Electrolytes and supplement options are a prominent conversation around active and sedentary lifestyles alike, as users look to boost their sodium levels post-workout or increase magnesium to improve sleep quality.
However, there are many factors to consider when assessing whether there is a need to monitor electrolytes more closely.
Balanced minerals
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As essential minerals, electrolytes fuel many body functions, with their ionic charges helping regulate chemical reactions and impulses between organs, and balance fluids in and around your cells, as the Cleveland Clinic explains.
Hydration is a key function that electrolytes help maintain. Nerve and muscle function, nutrient and waste transport, heart rate and rhythm, bone and teeth health, and blood pressure and blood glucose also correlate with different electrolyte levels.
There is no question that electrolytes are important to functionality and homeostasis in the body; however, moderation is key to reaping these benefits. Both excessive and insufficient levels of these electrolytes can have serious consequences.
Sodium, the most prevalent electrolyte in the body, aids cellular osmosis to maintain a balance in fluids. When sodium overconcentrates in the body, fluids are moved out of the cells to equalize the concentration, which Nursing Fundamentals shares can lead to cell shrinkage and symptoms of dehydration and headaches. In scarcity or excess, it can also lead to symptoms of confusion, behavior changes, unusually weak or strong reflexes, loss of muscle control, seizures and coma.
Other types of electrolytes, such as magnesium, calcium and potassium, can cause changes to heart rate and muscle function when they are out of equilibrium. The electrolyte bicarbonate, derived from recycled carbon dioxide, is used to balance the body’s pH levels by reducing acid. Problems such as nausea and fatigue can result from acidity being too high or too low, requiring electrolytes to act as a stabilizing force.
Dizziness and trouble breathing, digestive problems, bone and joint pain, and kidney stones and failure are also possible symptoms of imbalanced electrolytes.
Considering the range of impact, finding electrolytes in needed quantities remains a priority to maintain good health.
Natural remedies
Electrolytes are lost through the transfer of bodily fluids, such as sweat and urine, leading to a constant need to replenish. Professional dieticians, nutritionists and other medical professionals commonly agree that with a proper diet, individuals can regularly get the correct amount of electrolytes they need to sustain their body’s functions.
Mayo Clinic shares that individuals get their electrolytes with a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and adequate fluids.
In case of any discrepancies, tests such as metabolic panels and various kinds of blood tests, urine tests and osmolality tests can identify the levels of different electrolytes in the body.
For those who find they are lacking electrolytes, they can focus on consuming foods such as beans, dark chocolate, fatty fish, olives, pickle juice, seaweed and beverages such as milk, orange juice and coconut water. They can also look into foods that are rich in a particular electrolyte.
Broths, such as bone broth, provide a high-sodium option for post-workout recovery.
Potassium and magnesium can be found in fruits such as bananas, oranges, strawberries and watermelon, as well as vegetables including avocados, spinach and sweet potatoes, to strengthen bones, regulate muscle function and improve overall sleep.
Milk, yogurt and other dairy products also contain potassium, along with calcium, while almonds, peanuts and pumpkin supply magnesium.
The supplement discussion
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Electrolyte supplements, such as sports drinks, powders and tablets, also exist to mitigate the depletion of electrolytes, though it is recommended they are used in moderation.
For example, while some electrolytes can be more challenging to get without the proper diet, the American Heart Association (AHA) shares that is not the case for sodium, as Americans, on average, overconsume sodium through salt – often consuming 3,400 mg. per day compared to the ideal daily limit of 1,500 mg. Many popular sports drinks are often high in sodium and simple sugars for quick energy boosts, and when overconsumed, can lead to a variety of health problems. Electrolyte powders function similarly, often packed with sugar and sodium as well as potassium to a lesser extent.
Specific kinds of sports drinks, such as those targeting rehydration over enhancing athletic performance, may contain less additives, but likewise have fewer minerals.
As the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s The Nutrition Source explains, sports drinks claiming to supply electrolytes typically use trace amounts of the minerals while also having high amounts of calories, carbohydrates and caffeine. These additional ingredients can be helpful to people recovering from prolonged illness or extensive, high-intensity exercise, or who have conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) that deplete electrolytes more quickly, but less so for other individuals whose health and hydration levels would most benefit from plain water.
Other individuals who may benefit from electrolyte supplements include people who work outside or spend time outside in high temperatures and may sweat out more electrolytes, as well as those who are on diuretics or experiencing gastrointestinal issues.
Individuals who are pregnant, have kidney disease or take specialized medications such as blood pressure medication should speak with a medical professional before taking any supplements.
Jane Dimel is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at jdimel@cityscenemediagroup.com.
