Label Comparison

LMNT vs Re-Lyte: same lane, different brand voices

Both are high-sodium, zero-sugar electrolyte powders, and they share the same magnesium-malate form. The differences are at the margins: Re-Lyte adds calcium, doubles potassium, and undercuts on price; LMNT has the tighter brand and flavor system.

Published 2026-04-28·By Croix

Lyte Lab compares published labels, ingredient disclosures, package economics, and formula categories. It does not recommend a product for your health, diet, medications, symptoms, training, or hydration needs.

Formula summary

Re-Lyte if the formula matters most and you'll save the $0.70 per serving. LMNT if the flavor system, brand support, and pre-portioned travel sticks are what gets you to actually drink electrolytes consistently.

Side-by-side: per-serving label

Metric	LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix	Redmond Re-Lyte Hydration
Sodium	1000mg	810mg
Potassium	200mg	400mg
Magnesium	60mg (magnesium malate)	50mg (magnesium malate)
Calcium	—	60mg
Zinc	—	—
Sugar / carbs	0g	0g
Calories	0 kcal	0 kcal
Format	powder	powder
Per-serving price	$1.50	$0.77
Package price	$45.00	$45.99

The honest read

Structurally these are the closest pairing in this comparison set. Both LMNT and Re-Lyte are zero-sugar, high-sodium electrolyte powders, and both use magnesium malate. The macro differences are small but real: Re-Lyte runs 810mg sodium vs LMNT's 1000mg, doubles the potassium (400mg vs 200mg), adds 60mg calcium that LMNT skips, and is cheaper per serving at current jar pricing.

On brand, LMNT is the clear winner. Robb Wolf's keto-and-athletic positioning is dialed, the flavor system (Citrus, Watermelon, Raspberry Salt) has had years of R&D investment, and the brand-direct customer support and stick-pack distribution are genuinely good. Re-Lyte has the Redmond Real Salt geological story — interesting and editorially defensible, even if the trace-mineral functional claim is mostly cosmetic at consumption doses. The flavor system is decent (Lemon-Lime and Watermelon are the strong SKUs), but it's not LMNT-tier dialed.

On price, Re-Lyte's $0.80 per serving versus LMNT's $1.50 is the most material difference. For a daily user that's a $250-300 annual delta. Compared to the DIY version of either at ~10¢ per serving from bulk minerals, both are paying for brand and flavor work — Re-Lyte just charges less for the same set of choices. The Real Salt premium is small once you back out the package economics and the brand markup.

For reverse engineering, Re-Lyte is the more mineral-complete label and LMNT is the higher-sodium label with more polished stick-pack branding. The DIY version of either lands around 10 cents per serving before flavor work, with room to model magnesium-form swaps as an ingredient experiment.

Formula profiles

LMNT label profile

LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix

·You like the brand voice, flavor system, and pre-portioned travel sticks.
·1000mg sodium per stick, higher than Re-Lyte's 810mg.
·You want the more dialed-in flavor work — LMNT's R&D investment shows.
·You don't mind paying ~$0.70 per serving more for the brand experience.

Re-Lyte label profile

Redmond Re-Lyte Hydration

·You want the more thorough formula — calcium added, double the potassium.
·You want to save ~$0.70 per serving (~$250+/year for daily users).
·You like the Redmond Real Salt geological narrative.
·You're okay with a slightly less polished flavor system in exchange for a more complete electrolyte profile.

Or skip both — label-matched DIY versions are ~5-10¢/serving

Both formulas are reproducible from bulk minerals at a fraction of retail. Lyte Lab has tool-generated DIY recipes for each, with shopping lists and per-ingredient SKU links.

DIY LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix

Save $1.43/serving · ~95% off retail

DIY Redmond Re-Lyte Hydration

Save $0.70/serving · ~91% off retail

Or build a custom mix in the builder

Frequently asked

Is the Redmond Real Salt geology actually doing anything in Re-Lyte?+

At consumption doses, no. A 6.5g serving of Re-Lyte derives most of its sodium from Redmond Real Salt; 99%+ of that salt is NaCl. The trace minerals (iron, manganese, copper, zinc, etc.) are present at microgram levels — several orders of magnitude below daily RDAs. They're real (mass spec detects them), but they're not contributing to a meaningful dose. The minerals that matter for an electrolyte product (Na, K, Mg, Ca) are added separately as bulk salts and citrates, not derived from the Real Salt itself. The geology is honest, but the functional claim is mostly marketing.

Both use magnesium malate — does either get a meaningful dose?+

Both are in the same small-but-real territory. LMNT has 60mg malate; Re-Lyte has 50mg. Both are meaningful as small contributions against a 320-420mg daily RDA, especially if stacked across 2-3 servings. Neither is a substitute for a dedicated 200-400mg malate or glycinate supplement if magnesium specifically is what you're after.

Why does Re-Lyte have calcium when LMNT doesn't?+

It's mostly editorial. Calcium is a real but secondary sweat-loss mineral — typical losses are 5-15mg per liter of sweat, an order of magnitude below sodium. Re-Lyte's 60mg per serving is too small to meaningfully move daily intake against a 1000mg/day target, but it's structurally honest as a sweat-loss replacement. LMNT's choice to skip it is also reasonable — calcium isn't a primary loss in athletic sweat, and the formula sheet is cleaner without it. Both are defensible decisions.

What's the actual flavor difference?+

LMNT's flavor R&D is more dialed — Citrus, Watermelon, and Raspberry Salt are particularly clean. Re-Lyte's Lemon-Lime and Watermelon are decent but lean a touch saltier and have a slight stevia edge that LMNT mostly avoids. Both are way better than DIY-from-bulk-minerals, which tastes medicinal until you spend time on flavor. If flavor is the limiting factor for adherence (will you actually drink it?), LMNT's edge is worth the price premium for some users.

Can I substitute one for the other one-for-one?+

At the label level, they are close but not identical. Going from LMNT to Re-Lyte changes sodium by -190mg, potassium by +200mg, calcium by +60mg, and magnesium by -10mg per serving. Lyte Lab treats those as formula deltas rather than a personal substitution recommendation.

What's the DIY version of both?+

Roughly identical at the mineral level — 800-1000mg sodium from a 60/40 blend of table salt and sodium citrate, 200-400mg potassium from KCl, 50-60mg of magnesium malate (or glycinate for better tolerance), and 0-60mg of calcium citrate. Bulk cost lands in the 8-10¢ range. The DIY Lyte Lab builder lets you set the macros to either profile and swap form choices, including upgrading to magnesium glycinate at the same dose if tolerance is the priority.

Sources & references

Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations (Walker et al, 2003) — PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Real Salt Trace Mineral Analysis — Redmond Heritage
Magnesium — Health Professional Fact Sheet — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Sodium — Health Professional Fact Sheet — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements