levels and help get you rehydrated fast.
Keto
Sugar Free
Low Calorie
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Overview
LMNT was developed by Robb Wolf, a popular author and media figure in the paleo world. As with many other facets of the paleo world, LMNT deserves a closer look. Our reviewers really appreciated the product when consumed under the right conditions: hard exercise paired with a diet naturally low in salt. This is exactly what Robb Wolf had in mind: his website explains that the product was created to make up for electrolyte deficits caused by intense exercise routines performed while on the ketogenic diet1. This theory appears to be partially supported by science. LMNT cites one study that found active athletes in hot weather may recover more quickly with electrolyte supplementation, finding that over the course of a day sodium losses can be between 3500-7000 mg2. To put it into context, a bottle of standard sports drink contains only 260 mg of sodium. You can see that making up the sodium deficit with sports drinks would be challenging.
Not all of our experiences with LMNT were positive though, and they should serve as a cautionary tale. When taken on days where we did not exercise and had consumed salty foods, LMNT was clearly not the right product. Our reviewers reported being very thirsty and having a lingering feeling in their mouths, most likely the result of having too much salt. We would not characterize LMNT as an everyday product if your everyday life does not involve moderate to intense sweating and fluid loss. For days where you are more sedentary, consider a different option, like Dr. Price’s or Ultima Replenisher.
Effectiveness
When taken under the right circumstances this product provided a noticeable boost of energy and facilitated recovery. One reviewer reported “a strong positive effect from drinking the mixture right after an intense run where there was significant sweat loss.” He had initially felt sluggish after the 5 mile treadmill session, but within 15 minutes of drinking a serving of LMNT, he felt more energized and was ready to continue on with the day.
Another reviewer “looks forward” to taking LMNT after his heavy gym days. He claims that LMNT consistently helps restore his physical and mental energy after hard morning workouts and sets him on the right track as he begins the workday. “I would highly recommend this product to people who need a second wind after a gym session.”
That said, when taken under the wrong conditions, our reviewers had an almost equally strong negative reaction. For example, two reviewers tried the mix the night of the Super Bowl after a meal of salty junk food. They were thirsty for the rest of the night and could not get rid of the taste left in their mouths despite drinking lots of water. The “1000mg Sodium” label tells the truth.
Flavor
LMNT comes in a variety of flavors, some more conventional than others: Citrus, Orange, Raspberry, Watermelon, Mango Chili, Lemon Habanero, and Chocolate Salt. Additionally LMNT was the only brand we have profiled to date offering an “unflavored” version which can be used to supplement other drinks like coffee or smoothies.
We’ve tested all the flavors and found them to be some of the best tasting electrolytes after a workout (you’ll know what we mean after you try for yourself). Some of the flavors were really surprising, most notably Chocolate Salt. It rivals the satisfaction of drinking chocolate milk, but with low carbs and low calories. It’s a must try for the keto readers out there. However, as mentioned earlier, the taste of this product isn’t as pleasant when taken in the absence of vigorous exercise when the body isn’t craving salt.
Ingredients
LMNT was clearly created for a specific purpose, so while many users will find the sodium levels excessive, we are withholding judgement. We were surprised that the potassium level was not higher, and came in at half the amount of other leading brands like Liquid I.V. As expected, LMNT does not use sugar, artificial flavors or artificial colors.
References
1Drink LMNT, INC. “Our Story – Elemental Labs.” Drink LMNT, INC., drinklmnt.com/pages/our-story. Accessed 6 Mar. 2021.
2O’Donnell, Martin J et al. “Urinary sodium and potassium excretion and risk of cardiovascular events.” JAMA vol. 306,20 (2011): 2229-38. doi:10.1001/jama.2011.1729
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