With the rising temperatures specific to the Australian summer, more and more of us are starting to experience the unpleasant effects of electrolyte imbalance. Do you sometimes feel dizzy for no apparent reason? Your muscles are cramping and you feel a bit disoriented? It might be because you lost too many electrolytes via sweating and now your body is in recovery mode.
Electrolytes are naturally charged minerals that regulate hydration, maintain the balance of fluids inside cell walls, and are involved in everything, from enabling muscle contractions, yes, even your heart, to supporting the release of nerve signals. Do we typically need an electrolyte boost? No, our bodies are surprisingly efficient at retaining minerals for core internal processes. But we can lose electrolytes, unfortunately, when sweating. And as you can imagine, during the hot summer months, this is something that we all do, in not an insignificant amount.
Going for an electrolytes powder is necessary if you are spending most of the days outdoors, you sweat a lot, you follow a strict workout regimen, and you don’t give your body enough time to recover its lost charged minerals via ingestion. Electrolytes powder might not be necessary if you are healthy, cool, and you spend most of your day in an AC-controlled office. But for other people? For those with outdoor jobs that involve physical activity? An electrolyte supplement can transform into a necessity.
Listen To Your Body and Consider an Electrolyte Supplement
My first summer job, when I was just 18 years old, was as a beach boy. If you don’t know what that means, I was pretty much responsible for the maintenance of a particular sector of Collins Beach, and this meant I was spending around seven to eight hours each day, under the hot Australian sun. And of course, since I was 18 and reckless, I didn’t bother to wear a hat or hydrate myself properly.
This worked for around one week, until one evening, just at the end of my shift, I experienced the first and only time in my life in which I completely passed out. It was not completely unexpected to be fair, as that whole day I was complaining of nausea, headaches and trouble concentrating even on the most minute tasks. Long story short, I was admitted to the hospital and my serum level of Sodium came at around 125 mEq/L, which was well below the threshold required for Hyponatremia.
I lost so many electrolytes via sweating that it actually landed me in the hospital. And who knows how many other Aussies that summer suffered from the same thing? Going for a bit of high-quality electrolytes powder before my shift would have probably prevented my (quite unpleasant) hospital stay. But we live and learn, right?
Can An Electrolyte Supplement Help with the Flu or a Stomach Bug?
Yes, in fact, when suffering from illness, the first thing that most doctors recommend is to properly hydrate and try to improve our electrolyte ingestion. And there is a reason for this. When we are sick and suffer from fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, the body starts losing copious amounts of Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium, which, if not replenished quickly, could make your symptoms worse or even lead to dangerous side effects that will land you in the hospital.
As I’m writing this post, I am currently in Thailand, and as it’s customary in Thailand, I am currently dealing with a quite nasty stomach bug and on top of that with a slight flu that made my nights into quite an adventure. How did I manage to catch the flu when it’s like 35°C outside? Good question. I have no idea. What I know, however, is that I took an electrolyte supplement this morning and now I actually feel good enough to write this article. I’ll say it’s not a coincidence.
Electrolytes activate specific co-transport mechanisms in your gut, which in turn signal to your body that it is time to absorb more water. Sodium creates osmotic gradients that pull fluids from the intestinal lumen directly into the bloodstream. Water without charged minerals itself cannot replicate the process, and this is the main reason why, if severely dehydrated, you will be given ORS and not just plain water.
What Are the Most Important Electrolytes?
Well, they are all important, but their role in the body are a bit different. Sodium, for example, is by far the most important electrolyte when it comes to hydration, as it controls the balance of fluids in your body and is essential for nerve signals and muscle contractions. It is also the one electrolyte that we lose the most during sweating, which is why if you look at the ingredient list of your chosen electrolytes powder, you will see Sodium as the most abundant mineral listed.
Another crucial electrolyte is Potassium. Together with Na, Potassium works to regulate fluids inside cell walls, it’s critical for muscle contractions, and it’s also necessary in order to maintain a normal heart rhythm. In fact, a potassium level of under 3.0 mmol/L is considered a medical emergency, as below this value, the chances of cardiac arrest increase significantly.
Should You Worry?
Even if suffering from severe dehydration, you will probably never fall anywhere near such values. That said, if you regularly experience muscle weakness, cramps, and have an irregular heartbeat, it’s possible you are dealing with a low level of Potassium. Lastly, a high-quality electrolyte supplement powder must contain Calcium, Magnesium, and Chloride. Calcium triggers muscle contractions, it’s the one mineral out of which our bones are made, and it’s necessary for nerve signaling.
Magnesium, on the other hand, works alongside Calcium to make muscles relax, and it’s also involved in the ATP cycle, while Chloride helps form stomach acid and works together with Sodium to maintain the body’s fluid balance. A proper electrolytes powder must contain all these electrolytes and then some, as even a slight imbalance of one charged mineral could have a severe negative effect on your well-being.
