Marketed to ‘party people’ and touted as a faster route to hydration than water, electrolytes are in the middle of a boom
T
he tickets are bought, the line-ups have been announced and it’s nearly time to drag last year’s tent out of the cupboard for a wipedown – and to evict a few dead earwigs. And this summer, there’s one more festival accessory that partygoers won’t be travelling without: electrolyte tablets.
Touted as a faster route to rehydration than water, and a way to replace vital salts lost during heavy drinking and partying, the focus on festivals is the latest twist in a global boom for electrolytes, as everyone from triathletes to YouTubers sings the praises of these super-hydrating mineral supplements.
Happy Tuesdays is selling “all-night electrolytes” for party people; Holy Hydration says its hydration powders are perfect for athletes and party people, replacing electrolytes and minerals lost from sweating; while ORS Hydration claims its tablets can help people to prevent or recover from hangovers. The UK health food chain Holland & Barrett is promoting electrolyte sachets and magnesium water as “festival essentials”.
