Should You Be Drinking ‘Stacked Water’?

The Trend: WaterTok, the corner of social media dedicated to developing new and exciting ways to drink H₂O, is strangely popular. And its latest obsession is “stacked water.” Simply put, it’s plain water boosted with add-ons like creatine or collagen to create a drink with health benefits beyond simple hydration.

What People Are Saying: Fans call it a customizable “super water” that targets everything from gut health to muscle recovery. Nutrition experts aren’t totally dismissing it either. But the real win is palatability — if your water tastes good, you’re more likely to drink it. That said, most people don’t actually need the extra supplements, and going overboard with things like electrolytes and collagen can cause digestive issues if you’re not careful.

What to Know: This isn’t exactly a new idea, as a squeeze of lemon does basically the same thing. And hospitals have been adding Crystal Light to water for years to get patients to drink more. So if stacked water helps you hit your hydration goals, keep it up. Just don’t go overboard with your add-ins or write off plain water completely.