by Nate Widom
You’ve seen your favorite athletes drink them as they’re dripping in sweat, and you’ve probably seen them consumed all over your gym. Sports drinks and beverages marketed to help replenish lost electrolytes are everywhere, but who actually needs them and when? According to registered dietitian Jeannie Versagli, most people won’t need these drinks, and there are more practical options for the general population.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are nutrients – usually minerals – that hold a slight electrical charge and occur naturally in many foods we eat. Some common electrolytes include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and phosphorus. In our bodies, they act as electrical conductors stimulating many bodily functions. These include regulating your fluid balance and nervous system function, transmitting nerve signals to the heart, stimulating heart muscles, building tissue, and regulating pH levels.
As Jeannie explains it, electrolytes in your body are like the battery in your car – without enough charge, you can’t go very far.
When you’re low on electrolytes, you may feel tired and/or experience numbness, brain fog, muscle cramping, headaches, and heart palpitations. Many of these symptoms are also symptoms of dehydration. Because electrolytes become conductive when dissolved in water, electrolytes and proper hydration work hand-in-hand. Your electrolyte balance won’t be optimal if you don’t have enough water.
And because of this relationship, it may be unclear to know what you need. Say you’re experiencing fatigue. Sure, you may feel like you need water, but maybe you only need electrolytes. You may need both, or perhaps you just need to drink more. Confusing, I know. Jeannie notes that if you have been eating during the day, chances are you’re only dehydrated and not lacking electrolytes. Should you feel unwell, she recommends drinking water first and then moving to foods or drinks with electrolytes if things don’t improve.
Who should drink sports drinks?
The Cleveland Clinic recommends electrolyte-replenishing products for times you sweat (like a long workout or when you’re out on a hot day) or during an illness that may cause dehydration.1 Drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, and Pedialyte will help in those circumstances. But for most of the general population, they’re unnecessary.
You may not require additional electrolytes if you work out for an hour or less. After all, electrolytes are naturally found in nutritious food to begin with, so you’ll likely have what you need with a healthy diet and hydration. “I go back to my usual thing,” Jeannie says. “If you eat healthy foods and you hydrate, there’s no need for you to go buy Gatorade and drink these things.” However, if you increase your workout to more than an hour, you’ll most likely want more electrolytes—no matter how well you eat or drink.
The CDC has a formula to determine how much fluids you lost during exercise:3
Sweating rate =
pre-exercise body weight
–
post-exercise body weight
+
fluid intake
urine volume/exercise time in hours
And if you’re sick or experiencing gastrointestinal upset, hydration is critical to help the body function. Blowing your nose, sweating from a fever, and vomiting or diarrhea can cause significant fluid loss.2 “If you have any kind of GI stress or the flu, the most important thing is to hydrate ASAP because what balances the body and the electrolytes is fluid,” Jeannie explains. If you happen to be in this position, Jeannie recommends Pedialyte or chicken soup. These foods provide the much-needed electrolytes in the appropriate ratio to improve hydration quickly.
Nonetheless, Jeannie stresses that recommendations will vary from person to person. “Some people when working out are dripping wet,” she says. “And that’s the challenge to all of this. As much as we’re alike, we’re different.” To determine what you need, you must listen to your body. You don’t want too much or too little electrolytes.
Alternatives to Electrolyte Drinks
Getting nutrients from dietary sources is generally preferable to getting them from supplements. Plus, electrolyte drinks are processed and can be very high in sugar and calories. Should you need electrolytes, Jeannie recommends these alternatives for the general population.
Milk: Jeannie mentions that milk contains just the ideal amount of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium for your body. Additionally, milk has carbohydrates and proteins which help, too. It’s important to note that nut-based milk generally doesn’t offer the same variety of electrolytes as animal milk.
Coconut Water: Jeannie likes coconut water because it offers “a good amount of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fluoride.” While the level of most of these nutrients in coconut water is small, it’s just the right amount of nutrients to bring your body to what it needs. Coconut water is also alkaline and not acidic. In layperson’s terms, if you suffer from acid reflux, your body will absorb coconut water better.
Other good sources of electrolytes include spinach, kale, broccoli, avocados, almonds, peanuts, watermelon, oranges, bananas, tomatoes, yogurt, fish, turkey, chicken, and olives.
It’s always important to note your activity level and well-being. Perhaps next time, you may need to reconsider that Gatorade.
References:
- health.clevelandclinic.org/too-many-electrolytes/
- washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/11/05/what-do-doctors-mean-when-they-say-drink-plenty-fluids/
- cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/extreme/Heat_Illness/Sweat%20Rate%20Calculation.pdf
