Water makes up 60% to 70% of our bodies, so staying properly hydrated matters.
SHIFTED Hydration is a groundbreaking new supplement from the innovative supplement company SHIFTED with a formulation backed by science that promises to refresh, rebalance, and rejuvenate the body for better function and performance.
What’s the Verdict? SHIFTED’s Hydration Supplement stands out as one of the best-value products on the market, due to its full complement of electrolytes and clinically effective dosage.
SHIFTED Hydration Supplement—Key Takeaways
- This electrolyte-rich hydration supplement is specially formulated with the ideal dosages of six different kinds of essential minerals to rebalance the fluids in the body for better hydration and overall wellness.
- Not one but three hydrating agents work together to rebalance fluids and electrolytes to better hydrate and refresh the body.
- With SHIFTED Hydration, you’re getting a premium product for a mid-range price point that significantly undercuts the cost per dose of top competitors.
SHIFTED Hydration Supplement Review Score: 49/50
Flavor: 9/10
Available in Strawberry Kiwi and Lime Margarita flavors, SHIFTED Hydration is a refreshing electrolyte drink with a taste as good as its results.
Value: 10/10
For the quality and strength of its formulation, SHIFTED Hydration offers one of the best values on the market. Per dose, the supplement costs 10% to 15% less than some of the most widely recognizable hydration supplements out there—all the while delivering more for your money.
Strength of formula: 10/10
For a hydration supplement to make a difference, its formulation must contain sufficient amounts of each ingredient to have a clinically significant effect on the body. What makes SHIFTED Hydration built for better is the formula that brings together complete dosages of each electrolyte and hydrating agent.
Quality of ingredients: 10/10
Every ingredient in SHIFTED Hydration serves a purpose. There are no proprietary blends here, just a strategic combination of high-quality ingredients backed by science.
Experience: 10/10
Maximum hydration is exactly what you can expect from SHIFTED’s electrolyte-filled supplement. Prepare to feel refreshed and rejuvenated inside and out when you quench your thirst with this hydration supplement.
Our Favorite Thing About the SHIFTED Hydration Supplement
We love that the formulation of SHIFTED Hydration is based on the latest scientific data.
The supplement is formulated with the ideal doses of three scientifically-proven hydration agents and six essential electrolytes. Every active ingredient has earned a place in SHIFTED’s formulation because of credible evidence of its benefits.
Key Takeaway: Most hydration supplements on the market offer ineffective doses at inflated price points, but SHIFTED Hydration does the opposite — you’ll get clinically effective doses of electrolytes at an approachable cost
The Scientific Evidence on Electrolytes and Dehydration
Much of the research that has informed the development of SHIFTED Hydration relates to the importance of electrolytes—particularly, including a variety of them (not only sodium) and including them in the dosages needed to achieve the best possible hydration.
According to an article published in the journal Applied Sciences in September 2021, consuming an electrolyte drink “before and after exhaustive exercise increased body capacity to retain water, improved exercise ability, and reduced exercise-related fatigue.”
In another September 2021 research article, this time published in the journal Nutrients, researchers concluded that the consumption of electrolytes in the range normally included in sports drinks “appear to make the greatest contribution in elevating the [beverage hydration index] compared to the addition of macronutrients” like protein and carbohydrates.
However, this study highlighted the importance of the dosage of electrolytes. The researchers behind this study noted that the level of electrolytes included in the average sports drink “does not necessarily yield a significantly greater [beverage hydration index]” than water, although “beverages that contain higher sodium… are observed to have higher [beverage hydration index] relative to water.” In other words, the dosages of electrolytes found in many sports drinks are simply not sufficient to provide the full potential benefits electrolytes offer with regard to hydration.
An August 2021 article published in the journal Applied Sciences concluded that the “intake of electrolyte water is more effective than the intake of regular water in preventing a decrease in [body weight] and serum electrolytes.” The researchers behind this study elaborated that consuming electrolytes also “is more effective in improving exercise ability and recovery ability.”
Although these recent studies have shed light on the significance of including a range of electrolytes—at strong enough dosages to make clinically significant impacts—the importance of electrolytes in hydration after exercise has been acknowledged for decades.
In its 1996 Position Stand on Exercise and Fluid Replacement, the American College of Sports Medicine stated that the “addition of proper amounts of carbohydrates and/or electrolytes to a fluid replacement solution is recommended for exercise events of duration greater than 1 [hour]” and, further, that such supplementation “may enhance performance.”
Key Takeaway: The research is clear. Electrolytes are hugely beneficial to athletes and fitness enthusiasts, but only when dosed optimally.
The Science Behind SHIFTED Hydration’s Three Hydrating Agents
When it comes to maximizing hydration, three agents—each with their own properties and mechanisms of action—are better than one.
The research identifying taurine as a “regulator of fluid-electrolyte balance” dates back to at least 1997, when scientists published the results of their study in an article in the international academic journal Annales Academiae Medicae Stetinensis. More recently, research has continued to explore even more benefits of taurine for sports and exercise, as a 2021 article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition reported.
The researchers behind a small study from which the findings were published in a January 2017 article in the International Journal of Health Sciences and Research “concluded that coconut water has a better effect on the performance as compared to plain water.”
Pomegranate juice has been shown to confer numerous health benefits, particularly pertaining to exercise, as researchers concluded in articles published in Nutrients in 2017 and Nutrition & Metabolism in 2020.
Among these benefits are improving hydration and naturally supplying electrolytes. In a 2019 article published in the journal Nutrients, researchers concluded that “pomegranate extract improves maximal performance of trained cyclists after an exhausting endurance trial.”
Key Takeaway: Not only does SHIFTED Hydration offer optimal dosage of 6 crucial electrolytes, but it also offers pomegranate juice which has been proven to give athletes a boost to exercise performance.
What Are the Benefits of the SHIFTED Hydration Supplement?
SHIFTED Hydration promises to maximize the body’s ability to hydrate and facilitate exercise recovery.
Taken before or after high-intensity workouts, endurance exercise, or physical labor in the hot sun, the clinically-supported dosages of electrolytes and hydrating agents will leave you refreshed and rejuvenated.
Does It Actually Work?
The science behind SHIFTED Hydration’s formulation is clear: optimal doses of each of the most essential electrolytes, combined with the balanced formulation of three hydrating agents, improve overall hydration.
Most other brands on the hydration supplement market contain markedly lower dosages of these critical electrolytes—if they include them at all—and miss out on the benefits of a blend of hydrating agents. We can say with confidence that SHIFTED Hydration not only works but also that it takes advantage of scientifically proven ingredients its competitors lack.
SHIFTED Hydration Supplement Formulation
A unique formulation is what makes SHIFTED Hydration stand out from its competitors on the multibillion-dollar electrolyte hydration drink market.
What’s in a Hydration Supplement?
Most hydration supplements include some electrolytes, but not the broad spectrum of electrolytes found in SHIFTED Hydration or the clinical doses of these ingredients that are needed for maximum hydration.
SHIFTED Hydration Supplement Ingredients
The standout ingredients that make up the SHIFTED Hydration formulation include three hydrating agents—taurine, coconut water, and pomegranate juice powder—and a total of six essential electrolytes, each included in the proper dosages required for superior hydration.
| SHIFTED Hydration Ingredients | Dose |
| Taurine | 1,000 mg |
| Coconut Water Powder | 500 mg |
| Pomegranate Juice Powder | 500 mg |
| Sodium Chloride | 280 mg |
| Potassium Citrate | 200 mg |
| Calcium Citrate | 80 mg |
| Dicalcium Phosphorus | 30 mg |
| Magnesium Citrate | 60 mg |
| Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) | 40 mg |
| Zinc Citrate | 4 mg |
Taurine
The naturally occurring amino acid taurine has been linked to many exercise benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties, increased energy metabolism, and improved efficiency and performance in endurance and high-intensity training. What prompts taurine’s inclusion in the formulation of SHIFTED Hydration is its success as a hydrating agent due to its ability to regulate the balance of electrolytes and fluid in the body. With 1,000 mg of the naturally effective ingredient, each scoop of SHIFTED Hydration serves up a clinically significant dose of taurine.
Coconut Water Powder
Coconut water—not to be confused with coconut milk—is a clear, low-sugar, low-calorie juice derived from coconuts. It’s naturally filled with electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, and calcium that promote better hydration, Medical News Today reported.
Pomegranate Juice Powder
The superfood pomegranate, too, includes a blend of essential electrolytes among the nutrients it provides. SHIFTED Hydration is packed with 500 milligrams of pomegranate juice powder to refresh and rebalance the body after even the most demanding workout.
Essential Electrolytes
What really sets SHIFTED Hydration apart from other hydration supplements on the market is its optimal dosage of six essential electrolytes. In the supplement’s formulation, you will find beneficial doses of the following electrolytes:
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Sodium Chloride (both sodium and chloride)
- Potassium
- Zinc
Chances are, you’ve heard of electrolytes in connection with sports drinks like Gatorade and the children’s oral rehydration solution Pedialyte. However, it might surprise you to learn that most hydration supplements on the market either drastically under-dose several of these ingredients that are so critical to achieving peak hydration or leave them out of their formulation entirely.
Sub Par Electrolyte Dosing in Big Brands
Even some of the biggest brands on the market fail to include in their hydration supplements the variety and strengths of electrolytes that scientific research has established are needed for better hydration. For example, Liquid I.V.’s Hydration Multiplier even markets itself as an “electrolyte drink mix,” yet only sodium and potassium and potassium on its nutrition facts label (calcium is also listed but in the amount of 0 mg).
Unlike other brands, SHIFTED Hydration’s formulation doesn’t skimp on the electrolytes that, according to the latest scientific research findings, are necessary to achieve better hydration.
Let’s take a step back. What are electrolytes, anyway? Why do they matter?
Electrolytes and Why They Matter
The National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus describes electrolytes as electrically charged minerals in the blood, tissues, urine, and other body fluids. Electrolytes are critical for muscle function and for balancing the acidity of the blood and the amount of water in the body, among other functions. Electrolytes affect the heart, the brain, the muscles, and the nerves by conducting electrical signals through the body. They move both nutrients and waste into and out of the cells that make up the body.
You need electrolytes to live, and you need to maintain the right levels of each of these important minerals for your body to function at its best.
Sweating can cause you to lose electrolytes. Although everyone needs electrolytes, athletes, avid gym-goers, other types of exercise enthusiasts, and people whose work frequently leaves them sweating in the hot sun are the ones most likely to benefit from consuming SHIFTED Hydration’s blend of half a dozen essential electrolytes.
The Quality and Strength of SHIFTED Hydration’s Ingredients
As electrolytes go, too many hydration supplements and sports drinks focus primarily on sodium, either underdosing or completely ignoring other important electrolytes. SHIFTED Hydration avoids this pitfall by integrating the ideal dosages of six essential electrolytes.
In every scoop, you’ll get 2% of your daily value of phosphorus, 4% of your daily value of potassium, 6% of your daily value of calcium, 12% of your daily value of sodium chloride, 14% of your daily value of magnesium, and 36% of your daily value of zinc.
The triple hydrating agents of taurine, coconut water, and pomegranate juice powder fill the formulation with clinical doses of nourishing, naturally electrolyte-rich ingredients that are scientifically proven to provide a range of health benefits.
When you’re looking to refresh, rebalance, hydrate, and rejuvenate the body, SHIFTED Hydration’s unparalleled formulation of scientifically proven ingredients delivered at optimal dosages provides meaningful results.
We also love that the supplement is gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan-friendly.
Bottom Line: SHIFTED Hydration offers all the high-impact ingredients we wanted to see. And these ingredients are all dosed optimally, so the product offers major value.
Who Should Use the SHIFTED Hydration Supplement?
The simple yet powerful formulation of SHIFTED Hydration makes the supplement beneficial to anyone who wants to take the critical step toward better health by boosting hydration—that is, anyone who wants to feel their best on a daily basis.
We would especially recommend this hydration supplement for endurance athletes, who lose a comparably large amount of electrolytes through sweat when they exercise for a long duration. Runners, cyclists, and any exercise enthusiasts who are prone to developing muscle cramps are particularly likely to benefit from the added hydration. Multiple research studies in recent years, including one published in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine in 2019 and one published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2021, have discovered that drinking electrolyte drinks like SHIFTED Hydration rather than water may help prevent muscle cramps associated with exercise and exercise-induced dehydration.
SHIFTED Hydration is a supplement that has just as much to offer fitness freaks, workers in physically demanding jobs like roofing or construction, and anyone obsessed with “biohacks” that enhance the body through the principles of biology.
Who Shouldn’t Use the SHIFTED Hydration Supplement?
Hydration matters for overall health, and that’s true no matter your level of physical activity or your working conditions. Is there anyone who shouldn’t use a balanced hydration supplement like SHIFTED Hydration?
For the most part, even if you don’t have a critical need to replenish lost electrolytes, drinking sports drinks and hydration supplements in moderation won’t harm you. Still, it is possible to develop an imbalance of electrolytes in the body due to consuming too much of these minerals. It’s always a good idea to consult your doctor prior to adding a new supplement to your diet or routine. The makers of SHIFTED Hydration particularly recommend talking to a doctor first if you are under the age of 18 or have any medical conditions, including being pregnant or breastfeeding.
SHIFTED Hydration Supplement Flavor Review: How Does It Taste?
SHIFTED Hydration comes in two flavors that have been described as “amazing”: Strawberry Kiwi and Lime Margarita.
They are both delicious!
When it comes to hydration supplements, taste really matters. It’s much easier to make great-tasting electrolyte drinks part of your regular routine—even on non-training days—than to force yourself to drink a supplement with a bland or bad taste. SHIFTED Hydration’s flavors have exactly the refreshing taste you crave when you need to hydrate.
SHIFTED Hydration Supplement Price and Buying Options
At a price point of $39.99 for a 30-serving supply, the cost per dose for SHIFTED Hydration works out to around $1.34.
To compare, a 30-serving supply of LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix is listed at $45.00, or $1.50 per serving. That’s an increase of more than 10% over the cost per dose of SHIFTED Hydration—for a formulation that’s missing some of the main ingredients that make SHIFTED so effective.
Competitor Liquid I.V. charges even more per dose of its Hydration Multiplier. The $24.99 list price is for just 16 servings, bringing the cost per dose to $1.56—more than 15% above SHIFTED Hydration’s cost per dose.
Granted, SHIFTED Hydration isn’t the cheapest hydration supplement on the market. Nuun Daily Hydration, for example, costs just $6.99 for 10 servings, or around $0.70 per dose, and the Sport Hydration Drink Mix from Skratch Labs is $21.95 for a resealable bag of 20 servings (around $1.10 per dose). For what you get in the formulation, though—both the quality and strength of key, science-backed ingredients—you’re unlikely to find a better value than SHIFTED Hydration.
*Prices listed above are accurate as of 2023.
What Are the Side Effects of SHIFTED Hydration Supplement?
Most people taking hydration supplements and electrolyte drinks at or below the recommended dosages experience few, if any, major side effects. Some of the side effects that have been reported with electrolyte supplements, in general, include flushing, alterations in consciousness, and gastrointestinal symptoms like gas and diarrhea.
Key Takeaway: To reduce the likelihood of side effects, don’t use more than the recommended amount of any hydration supplement. Stop use and consult a doctor if you notice side effects that interfere with your life.
SHIFTED Hydration Supplement Pros and Cons
Pros:
- With six essential electrolytes included in the formula in dosages scientifically proven to be effective, SHIFTED Hydration overcomes the limitations of many hydration supplements on the market, which use fewer electrolytes and smaller, less beneficial dosages.
- Taurine, coconut water, and pomegranate juice powder make up the triad of hydrating agents in SHIFTED Hydration that have been scientifically proven to improve hydration.
- For the quality of its ingredients and formulation, SHIFTED Hydration is one of the best values on the market, costing less than big names like Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier and LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix.
Cons:
- SHIFTED Hydration is available in fewer flavors than competing products like Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier, LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix, and Nuun Daily Hydration.
- The $1.34 cost per dose puts the price point for SHIFTED Hydration above that of hydration supplements of some competitors, like Nuun and Skratch Labs.
What’s the Verdict?
The folks at SHIFTED have hit a home run with SHIFTED Hydration contains a blend of excellent ingredients at just the right dosages to achieve maximum hydration.
Whether you’re spending hours at the gym or days working outside in the sun—or you’re just eager to give your body the boost of hydration it needs to feel and perform at its best each day—each scoop of SHIFTED Hydration contains everything you need in an electrolyte drink.
