We all have our favorites. DripDrop works best for me. It uses the World Health Organization standard for oral rehydration solutions, which includes a bit of plain sugar to enhance rapid absorption of water in the stomach and gut.

I tried NUUN and others in tablet form but they always get gooey or hard after a few weeks in the saddle bag, even in the sealed tube, and resist easy dilution in water. DripDrop comes in single serve Mylar packets that resist moisture for a year or longer even in a saddle bag that's often exposed to outdoor conditions. And it's easier to tuck little Mylar packets into hidey holes in my minimalist saddle bags, jersey pocket, even in my socks. Now I use the recycled NUUN tubes to carry ibuprofen, antihistamines, etc., for my own use or to share with friends on group rides if they suffer pain, allergic reactions, etc. The tubes are also handy for toting a few bandaids, clot pads, etc.

Like NUUN and every other major brand magic potion, DripDrop is pricey, although Walgreens and other stores occasionally discount it at the beginning of the month. So I usually save it for emergencies or extreme conditions. I tuck one or two of the little Mylar single serve packets in my saddle bag, jersey pocket, wherever. On two occasions I've given DripDrop to strangers who suffered heat exhaustion and they recovered within 15 minutes. Both said it worked better than whatever else they'd been using.

One mistake some folks still make is taking plain salt tablets, especially in addition to magic potion electrolyte mixes or pre-mixed beverages. While it seems counterintuitive and unPC now, research indicates an emergency Oral Rehydration Solution must contain some sugar to enhance rapid absorption.

Makes sense in retrospect. When I was a Navy Corpsman attached to the Marines in the 1970s we were told all kinds of fudlore that was later proven to be incorrect, including taking plain salt tablets (often unnecessary if we get enough salt in our diets), drinking too much water and risking hyponatremia (which is why adding electrolytes is a good practice when drinking a lot of water), and, by far the worst advice, not drinking at all but instead dabbing water on our foreheads or wrists, like delicate fainting damsels in a Jane Austen novel. Believe it or not, that was common advice from my boxing trainers when I was a teenager, and from a grouchy old senior chief corpsman back in 1976. We ignored him and sneaked extra bottles of water so we could carry a full canteen to prove we weren't drinking. The guy was an idiot but we didn't want to get into a p!ssing or drinking contest with the guy writing our performance evals.

Then, as now, when I've seen active folks vomit plain water after appearing to be drinking enough, it's because they're drinking plain water exclusively, or consumed way too much plain salt without potassium, sugar, dextrose, glucose, whatever, to aid with efficient digestion.

So while I often cheap out and use Propel powder (cheaper than DripDrop, NUUN, etc), I'll add a bit of sugar to the bottle. Same with any sugarfree, artificially sweetened electrolyte mix or flavored drink mix. I don't have any blood sugar problems or contraindications, so there's no harm in adding a bit of sugar. I'll burn it up during a ride, run, jog or walk anyway.

The only other magic potion I've tried which really seems to work is Kore Pre-Workout powder mix. It's a blend of caffeine, niacin, amino acids, taurine and several of the usual wooty zoot supplements. But after trying it for several weeks I'm over my skepticism. It really seems to add a little jolt and juice to my workouts. It's not just the extra caffeine -- I drink coffee and often add caffeine from matcha powder or other sources to my workout drink mixes. It's not just the niacin, which can cause some tingling in the skin that makes it feel like it's "doing something" even if it's mostly placebo. But something in the Kore magic potion works well for me. The only downside is if I drink it too late in the day the extra caffeine keeps me awake. That's unusual because I can often sleep after drinking coffee.