The sports drink industry has introduced multiple new electrolyte-enriched hydration products in the last decade. These drinks claim to offer benefits of electrolytes in addition to replacing water.
In athletes, hydration with water alone is not enough to sustain high intensity activity. Addition of electrolytes to water allows athletes to sustain longer and recover faster. But with numerous electrolyte-based sports drinks now flooding the market, several questions arguably arise: are electrolytes beneficial in healthy adults? How to get those electrolytes from diet? What do electrolytes do for us? In this blog, we briefly try to answer some of those questions.
What are electrolytes and why do we need them?
Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that circulate within the blood and our tissues. Our body is an electrically charged machine and these electrolytes are the signals.
Different electrolytes benefit the body by controlling certain actions within the cells of our body. Loss or gain of electrolytes can change based on hydration, dietary habits and physical condition. Electrolytes circulate in the body as free ions, bound to proteins or as bound to other salts.
Electrolytes allow electrical signals to pass through the cells and elicit action. In muscle cells, this means contraction. In endocrine cells, it means secretion of enzymes. In nerves, it means transmission of a signal across to create a sensory input.
Benefits of electrolytes are universal which is why it is critical to get enough electrolytes through diet and hydration.
How to get electrolytes from diet?
If electrolytes are so vital, do we get enough from our diet? In some cases, we do. As mentioned above, just like protein or carbohydrates, the best way to get more electrolytes is to ensure a balanced diet on a regular basis.
Some citrus foods – such as lemons and oranges, as well as most leafy greens – are a good source of most electrolytes in addition to vitamins. To increased electrolyte intake in our diet, proper nutrition with a balanced diet is key. However, in athletes who expend significantly higher energy, electrolytes are depleted constantly and need to be replaced by additional means. These include supplements or electrolyte drinks which are specifically formulated with a proper proportion of vital electrolytes. By increasing electrolyte intake in diet, athletes can significantly improve their performance.
How you replenish lost electrolytes can dramatically affect performance as well as the time of recovery. For most individuals, increasing electrolyte intake through diet as free ions is preferred rather than electrolyte salts found in packaged foods (imagine free potassium from banana as opposed to potassium chloride supplement)
Below are some dietary sources that can significantly increase electrolyte intake in individuals if utilized on a regular basis.
Sodium: easy to obtain from common salt. Sodium is abundant (and sometimes way too much) in most packaged food products. Sodium is a vital electrolyte that is needed by almost all cells and its deficiency is rarely seen in healthy individuals. While it is generally recommended to consume a slightly lower sodium diet, athletes who lose a higher amount of sodium in sweat should increase their salt intake after intense activity.
Potassium: easily obtained from vegetables such as avocados, tomatoes, potatoes, and fresh fruits including oranges, bananas and mango, this electrolyte is vital for athletes as it is required for muscle contraction. Drinks such as orange juice, various vegetable juices and milk also are good sources of potassium.
Magnesium: a mineral that is not easily obtained from foods, magnesium deficiency can be subclinical and cause symptoms such as muscle cramps. Soils depleted in electrolytes, as well as food processing practices, have led to a deficient magnesium status in many individuals. The best way to get magnesium is through a diet rich in legumes and seeds, leafy vegetables, nuts such as almonds, fish, soy milk and bran.
Calcium: dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese make up the bulk of calcium sources in humans. Supplements of calcium have been amongst the earliest introduced in the market.
Chloride: easily obtained from common salt, tomatoes, olives and celery. Usually, the human body regulates chloride tightly and deficiency is rare.
Phosphorus: milk, cheese, beans, meat and chocolates are rich in phosphorus and deficiency is uncommon unless there is a clinical condition that causes it. Commonly, this is seen after a kidney transplant or disorder of the parathyroid gland (hypoparathyroidism).
Bicarbonate: the electrolyte that maintains the blood alkaline is obtained from green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits. Citrate from your diet can be converted by the liver into bicarbonate.
Are sports drinks good for electrolytes?
Fortunately, due to a significant awareness of the benefits of electrolytes, newer sports drinks are increasing the content of electrolytes in their mix and are a good source of electrolytes that are conveniently packaged for the fast-paced life. How to replenish electrolytes, during and after an endurance race, is the commonest question that challenges athletes.
More research is currently needed regarding the appropriate composition of electrolytes that is required to improve performance. Initially, most sports drinks only consisted of a mixture of salt and sugar in water. As formulas evolved and science was refined, isotonic drinks became the mainstay of rehydration in athletes.
An isotonic drink has the same tonicity (or osmolality — loosely termed thickness) as that of the blood. It allows for electrolytes and water to absorb fast without diluting the salt level in the blood. Isotonic drinks are the best way of increasing electrolyte intake for athletes.
An electrolyte mix such as MAGNAK® is isotonic and replaces all three vital electrolytes depleted with intense activity- sodium, potassium and magnesium. By maintaining the hydration status of the athlete, electrolyte drinks can allow for a faster recovery after a workout.
Benefits of electrolytes - and when to increase them in your diet
Electrolytes are lost in conditions of dehydration. Some of these are physiological (or normal) such as exercise. Training for marathons, triathlons or any high-intensity exercise can lead to significant loss of water and electrolytes through sweat and lead to dehydration.
Similarly, in pathological conditions such as diarrhea and stomach flu, dehydration can result from significant loss of fluid and electrolytes through the gut. These losses can be significant and at times, individuals may require supplemental hydration even through the intravenous route.
Regardless of the cause, a significant depletion of electrolytes with water can lead to significant symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness and inability to function. The beneficial effects of electrolyte drinks can be felt most during such a dehydrated state. In these conditions (such as diarrhea), diet is not enough to replace the electrolyte loss. The best way to replenish electrolytes in these cases, hence, is through electrolyte solutions.
Hydrating with a drink mix such as MAGNAK® allows for the replacement of water and electrolytes that can reduce the need for intravenous hydration. MAGNAK® is superior to any of the conventional electrolyte powders by virtue of being rich in magnesium and a balanced ratio of sodium and potassium.
The big picture
Electrolytes are good for you and are beneficial in maintaining health. A balanced diet should be able to provide for most electrolytes unless the need is significantly high, as in endurance athletes.
Supplementing a diet with an electrolyte mix such as MAGNAK® can help prevent electrolyte deficiencies that often manifest as fatigue and muscle cramps. To obtain the maximal benefit of electrolytes, these should be supplemented in a dietary (and a hydration) regimen on a regular basis.
