Don’t ask me why, but for some reason I’ve taken it upon myself to try every single electrolyte powder on the market. I’ll impulsively drop a few bucks on my “little treat”: a sachet of minerals with a flavor profile akin to that of an ice pop. At home, I mix them into water and critique their taste and nutritional composition for my own personal pleasure, like the Pete Wells of wellness.
What I’ve come to find is that — if I can be blunt for a second — most of these formulas taste bad. Many are overpoweringly artificial, laden with stevia and other alternative sweeteners that leave a bitter aftertaste (and act as diuretics, which kind of defeats their whole purpose). Others are cloying with pure sugar and have that familiar Gatorade-esque sweetness that makes you question the nutritional value. To me, the saltier options were the most tolerable, so I’d keep a few watermelon LMNT packets on hand, only to be used for extenuating hydration circumstances (as in: hot-yoga classes and heat waves).
It wasn’t until I tried Pludo, though, that electrolytes became an everyday part of my routine. When I first heard about this “new electrolyte brand” from a fellow health-curious girlfriend, I’ll admit, I was skeptical. Look, I know that everyone and their mothers are now consuming these powders on the regular, but another one? Similar to lip balms, it doesn’t take a self-proclaimed connoisseur to know we’ve hit electrolyte oversaturation. But because of my Wells-esque instincts — and the fact that Pludo’s branding is particularly well designed — I knew I needed to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did.
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Pludo comes in three flavors — watermelon, lemon, and pink yuzu — and each tastes exactly like the real fruit, not its Jolly Rancher cousin. They manage to strike a balance between sweet and saltiness, so I can tangibly taste my sodium levels replenishing without feeling like I’m drinking seawater. Even though the packaging instructs mixing each sachet with 16 to 32 ounces of water, I’m a bit of a flavor maximalist, so I only use roughly 12 ounces (who’s really measuring anyway?) for a concentrated — but not overpowering — mix.
Watermelon and lemon are well-done standards, and while I love these two, the pink yuzu is truly something special. It’s citrusy, bright, and refreshing in a completely unique way from any of the other electrolyte flavors I’m accustomed to. I’d liken it to a highbrow pink lemonade, with a little more depth than the usual sugary sweetness.
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It’s easy to get caught up in flavor, but Pludo’s nutritional makeup is impressive, too. Looking at the ingredient panel, you’ll find the usual suspects — magnesium, sodium, and potassium — in addition to less familiar ones like L-citrulline and L-arginine. There’s also 100 mg of trace minerals in each serving, which Pludo sources from “ancient concentrated inland seawater” from the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
A quick explainer for the real science heads: L-citrulline and L-arginine are both amino acids that provide short- and long-term energy boosts, respectively, through the production of nitric oxide. According to nutritionist Mia Rigden, “Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation.” With better circulation comes increased energy and muscular function. Lauren Geyman, a naturopathic doctor, doubles down on the sentiment: “This is why citrulline and arginine are often marketed towards athletes — boosting nitric oxide supports circulation, which can improve performance and recovery.”
So do I feel more energized when I drink this stuff? Sure, I’d believe it. What I can really confirm is a noticeable improvement in mental clarity. It might just be that I’m finally drinking enough water during the summer heat, but my brain feels sharper and my thoughts more cohesive after my mid-morning glass. Also — and this might seem almost too obvious — but I’m a lot less dry, physically. My over-air-conditioned dry eyes feel nearly immediate relief, and a few weeks of Pludo drinking have definitely proven beneficial for my skin’s hydration, too.
Last thing: I’m the first to admit that aesthetics matter to me, so I love opening my cabinet to find these sachets displayed in a clear Mason jar next to my teas and supplements. At this point, I don’t go a day without Pludo. It’s my midday distraction from the humdrum of water, a necessary addition to any hydration overachiever’s daily regimen. I’ve considered making all of my water intake pink-yuzu-flavored, but I fear that would be going a little too far. For now, I’ll stick to my once-a-day glass of beautifully packaged, neurotransmitter-boosting, perfectly sweet and salty Pludo electrolytes.
More electrolyte powders we’ve tried
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