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Elc9.0
Electrolyte Complex Research
Likely helpsModerate safety
24 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Likely helps
Electrolyte Complex appears to help in 3 of 4 studies with measurable effects — the evidence leans clearly favourable.
Most evidence is from high-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 1998–2026 with a typical study size of 27 participants.
Based on 24 studies · 5 meta-analyses · 6 RCTs · 9,622 total participants
Confidence
High
What the studies found
3helped1unclear· 20 more without graded effect data
By outcome
Endurance & exercise performanceMaintained exercise performance and reduced cramping · Immediate · Maintains hydration and neuromuscular function in long sessions · During exercise
Likely helps19 studies
Therapeutic & clinical
Mostly mechanism / observational8 studies
RecoveryProper hydration and electrolyte balance · Immediate
Mostly mechanism / observational3 studies
Safety profile
Mostly mechanism / observational3 studies
Muscle cramps & function
Too few graded studies2 studies
Heart & blood pressure
Too few graded studies1 study
By the numbers
Pulled from 10 studies with measurable effects
People studied
9,622
typical study: 27 people
Strongest designs
11
5 pooled, 6 randomised
Showed benefit
75%
3/4 studies
Populations Studied
Athletes2
Patients with acute watery diarrhea1
Children with gastroenteritis1
People with exercise-induced dehydration1
Active research area
15 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2026
199820122026
1Stool output in first 24 hoursMeta-AnalysisCited 22×n=4,284 · very large study2016
Gregorio GV et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2016)
Noticeable benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Polymer-based ORS may decrease mean stool output in the first 24 hours by 24 mL/kg (mean difference (MD) -24.60 mL/kg, 95% CI -40.69 to -8.51; one trial, 99 participants, low quality evidence).
The average duration of diarrhoea may be reduced by eight hours (MD -8.24 hours, 95% CI -13.17 to -3.30; I² statistic = 86%, five trials, 364 participants, low quality evidence) with polymer ORS but results are heterogeneous.
Limited trials showed no observed difference in the risk of unscheduled use of intravenous fluid (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.02; I² statistic = 30%; four trials, 376 participants, very low quality evidence), vomiting (very low quality evidence), and hyponatraemia (very low quality evidence).
2Intravenous rehydration requirementMeta-AnalysisCited 51×n=4,444 · very large study2015
There is a paucity of patient-centered outcome evidence to support many interventions.
Freedman SB et al. · PloS one (2015)
Huge benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
ORT: Compared with intravenous rehydration, hospitalization (RR 0.80, 95%CI 0.24, 2.71) and emergency department return visits (RR 0.86, 95%CI 0.39, 1.89) were similar.
Antiemetics: Fewer children administered an antiemetic required intravenous rehydration (RR 0.40, 95%CI 0.26, 0.60) While the data could not be meta-analyzed, three studies reported that ondansetron administration does increase the frequency of diarrhea.
Probiotics: No studies reported on the primary outcome, three studies evaluated hospitalization within 7 days (RR 0.87, 95%CI 0.25, 2.98).
In people with cholera, ORS ≤ 270 is associated with biochemical hyponatraemia when compared with ORS ≥ 310, but there are no differences in terms of other outcomes.
Musekiwa A et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2011)
We found no statistically significant difference in the need for unscheduled intravenous infusion.
In people with cholera, ORS ≤ 270 is associated with biochemical hyponatraemia when compared with ORS ≥ 310, but there are no differences in terms of other outcomes.
Although this risk does not appear to be associated with any serious consequences, the total patient experience in existing trials is small.
5Volume/hydration status improvementSystematic ReviewCited 8×2025
Consuming skim or low-fat cow's milk without additional food intake as compared with water appears to improve volume/hydration status in people with exercise-induced dehydration.
De Brier N et al. · Journal of athletic training (2025)
Consuming skim or low-fat cow's milk without additional food intake as compared with water appears to improve volume/hydration status in people with exercise-induced dehydration.
However, evidence is of very low certainty and should be interpreted with caution.
6Systematic ReviewCited 3×n=24 · very small study2015
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: antibiotics (empirical), antibiotics plus antimotility agents, antimotility agents, bismuth subsalicylate, diet, oral rehydration solutions, and racecadotril for travellers' diarrhoea.
8Effects of early versus delayed catheter removalMeta-AnalysisCited 17×2020
This meta-analysis examined the effects of Electrolyte Complex.
Menshawy A et al. · The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (2020)
The relative risk (RR), the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.
Quality and risk of bias assessment were performed for all studies.Data extraction: Two researchers independently extracted the data from the individual articles and entered into RevMan software.
The long-term effects of frequent weight cuts on health and performance are unknown, necessitating further research.
Ricci AA et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2025)
As the duration of a combat match increases, >4 min, contribution of the aerobic system can rise to >70%, yet anaerobic alactic pathways and anaerobic glycolytic pathways support high-output bursts. 3.
During the off camp/general preparation phase, athletes should maintain a weight ranging 12% to 15% above the weight division requirement. 4.
Suitable losses in body mass range from 6.7% at 72 h, 5.7% at 48 h, and 4.4% at 24 h, prior to weigh-in. 8.
Rice-based oral rehydration appears to be effective in reducing stool output in people with cholera.
Fontaine O et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (1998)
No clear effect
← WorseNo effectBetter →
The rate of stool loss in infants and children with acute non-cholera diarrhoea was reduced by only four millilitres/kg of body weight (weighted mean difference -4.29, 95% confidence interval -9.36 to 0.78).
Rice-based oral rehydration appears to be effective in reducing stool output in people with cholera.
This effect was not apparent in infants and children with non-cholera diarrhoea.
By 3.5 h, the ORS and SD promoted greater rehydration than did W, but the pattern of rehydration early in recovery favored the ORS.
Ly NQ et al. · Nutrients (2023)
We compared an ORS and SD for the percent of fluid retained (%FR) following exercise-induced dehydration and hypothesized a more complete rehydration for the ORS (45 mmol Na/L and 2.5% CHO) and that the %FR for the ORS and SD (18 mmol Na/L and 6% CHO) would exceed the water placebo (W).
To induce 2.6% body mass loss (BML, p > 0.05 between treatments), 26 athletes performed three 90 min interval training sessions without drinking fluids.
Post-exercise, participants replaced 100% of BML and were observed for 3.5 h for the %FR.
It offers practical guidance on nutrition and hydration strategies before, during, and after training and competition, helping cyclists maintain peak performance while navigating the unique challenges posed by these conditions.
Cheung S et al. · International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism (2026)
The review examines how heat, cold, and altitude affect hydration, energy expenditure, and metabolism, with associated macro- and micronutrient considerations, in cyclists.
It discusses practical strategies for managing fluid balance, carbohydrate intake, and micronutrient and electrolyte supplementation and the use of ergogenic aids in supporting adaptation to environmental stresses.
This review provides evidence-based nutrition and fluid recommendations for optimizing cycling performance and fostering adaptation in extreme environments.
Magnesium supplementation benefits pregnancy-related cramps but shows inconsistent effects in other populations.
Patil S et al. · International dental journal (2026)
In pregnancy-associated cramps (4 trials, N≈364), magnesium significantly reduced cramp frequency compared with placebo (pooled RR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.05-1.74, P = .02).
In nocturnal or persistent leg cramps in adults (4 trials, N≈396), no significant effect was found (MD -0.42 cramps/week, 95% CI: -1.15 to 0.31, P = .26).
Magnesium supplementation benefits pregnancy-related cramps but shows inconsistent effects in other populations.
The few contraindications for the use of oral rehydration solution include altered mental status, inability to tolerate oral or nasogastric intake of fluids, underlying gastrointestinal problems such as ileus, anatomical abnormalities, and gut malabsorption.
This review describes the use of different ORS solutions in the United States and discusses the newly studied, non-glucose-based ORS solutions.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the historical and current use of ORSs and IVFs to maintain fluid balance and combat dehydration from SBS, describe the challenges patients and healthcare providers have been faced with, and provide recommendations for future research to overcome these barriers.
Izzo K et al. · Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (2022)
Advances in medical care have provided an expansion of new concepts on existing ideas, including adaptations of ORSs, pharmaceutical introductions of new oral and enteral products, and supply chain limitations of intravenous products necessitating the development of novel clinical practices.
The evaluation and understanding of a patient's hydration status, socioeconomic status, compliance to therapies, and, finally, the ability to obtain actual products all play an integral role in determining the best plan of care to manage fluid balance in the presence of SBS.
Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach, including a dietitian, medical provider, pharmacist, and others, is crucial to create a collaborative and comprehensive look at a complicated patient to individualize treatment options.
This finding supports the potential use of an ORS as a valuable means of hydration during the latter stages of prolonged and/or intense exercise in the heat.
Kitson O et al. · Nutrients (2021)
After 60 min of exercise, participants lost 1.36 ± 0.39% (mean ± SD) of body mass and there were increases in SOsm and SPC.
At all time points, liking of sweetness, saltiness, thirst-quenching ability, and overall liking was higher for the TS and PL compared to the ORS (p < 0.05).
However, the saltiness liking and thirst-quenching ability of the ORS increased after 60 min of exercise compared to before exercise (p < 0.05).
Bell SK et al. · Journal of strength and conditioning research (2025)
Borderline
During this randomized, single-blind, cross-over study, 8 recreational athletes (7 men, 1 woman; 22.3 ± 0.4 years and 48.2 ± 2.2 ml min kg -1 V̇ o2 max), cycled at 70% V̇ o2 max for 60 minutes until dehydrated by 1.36 ± 0.1% (1.07 ± 0.1 kg) of initial body mass (BM).
During separate trials, subjects ingested 1 of 3 electrolyte beverages: FW, CW, or CES in volumes equivalent to 150% of BM lost.
After rehydration, FW produced statistically greater total urine output (530 ± 119.2 ml) compared with CW (170 ± 35.8 ml) and CES (170 ± 35.8 ml), p < 0.05.