Available at Amazon & Costco & Target
Ranked #6 · Best for everyday availability
Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Review
Moderate sodium with a real sugar load — the sugar is functional for absorption, but it is 11 g you should count.
Last updated
- Sodium
- 570 mg
- Potassium
- 370 mg
- Magnesium
- Not stated
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Format
- Powder stick
- Serving
- 1 stick (16 g)
- Mixes into
- 16 fl oz (475 ml)
- Third-party tested
- None publicly stated
The verdict
Buy it if
Travel, hangovers, mild illness, and anyone who values being able to buy a refill in any corner shop.
Skip it if
You are managing sugar intake, you are low-carb, or you want magnesium in your mix.
What's good
- Stocked almost everywhere — supermarkets, pharmacies, airports
- Glucose content genuinely does assist sodium and water uptake
- Good potassium level at 370 mg
- A separate sugar-free version exists (530 mg sodium, 0 g sugar)
What's not
- 11 g of added sugar per stick — meaningful if you drink several a day
- Contains no magnesium
- Marketing leans on hydration-multiplier claims that outrun the evidence for everyday use
- Premium price for a fairly ordinary mineral profile
The sugar is doing a job, but it is still 11 g
Liquid I.V. markets a "Cellular Transport Technology" built on the ratio of glucose to sodium. The underlying mechanism is real and well established: glucose and sodium are absorbed together in the small intestine through a shared transporter, and that co-transport draws water across with them. It is the principle oral rehydration therapy works on.
What the marketing tends to skate over is the dose. Eleven grams of added sugar per stick is meaningful if you drink one or more a day, and for someone using it as a desk-side hydration habit rather than for illness or heavy sweating, that sugar is doing very little.
A sugar-free version exists, carrying 530 mg sodium and no sugar. If the appeal is the convenience rather than the glucose mechanism, that is usually the better buy.
What you are really paying for is availability
At 570 mg sodium and 370 mg potassium, the mineral profile is respectable but unremarkable — Redmond Re-Lyte beats it on both, without the sugar. What Liquid I.V. has that none of the others do is distribution. It is in supermarkets, pharmacies, airport shops and warehouse clubs.
For travel, that matters more than a few milligrams either way. Running out mid-trip and being able to replace it anywhere is a genuine advantage.
No magnesium, and no certification
The panel states no magnesium. If you want magnesium in your mix, Ultima Replenisher carries 100 mg and Gatorade-style formulations carry more still.
There is also no third-party banned-substance certification publicly stated, which rules it out for tested athletes.
How it compares
Measured against the other 9 products we cover. Serving sizes differ across the category, so read these as positioning rather than a like-for-like ratio.
| Product | Sodium | Potassium | Sugar | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier (this one) | 570 mg | 370 mg | 11 g | — |
| Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus Powder | 650 mg | 370 mg | 10 g | — |
| Thorne Daily Electrolytes | 480 mg | 99 mg | 0 g | Yes |
| Skratch Labs Sport Hydration Drink Mix | 400 mg | 40 mg | 19 g | — |
What's actually in it
Per 1 stick (16 g), mixed into 16 fl oz (475 ml), as printed on the manufacturer's panel and checked on August 1, 2026.
| Serving size | 1 stick (16 g) |
|---|---|
| Mixes into | 16 fl oz (475 ml) |
| Sodium | 570 mg |
| Potassium | 370 mg |
| Magnesium | Not stated |
| Calcium | Not stated |
| Chloride | Not stated |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Calories | 50 |
| Sweetener | Cane sugar, stevia leaf extract |
| Format | Powder stick |
| Third-party testing | None publicly stated |
Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier questions
Does Liquid I.V. actually hydrate better than water?
The glucose-sodium co-transport mechanism it relies on is genuine and is the basis of oral rehydration therapy. Whether that produces a noticeable benefit for a healthy person drinking it casually is a much weaker claim than the marketing implies. It matters most when you are genuinely depleted — illness, heavy sweating, or heat.
Is the sugar-free version as good?
It carries 530 mg sodium and no sugar, against 570 mg and 11 g of sugar. Without the glucose you lose the co-transport effect the brand is built on, but for everyday use the sugar was not doing much anyway.
How much sugar is in Liquid I.V.?
Eleven grams per stick, all added sugars, at 50 calories. That is roughly the sugar in a small handful of sweets, per serving.
Where these numbers come from
Checked on August 1, 2026. Manufacturers reformulate without notice — verify the panel on the pack you receive.
Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier
Best for everyday availability
Other options worth comparing
- LMNT Zero Sugar Electrolytes, Raw Unflavoured — best overall for heavy or salty sweat.
- Redmond Re-Lyte Hydration — best balanced sodium-to-potassium ratio.
- Thorne Daily Electrolytes — best for drug-tested athletes.
Or go back to the full ranking of all 10.
Not medical advice. Electrolyte needs vary between individuals. If you have kidney, heart or blood-pressure conditions, or take medication affecting fluid balance, speak to a clinician before using this product regularly.