Do Hockey Players Need Electrolytes? What Sweat Studies Show

Do hockey players need electrolytes? CLE Advanced Micronutrient Drops bottle

Do hockey players need electrolytes? For most competitive players, yes, especially in long or hard sessions. In one study of elite junior players, sweat loss averaged 3.2 L of fluid and 3.1 g of sodium in a single game, while players took in only 0.8 g of sodium. Plain water adds back fluid, not sodium.

Key takeaways

  • Elite junior players in one study lost about 3.2 L of sweat in a game and replaced about 2.1 L of it.
  • Their sodium gap was larger: about 3.1 g lost against about 0.8 g taken in.
  • Sweat loss rises with level of play, so a recreational skater and a varsity player need different plans.
  • A before-and-after weigh-in is the cheapest way to see your own fluid loss. Researchers commonly flag about 2% of body mass as the point where performance starts to fall.
  • Sodium and trace minerals do different jobs, so one does not replace the other.

Do hockey players need electrolytes during a game?

Competitive players usually benefit from electrolytes during a game because their sodium losses can far exceed what they drink back. The clearest evidence comes from on-ice measurements of real players.

A cold rink makes it easy to assume you are not losing much. The numbers say otherwise. Full equipment limits how well sweat evaporates, and repeated high-intensity shifts keep producing heat. A 2011 study in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism measured 24 elite male junior players, average age 18 and average weight 86.5 kg, during a game.

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements makes the general point in its exercise fact sheet: people doing endurance activity for more than an hour, or working in extreme environments, might need to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. A game with warm-up easily passes the one-hour mark, although hockey is intermittent rather than steady endurance work.

How much fluid and sodium do hockey players lose?

Published on-ice data show sweat losses above 3 L in a game at the elite junior level, with fluid and sodium intake falling short of those losses. These are the most useful numbers from the studies we reviewed.

Measure Result Who was studied
Sweat loss 3.2 L 24 elite male juniors, one game
Net fluid intake 2.1 L Same group
Sweat sodium loss 3.1 g (about 8 g of salt) Same group
Sodium intake 0.8 g (about 2 g of salt) Same group
Body mass loss 1.3% on average; 1.8% to 4.3% in 8 of 24 players Same group
Fluid drunk, ad libitum 788.6 mL (25.4% of needs replaced) 11 male minor pros, 2017 trial
Fluid drunk, individual plan 1,180.8 mL (35.8% of needs replaced) Same trial

Two details stand out. First, the average hides the players who need attention most: a third of the junior group lost between 1.8% and 4.3% of body mass while the group average looked modest. Second, sodium fell further behind than fluid. Those players replaced about two-thirds of their fluid but only about a quarter of their sodium.

Does level of play change how much hockey players sweat?

Yes. Researchers at the University of Guelph found that sweat loss during on-ice practice rose with level of play, with Olympic players sweating the most and recreational players the least.

The study followed female players from the Canadian Olympic team, a varsity program and a recreational league, with more than 20 players at each level. Olympic players also drank more, and half of them took in sodium and carbohydrate in their fluids. Only one varsity player and four recreational players did the same.

So do hockey players need electrolytes at every level? Not equally. If you play in a house league once a week, you may have a smaller problem than an academy or varsity player who skates hard most days. If you train at a high level, an electrolyte plan deserves more attention, and those losses repeat with every session.

How do you test your own hockey hydration plan?

Weigh yourself before and after skating. The change in body mass, adjusted for what you drank, gives a reasonable estimate of your sweat loss for that session.

  1. Weigh in wearing minimal clothing, just before you dress.
  2. Track what you drink using a marked bottle, in mL.
  3. Weigh out after you towel off, in the same minimal clothing.
  4. Work out the loss. About 1 kg of lost mass is roughly 1 L of fluid. Add the volume you drank to estimate total sweat.
  5. Compare it to 2%. University of Guelph researchers describe performance decreases beginning once a player loses more than approximately 2% of body mass in a practice or game.
  6. Repeat it across a game, a hard practice and a light skate, since each will differ.

Here is what 2% of body mass works out to at common playing weights:

  • 70 kg player: 1.4 kg
  • 80 kg player: 1.6 kg
  • 90 kg player: 1.8 kg
  • 100 kg player: 2.0 kg

A written plan can help. In a 2017 randomized trial in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, minor professional players given individual fluid plans drank significantly more than players drinking freely. Even so, they replaced only about a third of their fluid needs during play, so plan on finishing the job after the game. If you gain weight across a session, you drank more than you lost and can scale back.

For the wider picture on fluids and minerals, read why hydration is more than water.

What should hockey players look for in an electrolyte drink?

Start with sodium, since it is the electrolyte lost in the largest amount in sweat and the one measured in the data above. Once you have answered whether hockey players need electrolytes for your own level of play, the label decides the rest. Check the supplement or nutrition facts panel for sodium in mg per serving, then compare that to the volume you actually drink.

  • Sodium per bottle, not per scoop. Add up what you will drink across a full game, including intermissions.
  • Carbohydrate for hard sessions. Half of the Olympic players in the Guelph study combined sodium with carbohydrate. Long, intense games are where that pairing makes the most sense.
  • Clean-sport testing. Players in tested leagues should look for third-party programs such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport, and check the rules that apply under the WADA code.
  • A taste you will drink. The 2011 study was about drink preference as well as loss. A formula you dislike will stay in the bottle.

Where do trace minerals fit in a hockey routine?

Trace minerals sit alongside an electrolyte drink. They do not replace it. Sodium covers the large, immediate sweat loss, and a daily mineral routine addresses the smaller amounts of other elements your diet supplies over weeks and months.

That is the role of CLE Advanced Micronutrient Drops, a liquid trace mineral supplement. Twenty drops (1 mL) daily go into your water, juice, shaker or electrolyte drink, supplying 70+ naturally occurring trace elements, fulvic acid and organic acids from CLE's exclusive shale-derived mineral deposit. The drops are WADA certified (STM-WADA 250626), third-party tested and free of stimulants. They help replenish trace minerals and complement hydration, training and recovery, but they are not designed to replace the sodium you lose during a game.

One label point matters here. CLE Drops contain 19 mg of iron per serving. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists an RDA of 8 mg per day for men and postmenopausal women, 18 mg for premenopausal women, and an upper limit of 45 mg for adults. It also notes that athletes can lose additional iron, including through sweat. Add up iron from every supplement you take and from your diet, and ask your doctor if you are unsure. You can also read our review of what the research says about magnesium and performance, and how minerals connect to recovery at the cellular level.

Bottom line

Do hockey players need electrolytes? Competitive players usually do, because sodium losses in a game can far outrun what they drink back. Recreational players may need less, so weigh in and out across a few sessions, then build a sodium plan around your own numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How much do hockey players sweat in a game?

In a study of 24 elite male junior players, sweat loss averaged 3.2 L during one game. Individual results vary widely with body size, ice time and level of play, so a before-and-after weigh-in tells you more than any average.

Is water enough for hockey?

Water replaces fluid but adds almost no sodium. It may be all a player needs for a light, short skate, while long or intense sessions are where a drink containing sodium makes more sense, particularly for players who lose a lot through sweat.

Do recreational hockey players need electrolytes?

Often less than competitive players do. University of Guelph researchers found that sweat loss rose with level of play, with recreational players sweating the least, so a casual skate with moderate effort may not call for more than water.

When should hockey players drink electrolytes?

The studies cited here did not test a single best schedule, so use the natural breaks in the sport: arrive hydrated, sip on the bench, and drink at intermissions. Replace what remains after the game, and adjust the amounts using your weigh-in results.

Can trace mineral drops replace an electrolyte drink?

No. Trace mineral drops such as CLE Drops are not designed to replace the sodium a player loses in sweat. They can be added to water or an electrolyte drink as part of a daily mineral routine.

Sources

Add a daily trace mineral routine to your hockey hydration plan.

New customers: 10% off your first order with code WELCOME10

Shop CLE Drops

Coach a team or run a gym? Learn about the CLE Ambassador Program.

Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you take medication. CLE Drops contain iron; keep out of reach of children.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
← The Performance Journal
ElectrolytesHockeyHydrationSodiumSport Guides

Do Hockey Players Need Electrolytes? What Sweat Studies Show

November 02, 2026 · By CLE Drops Editorial Team
Do hockey players need electrolytes? CLE Advanced Micronutrient Drops bottle

Do hockey players need electrolytes? For most competitive players, yes, especially in long or hard sessions. In one study of elite junior players, sweat loss averaged 3.2 L of fluid and 3.1 g of sodium in a single game, while players took in only 0.8 g of sodium. Plain water adds back fluid, not sodium.

Key takeaways

  • Elite junior players in one study lost about 3.2 L of sweat in a game and replaced about 2.1 L of it.
  • Their sodium gap was larger: about 3.1 g lost against about 0.8 g taken in.
  • Sweat loss rises with level of play, so a recreational skater and a varsity player need different plans.
  • A before-and-after weigh-in is the cheapest way to see your own fluid loss. Researchers commonly flag about 2% of body mass as the point where performance starts to fall.
  • Sodium and trace minerals do different jobs, so one does not replace the other.

Do hockey players need electrolytes during a game?

Competitive players usually benefit from electrolytes during a game because their sodium losses can far exceed what they drink back. The clearest evidence comes from on-ice measurements of real players.

A cold rink makes it easy to assume you are not losing much. The numbers say otherwise. Full equipment limits how well sweat evaporates, and repeated high-intensity shifts keep producing heat. A 2011 study in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism measured 24 elite male junior players, average age 18 and average weight 86.5 kg, during a game.

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements makes the general point in its exercise fact sheet: people doing endurance activity for more than an hour, or working in extreme environments, might need to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. A game with warm-up easily passes the one-hour mark, although hockey is intermittent rather than steady endurance work.

How much fluid and sodium do hockey players lose?

Published on-ice data show sweat losses above 3 L in a game at the elite junior level, with fluid and sodium intake falling short of those losses. These are the most useful numbers from the studies we reviewed.

Measure Result Who was studied
Sweat loss 3.2 L 24 elite male juniors, one game
Net fluid intake 2.1 L Same group
Sweat sodium loss 3.1 g (about 8 g of salt) Same group
Sodium intake 0.8 g (about 2 g of salt) Same group
Body mass loss 1.3% on average; 1.8% to 4.3% in 8 of 24 players Same group
Fluid drunk, ad libitum 788.6 mL (25.4% of needs replaced) 11 male minor pros, 2017 trial
Fluid drunk, individual plan 1,180.8 mL (35.8% of needs replaced) Same trial

Two details stand out. First, the average hides the players who need attention most: a third of the junior group lost between 1.8% and 4.3% of body mass while the group average looked modest. Second, sodium fell further behind than fluid. Those players replaced about two-thirds of their fluid but only about a quarter of their sodium.

Does level of play change how much hockey players sweat?

Yes. Researchers at the University of Guelph found that sweat loss during on-ice practice rose with level of play, with Olympic players sweating the most and recreational players the least.

The study followed female players from the Canadian Olympic team, a varsity program and a recreational league, with more than 20 players at each level. Olympic players also drank more, and half of them took in sodium and carbohydrate in their fluids. Only one varsity player and four recreational players did the same.

So do hockey players need electrolytes at every level? Not equally. If you play in a house league once a week, you may have a smaller problem than an academy or varsity player who skates hard most days. If you train at a high level, an electrolyte plan deserves more attention, and those losses repeat with every session.

How do you test your own hockey hydration plan?

Weigh yourself before and after skating. The change in body mass, adjusted for what you drank, gives a reasonable estimate of your sweat loss for that session.

  1. Weigh in wearing minimal clothing, just before you dress.
  2. Track what you drink using a marked bottle, in mL.
  3. Weigh out after you towel off, in the same minimal clothing.
  4. Work out the loss. About 1 kg of lost mass is roughly 1 L of fluid. Add the volume you drank to estimate total sweat.
  5. Compare it to 2%. University of Guelph researchers describe performance decreases beginning once a player loses more than approximately 2% of body mass in a practice or game.
  6. Repeat it across a game, a hard practice and a light skate, since each will differ.

Here is what 2% of body mass works out to at common playing weights:

  • 70 kg player: 1.4 kg
  • 80 kg player: 1.6 kg
  • 90 kg player: 1.8 kg
  • 100 kg player: 2.0 kg

A written plan can help. In a 2017 randomized trial in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, minor professional players given individual fluid plans drank significantly more than players drinking freely. Even so, they replaced only about a third of their fluid needs during play, so plan on finishing the job after the game. If you gain weight across a session, you drank more than you lost and can scale back.

For the wider picture on fluids and minerals, read why hydration is more than water.

What should hockey players look for in an electrolyte drink?

Start with sodium, since it is the electrolyte lost in the largest amount in sweat and the one measured in the data above. Once you have answered whether hockey players need electrolytes for your own level of play, the label decides the rest. Check the supplement or nutrition facts panel for sodium in mg per serving, then compare that to the volume you actually drink.

  • Sodium per bottle, not per scoop. Add up what you will drink across a full game, including intermissions.
  • Carbohydrate for hard sessions. Half of the Olympic players in the Guelph study combined sodium with carbohydrate. Long, intense games are where that pairing makes the most sense.
  • Clean-sport testing. Players in tested leagues should look for third-party programs such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport, and check the rules that apply under the WADA code.
  • A taste you will drink. The 2011 study was about drink preference as well as loss. A formula you dislike will stay in the bottle.

Where do trace minerals fit in a hockey routine?

Trace minerals sit alongside an electrolyte drink. They do not replace it. Sodium covers the large, immediate sweat loss, and a daily mineral routine addresses the smaller amounts of other elements your diet supplies over weeks and months.

That is the role of CLE Advanced Micronutrient Drops, a liquid trace mineral supplement. Twenty drops (1 mL) daily go into your water, juice, shaker or electrolyte drink, supplying 70+ naturally occurring trace elements, fulvic acid and organic acids from CLE's exclusive shale-derived mineral deposit. The drops are WADA certified (STM-WADA 250626), third-party tested and free of stimulants. They help replenish trace minerals and complement hydration, training and recovery, but they are not designed to replace the sodium you lose during a game.

One label point matters here. CLE Drops contain 19 mg of iron per serving. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists an RDA of 8 mg per day for men and postmenopausal women, 18 mg for premenopausal women, and an upper limit of 45 mg for adults. It also notes that athletes can lose additional iron, including through sweat. Add up iron from every supplement you take and from your diet, and ask your doctor if you are unsure. You can also read our review of what the research says about magnesium and performance, and how minerals connect to recovery at the cellular level.

Bottom line

Do hockey players need electrolytes? Competitive players usually do, because sodium losses in a game can far outrun what they drink back. Recreational players may need less, so weigh in and out across a few sessions, then build a sodium plan around your own numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How much do hockey players sweat in a game?

In a study of 24 elite male junior players, sweat loss averaged 3.2 L during one game. Individual results vary widely with body size, ice time and level of play, so a before-and-after weigh-in tells you more than any average.

Is water enough for hockey?

Water replaces fluid but adds almost no sodium. It may be all a player needs for a light, short skate, while long or intense sessions are where a drink containing sodium makes more sense, particularly for players who lose a lot through sweat.

Do recreational hockey players need electrolytes?

Often less than competitive players do. University of Guelph researchers found that sweat loss rose with level of play, with recreational players sweating the least, so a casual skate with moderate effort may not call for more than water.

When should hockey players drink electrolytes?

The studies cited here did not test a single best schedule, so use the natural breaks in the sport: arrive hydrated, sip on the bench, and drink at intermissions. Replace what remains after the game, and adjust the amounts using your weigh-in results.

Can trace mineral drops replace an electrolyte drink?

No. Trace mineral drops such as CLE Drops are not designed to replace the sodium a player loses in sweat. They can be added to water or an electrolyte drink as part of a daily mineral routine.

Sources

Add a daily trace mineral routine to your hockey hydration plan.

New customers: 10% off your first order with code WELCOME10

Shop CLE Drops

Coach a team or run a gym? Learn about the CLE Ambassador Program.

Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you take medication. CLE Drops contain iron; keep out of reach of children.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Written by CLE Drops Editorial Team ← All articles
Fuel the work.

Concentrated fulvic minerals and 22 organic acids in one simple daily liquid. For performance, recovery and everyday wellness.

Shop CLE Drops →