After seeing a social media post where another dietitian was talking about a woman who had basically OD’d on LiquidIV, I thought this topic needed some attention. Read on to find out what electrolytes are and when I recommend you consume them.
What are electrolytes?
Think of electrolytes as charged minerals. They’re minerals we need every day that take on either a positive or negative charge when dissolved in water. These charges are important to maintain balance in the body, contract our muscles, and fire off dozens of chemical reactions.
These are: sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, calcium and phosphate.
Why do people say electrolytes are “more hydrating” than water?
Electrolytes, mainly sodium and potassium, help maintain fluid balance in our cells. Your body wants each cell to have a certain amount of water inside and outside of it; an imbalance either way can trigger dehydration or over-hydration symptoms. The presence of electrolytes helps regulate this balance.
So if you are particularly sweaty or dehydrated, just rehydrating with water and not electrolytes (this can be from food, by the way, and doesn’t have to be a supplement), is only a piece of the puzzle.
Do you need electrolytes?
Likely, no. Any situation that would accelerate sweat losses such as being a heavy sweater, a salty sweater (think white chalky residue on your skin), exercising for more than one hour, exercising in the heat, or not being well-trained can make the case for added electrolytes.
If you really want to know if you need electrolytes, there are two things you can pay attention to. Let’s start with the easy one: urine color. Dark urine and infrequent bathroom trips indicates dehydration. A pale yellow (“light lemonade”) color is the best indicator of ideal fluid balance. Completely clear urine or always going to the bathroom can indicate over-hydration.
Second, you can track your sweat losses after exercise. The only time it would be beneficial to weigh yourself after a workout is if you’re tracking sweat loss. This will give you an indicator of your fluid losses because during exercise, the weight you might lose is just fluid. Here are some estimated losses per pound lost:
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Potassium: 100 mg
- Magnesium: 5 mg
- Chloride: 700 mg
- Calcium: 10 mg
- Phosphate: trace
Lastly, pay attention to how you’re feeling. If you experience frequent headaches, fatigue or lethargy those are also signs of dehydration.
Can you overdo it with electrolytes?
YES. I often counsel against the consumption of things – particularly drinks – that claim to “rebalance” your body. Things that claim to optimize your body’s pH, hormones, metabolism, gut, etc. are useless at best and dangerous at worst. If used incorrectly, electrolyte supplements can fall into this category.
The symptoms of electrolyte imbalance—either high or low—tend to be the same. Look out for:
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Heart arrhythmia
- Muscle spasms or cramps
- Numbness or tingling in limbs, fingers and toes
The symptoms above are sort of nonspecific, meaning they could be contributed to other conditions as well. This is why it’s so important to pay attention to your body and your habits so you can determine what might be causing symptoms you’re experiencing.
What are the takeaways?
- You do not need electrolytes in your drink all day every day. In fact, I recommend against it. Regular water intake plus regular, healthy meals will provide the nutrients and fluid you need.
- If you are a heavy sweater, exercise for long periods of time or work/exercise in the heat often, consider taking note of your urine output or sweat losses to determine if you need additional electrolytes.
- Food first, always. Make sure you fuel properly. Electrolytes do not equal energy. Only calories equal energy. Calories are a literal unit of energy! Whole foods will provide minerals you need.
- Spread everything out throughout the day, including food and water. Do not give your body too much to process at once.