Vitalyte Electrolyte Powder Drink Mix, Isotonic Electrolyte Hydration Mix, Gluten Free Post Workout Powder Mix, Pack of 2, 35 oz. Each, Fruit Punch Flavor

I use this product for a different use than most. My wife looses electrolytes at a rapid rate. The medical community doesn't seem to have an answer why but after a hospitalization I set about trying to find something to help my wife out. First, I purchased a lot of pedialyte and flavored it for my wife. However, at between $4 and $5 per quart it was too expensive as she drank from 2 to 3 quarts a day. Then I found Smart Water and flavored it for my wife but she was requiring 4 liters a day and sometimes more. Finally I came across Vitalyte and tried a combination of filtered water, flavoring, salt and Vitalyte. Now my wife drinks two liters a day of my mixture along with one liter of Smart Water with salt and flavoring.and hasn't returned to the hospital for almost 4 years. At about $2.50 per liter, it is the most economical approach to a complicated health issue.

Let's start with the positives. I like this electrolyte drink a lot. I actually prefer the lighter taste of this product rather than the taste of a melted sweet tart. I found their scoop-to-water ratio to be very accurate. It did not upset my stomach or cause any other issues.And now for the negatives. It's really only one and it's the packaging. Some lunkhead at this company decided to save a nickel and use inferior packaging for this product. How do I know? Am I some package guru? I am not, but my first clue was when the package arrived. When I opened it, it was basically a brick. The package does not keep moisture out and what you get is a solid rather than loose powder. My second clue that this packaging was cheap and crummy was the trail of ants that found their way to this item on the counter. Good times.So, the product tastes good. I got the orange and I really like it. I took away a star for their inability to choose proper packaging. I really hope they fix this because I don't need a part-time job just to use a drink mix.

I've been using Vitalyte for almost a year now to support my triathlon training after seeking a more cost effective sports drink, given how much I go through during Virginia summers. It gets the job done!But to get to the main point of this review, I have now ordered and used all five flavors. Here's what you'll get, in order from perceived "strongest" to "weakest" flavor:Orange: Has a definite "tang" to it, but keep in mind that even as the strongest flavor it's milder than a lot of other sports drinks. The natural orange coloring left a little bit of orange residue on the inside of my white plastic water bottles even after dishwashing (it disappeared after I switched flavors. I probably won't order it again, but a good choice if you particularly like orange soda.Grape: Great flavor to start with if you're not sure which to get. This is the first I ordered and the flavor I've used the most; I think it tastes the sweetest.Fruit punch: Tastes like weak Hawaiian Punch. I work out first thing in the morning and this was a bit incongruous to me; but if fruit punch is your jam this will give you a slight fix. I personally won't be ordering it again.Lemon: I was worried this would have a strong "fake lemonade" flavor but it did not! I really liked this one- it's mild and refreshing.Cool citrus: To me, this was the mildest flavor; it mixes up clear (no color, despite the blue bag). It definitely doesn't taste like straight water but if you like straight water and want a sports drink with fuel and electrolytes with minimal flavor this is a good choice.Personally I like variety so probably will be rotating between grape, lemon and cool citrus. The latter two are the most complementary if you are taking other food / fuel while drinking this.As to effectiveness: when used properly it's done me right. I routinely sweat out 16- 24oz / hour (I've weighed) during the summer and this product keeps me going for the long trainings. I've never had stomach issues when using it in a race, and having some carbs in it helps offset the number of gels I have to take in. The great thing is that it's really balanced and both less salty and sweet than Gatorade- it will replace just what you lose.But that's also a caution: it will not correct an electrolyte deficiency if you go into a race or a workout with one... at default strength it will replace what you lose to sweating but not more; particularly magnesium. I had bad cramping after the swim in a race where I had hydrated with Vitalyte that morning, but I think that's because I had done a poor job of managing hydration and electrolytes in the days leading up to it (there may have been some beer involved!) So probably good to use some other form of electrolyte supplementation (particularly magnesium) if you know you've not been hydrating well.

I've always drank straight water on backpacking trips - until recently. We were in the Grand Canyon (HOT) and had a chance to try this for several days. One day, after I drank this product, I forgot about it as I was hiking. About 30 minutes later, I was surprised to feel better. Then I recalled that I had consumed Vitalyte. So naturally I assumed that I was having a psychosomatic improvement and wrote off my improved vigor to the landscape. The following day, the same thing happened. Now we take this on any long, dry trip.

I love this stuff. I am a cyclist primarily, over 50 and live in central Texas, so hydration and electrolyte balance are pretty important. I've tried many of the products out there to keep from cramping on long rides , or in the middle of the night after a long ride. Positives first- tastes great, not too sweet, pleasant taste - actually really good, fairly low in calories, naturally sweetened, no issues with cramping so far.( I'm on my second bag). The only negative I can come up with is it doesn't mix as easily as some, so I have to pull it out of the bottle cage and shake it before I drink it. Other products I have tried include accelerade, osmo, EFS, Heed, NUUN, ClifShot, eLoad, Skratch labs and a number of others. This one works best for me and IMHO tastes the best.

Update: Despite problem with packagingc, I changed from 4 to 5 star. Recently diagnosed as being dehydrated. Had 10 day stomach virus. Doctor suggested that I make it a daily routine to drink one big bottle of Gatorade. Sugar and chemicals in Gatorade concerned me, so I drink Vitalyte electrolytes 3X Day along with 1/4 tsp. Himalayan Salt. It's working..The lemon flavor is mild and refreshing. I drink this when I work out at gym. It gives me more stamina. I gave it a 4 star because of the packaging. It is a pale yellow bag with white writing. I couldn't read anything on the packaging (even with magnifying glass) and had to go back online to read instructions.

I'm allergic to most flavours of electrolytes (strawberry and anything citrus) so i was really happy to discover this grape flavor that doesn't cost more than $1/serving.The powder dissolves easily and it tastes like watered-down Kool Aid. Yummy! It definitely hydrates better than water alone.I'm sad now that this product is out of stock, and really hope the seller has it available again soon.Update: yesterday i was able to preorder this and didn't expect it to be shipped till much later in the month. Today i got a notification that it will be delivered tomorrow! I generally make my own electrolyte water with salt and sugar (due to an electrolyte imbalance, i am not supposed to drink plain water), but I've come to really enjoy a glass of this every day for dinner variety.

NOT for KETO.LOADED with CARBS!My fault for not having read the information on package.