Electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium are vital for your muscles, nerves and cellular function, especially in hot weather. Photo / 123RF
Electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium are vital for your muscles, nerves and cellular function, especially in hot weather. Photo / 123RF
Experts weigh in on when you need to replenish these essential minerals, and how best to do so.
When it’s hot outside, your body keeps cool by sweating. But you don’t just lose water in the process: you also lose electrolytes like sodium, calcium and potassium that arecrucial to keep your body functioning well.
Sports drinks, hydration powders and tablets promise to help you replenish your electrolytes. But when do you actually need them, and are they the best source? “People always say, ‘Just drink Powerade’,” said Dr Elan Goldwasser, a sports medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian. “But the truth is, it’s so much more than that.”
Why do I need electrolytes?
The body is like a large and complex electrical circuit, Goldwasser said. Electrolytes – which also include magnesium, chloride, phosphorus and bicarbonate – carry an electrical charge that enables our nerves, muscles and cells to communicate with each other and to function properly, he said.
Among their roles, electrolytes help regulate how much water is inside and outside cells and blood vessels, assist in maintaining a regular heartbeat and ensure muscles contract and relax properly, Goldwasser said.
But to do their job, electrolytes have to be kept in balance. For most people, eating a nutritious diet and drinking water when you feel thirsty are enough, said Dr Vishnu Potluri, assistant professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. But imbalanced electrolytes, whether you have too much or too little, “can both be problematic”, he said.
Electrolytes carry electrical charges that help your muscles and nerves to function. Photo / 123RF
What happens if I lose too many electrolytes?
If you’re sweating a lot and not replenishing fluids, you run the risk of dehydration, which throws your electrolytes out of balance, experts said.
Having too little sodium in the bloodstream, for instance, may lower your blood pressure, said Dr David Goldfarb, clinical director in the division of nephrology at NYU Langone Health. This condition, called hyponatremia, can cause dizziness or lightheadedness when you stand up, headaches and fatigue, and can sometimes cause nausea and vomiting.
Electrolyte imbalances can cause other issues, including dry mouth and numbing in your fingers and toes, Goldwasser said. People also deal with heart palpitations, and in severe cases, electrolyte imbalances can cause seizures, comas or death.
Losing too many electrolytes also affects the kidneys, Potluri explained. Under normal circumstances, the kidneys filter waste from the bloodstream by producing urine. But in hot weather, when you may be dehydrated and lose electrolytes, your body produces less urine to conserve water, Potluri said, creating more opportunity for minerals to crystallise and form kidney stones.
It’s important to pay attention to any symptoms that could indicate an electrolyte imbalance, said Dr Erick Eiting, medical director of the emergency department at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. “If we’re developing any of these and we spend some time outside, maybe that’s an indication that we really should be heading inside to cool off in an air-conditioned place.”
However, it is possible to overcompensate by drinking too much water too quickly, Potluri said. Doing so dilutes the existing electrolytes in your bloodstream, he explained, which can cause similar symptoms.
Sodium is the most critical electrolyte to replenish after sweating. Photo / 123RF
How can I prevent an electrolyte imbalance?
The easiest way to prevent an electrolyte imbalance during a heat wave is to avoid getting too hot or dehydrated, experts said. Opting for air-conditioned places, as well as taking cold showers and staying hydrated, can help.
Some groups, however, are more vulnerable to imbalances: among them, young children, older adults and people with chronic conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.
If you suspect you’re low on electrolytes, perhaps because you’ve been sweating a lot or noticing symptoms, reaching for a sports drink like Gatorade with electrolytes isn’t a bad idea in a pinch, Goldfarb said.
Drinks like Pedialyte, which have less sugar and a higher sodium concentration than Gatorade, are an alternative, Goldfarb said. And hydration tablets, powders and goos can be helpful supplements, too. Most of these products contain sodium, which Goldfarb said is the most critical electrolyte to replenish if you’ve sweat excessively.
If you want to make a quick, effective and affordable electrolyte drink at home, Goldfarb recommended simply mixing salt, water and sugar.
He also noted the average person very likely doesn’t need sports drinks or electrolyte concoctions to replenish – because the next meal is likely to suffice. However, anyone who spends time without air-conditioning, sweats a lot, exercises or works outside might benefit, he said. In those cases, “drinking water during a heat wave is not going to be enough”.
You can also eat to replenish the minerals you’re losing. Salty soups like chicken or miso, as well as snacks like nuts, cheese, pickles, potato chips and pretzels, are good sources of sodium, experts said. Bananas are packed with potassium, Goldwasser explained. Milk, mushrooms and avocados have potassium too, he said, adding that avocados also have sodium and magnesium.
“Fruits, vegetables, nuts and salad,” Goldwasser said. “Those are the general rule of thumb when it comes to replenishing your electrolytes.”
Eating a banana is a simple way to boost your potassium levels. Photo / 123RF
