One whole SportActive stick supplies the reviewed label’s 280 mg sodium. Mixing it with more water within the labeled range makes a lighter concentration while keeping the packet’s sodium amount the same. For a useful comparison, record both the whole-stick amount and the water volume. [1]
Compare the portion you will actually drink
If you mix one packet evenly into a bottle and drink half, you have consumed approximately half the packet’s sodium. If you finish the whole bottle, you have consumed the whole packet’s amount. Bottle volume, sodium concentration and sodium consumed are three different numbers; choose the one your comparison needs.
Compare sodium concentration
Example: 280 mg sodium ÷ 0.5 L mixing water = 560 mg/L. The whole packet still supplies 280 mg sodium.
Result:
A concentration calculation, not a hydration prescription. Follow the mixing range and serving directions on your actual product.
The calculator above describes concentration. Use it with the label’s mixing range, then consider the portion you plan to drink. That keeps the drink’s preparation separate from an individual hydration plan.
Start with the stick-pack label
The checked stick label lists one 9 g stick as a serving and 25 servings per container. It declares sodium 280 mg, potassium 300 mg and magnesium 100 mg per stick. The printed directions say to add one stick to 12–20 oz of water and mix thoroughly. [1][2]
These calculations use the reviewed stick-pack panel. Keeping the format and label edition in your notes makes it easier to compare another SportActive package accurately, especially if its serving uses a scoop rather than a whole stick.
Convert the water volume before dividing
Using U.S. fluid ounces, 12 fl oz is approximately 0.355 L and 20 fl oz approximately 0.591 L. “Ounces” here refers to fluid volume, not the powder’s weight. NIST’s conversion guidance distinguishes the U.S. fluid ounce from other volume units. [3]
The calculation is milligrams per packet ÷ liters of mixing water. For sodium, 280 ÷ 0.354882 is about 789 mg/L; 280 ÷ 0.591471 is about 473 mg/L. Values below use the unrounded conversions and then round to whole milligrams.
| Declared mineral | In the entire stick | Per liter using 12 fl oz water | Per liter using 20 fl oz water |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 280 mg | About 789 mg/L | About 473 mg/L |
| Potassium | 300 mg | About 845 mg/L | About 507 mg/L |
| Magnesium | 100 mg | About 282 mg/L | About 169 mg/L |
These figures use the stated water volume as the denominator. Dissolving powder can change final volume slightly, so they are practical mixing-basis estimates, not laboratory measurements of the finished drink’s exact concentration.
The amount you drink still matters
If you consume the whole prepared drink, one full stick supplies its declared 280 mg sodium whether mixed with 12 or 20 fl oz of water. More water does not create additional sodium or remove sodium from the packet.
If a fully mixed 20 fl oz drink is divided into two equal portions, each portion contains approximately half the packet’s declared sodium: 140 mg. That assumes thorough, even mixing. Drinking only half is different from drinking the entire, more diluted bottle.
The 12 fl oz preparation is 20 ÷ 12, or approximately 1.67 times as concentrated as the 20 fl oz preparation on the same water basis. It is not 1.67 times the total sodium per packet.
Keep the formula’s other entries separate
The panel also lists ingredients beyond the three minerals used in this table. A total powder weight of 9 g should not be called 9 g of electrolytes, and a blend’s weight should not be added to a mineral line as though it represented more of that same element.
Concentration is one useful part of choosing an activity drink. Duration, sweat losses, other food and drink, and individual circumstances also shape a hydration plan. NIH’s exercise-supplement review provides context for the separate activity and ingredient questions. [4]
For a drink comparison, record the mineral amount, serving count and water volume together. For example: “280 mg sodium from one stick in 20 fl oz water.” That one sentence prevents most packet-versus-liter confusion.
See the official Affiliate DisclosureSportActive stick-pack page Affiliate Disclosure for the current panel and directions. Our Supplement Facts guide explains serving bases; the concentration calculation here adds the water-volume step. For the separate conversion between sodium and salt-equivalent, see sodium vs. salt on electrolyte labels.
Sources
- Mother Earth Labs. Current SportActive stick-pack Supplement Facts and mixing directions. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Mother Earth Labs. Current SportActive 25-stick product page.
- NIST. SP 1038: The International System of Units, conversion factors.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Exercise and Athletic Performance.