We all know how rough it can be to suffer from that pounding headache, annoying dry mouth sensation, and a general sense of “what have I done.” 

Thankfully, there is no need to dread your next big party. By choosing the right hydration drink, you can ensure that tomorrow isn’t a total write-off. 

Keep reading to find the best recovery drink options to reclaim your morning after an alcohol-heavy night.

What are your best hydration drinks options?

Physiologically speaking, there are many causes for a hangover. However, we can boil down those to the core: you drank too much!

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it can pull liquid out of the body rather than replenish it – no matter how much you sip on that margarita.

And some folks even go out drinking on empty stomachs! Please, don’t do that – at least have a bowl of healthy cereal before hand.

So, the awful feeling of a hangover is mainly due to dehydration. That means the solution is simple: we have to replenish you, and into that quest, we start with the basics…

Good ol’ Water

Obviously, water is the most basic, most important substance you need to consume, and it’s the first option you should try out to fight back the effects of a hangover. 

Drink it as you like it: with or without ice, from a bottle, from the tap. Put slices of citrus fruit in your jar to infuse the water with a nice subtle flavor. 

It doesn’t matter how you take it, just drink plenty of it until you feel better. 

A little trick you could use is adding a pinch of salt to your glass of water. When you dehydrate, you are losing not only liquids but minerals, too. A pinch of salt helps replenish the essential sodium chloride your body needs. It should help a bit with the headache, too.

Now, water is the starting point and the staple. However, it is worth noting that even though water helps a lot, other options can make you feel better faster, but with certain caveats to consider. 

We will share three other options, from best, to ok, to worst, but before that, you need to know this…

Why water alone might not cut it

When you feel wasted, the quickest way to recover your will to live is by replenishing all the electrolytes your body lost due the dehydration.

In this sense, water, although helpful, isn’t the most efficient of the hydration drinks on its own. 

Tap water already has minerals and electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium, but not nearly in the amounts you would need to replenish your normal levels quickly. 

Now that that’s been clarified, here we go.

The best hydrating drink option: powdered drink mixes – electrolytes + immune support

To feel re-born after a heavy drinking night, electrolytes are king. The magic of electrolytes is that they make you feel better faster than water.

But what if you could count on the reinvigorating effect of electrolyte drinks and add in the protective, health-boosting effects of antioxidants, vitamins, and compounds that protect you from the physical damage of stress? 

The good thing about this kind of beverage is that you can use them not only to keep yourself hydrated but also to keep your vitamin intake in check. Hence, they can become a daily staple.

Pros and cons of powdered drink mix on a hangover 

Pros

• The electrolytes in these drinks will replenish you faster than water.
• They taste great. 
• Easy to prepare.
• Easy way to get nutrients while keeping you hydrated. 

Cons

• Some consider them expensive. Although, most of these powdered formulas come in bags and sticks. The bags could cost upward of the $20 mark but will give you as many as 15 servings. 
• You must be careful when choosing. Many of these brands have more than one line of products, and not all are packed with electrolytes. This means those won’t work as well when trying to cure a hangover. 

There are good examples of hydration drinks that provide electrolytes to deal with a hangover and key nutrients that boost overall health.

The brand Taste Salud is one of them. With their formulas, you just need to add a scoop -or a whole stick- to a bottle of water, shake the bottle to dissolve the mix, and voila – an electrolyte + immunity drink in seconds.

Namely, their product line called Hydration + Immunity stands out as an excellent option for a life-saving electrolytes dose, plus an array of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, D3, B6, B12, and Zinc.

Best of all? They have many flavors, from mango, pineapple, and strawberry to Lime, tamarindo, and jamaica. Oh, and if you’re mindful of your sugar consumption, their products have just 1 gram of sugar. 

Check them out here.

An OK hydrating drink to deal with hangovers: electrolyte or sports drinks

Electrolyte drinks are used to rehydrate and refuel the body during or after physical activity. That’s simple, right? And there’s our keyword: rehydrate.

These drinks contain electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and calcium that help regulate the amount of fluid in the body. 

Now, you are dehydrated because of the insane amount of alcohol you consumed, but same. If electrolyte drinks can replenish high-level athletes who subject their bodies to extreme physical activity, they can also replenish your hungover self.

Pros and cons of electrolyte drinks on a hangover

Pros: 

• Contain essential electrolytes that help rehydrate the body faster than water alone. This comes in handy after a hangover. The faster you can get off that awful feeling, the better.
• They taste good. That’s a high note if you find water boring. 
• Besides rehydration, studies have shown that some can improve cognitive performance. 

Cons:

• Some electrolyte drinks have high amounts of sugar. Unless you’re doing high-intensity activities to use the quick burst of energy sugar gives, the insulin crash afterward could make you feel sluggish – You’re trying to get out of a hangover, so that’s not cool. 
• They can contain artificial flavorings and colors, which could be an issue if you prefer natural alternatives. 
• They can be pretty expensive compared to other hydrating drinks.

These are 5 well-known electrolyte drink options

• Gatorade.
• Gnarly Nutrition Hydrate.
• BodyArmor.
• Pedialyte Sport.
• Ultima Replenisher.

Worst hydrating option: energy drinks 

A true classic of combat sports, extreme sports, and gaming. In this case, the name says it all. Energy drinks are designed to provide a quick boost in cognitive response. By pure mechanism, they can erase the sluggish sensation you experience while hungover, however…

They are the worst option if used as hydration drinks.

Pros and cons of energy drinks on a hangover

Pros:

• They will give you a quick boost to make you feel more awake. 
• They are packed with caffeine, which can help cope with headaches.
• They taste nice.

Cons:

• They’re quite expensive.
• The high amounts of caffeine in these drinks cause an increase in heart rate in some people.
• Many of these drinks have too much sugar, which isn’t good for hydration.

These are 5 popular energy drink options

• Red Bull.
• Monster.
• Lucozade.
• Bang Energy.
• Rockstar.

To summarize, remember that alcohol is a drug. It can lower your sugar levels, irritate your stomach lining, can make you urinate more –which leads to faster dehydration– and can interrupt deep sleep patterns. 

No wonder you wake up ruined if you have too much of it. 

Even though hydration drinks can help deal with hangovers, there are no magical remedies to excessive alcohol consumption and its consequences. 

Hopefully, some of the drink options in this article can help you deal with your suffering. 

And more importantly, that you can use them for future drinking adventures so you can be prepared.