Anyone who sweats heavily during exercise loses important electrolytes. Learn why you should compensate for this electrolyte loss and how to do it here.
Table of contents
1. What are electrolytes and what function do they have?
Electrolytes are minerals, trace elements , and salts that decompose into small charged particles (ions) in water . These particles ensure the electrical conductivity of water. The ions can be both positively and negatively charged.
Sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium are positively charged cations. Chloride, bicarbonate, and phosphate are negatively charged anions. Together, they play a key role in fluid distribution in your body and determine the osmotic pressure in your cells.
You absorb most of your electrolytes, especially sodium, through food. However, they are also lost daily through the kidneys, digestive system, and through sweat through the skin.
BRAINEFFECT HACK: Especially during exercise, when you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of electrolytes. Our sugar-free RECHARGE electrolyte drink not only replenishes you with electrolytes but also provides you with important amino acids after your workout.
In addition to regulating water, electrolytes are also involved in controlling your acid-base balance and are therefore also responsible for your pH level . [1] Electrolytes cannot be stored in the body. To balance your electrolyte balance, you must consume them daily through food .
2. When are electrolytes especially important?
On hot summer days or during exercise, when you sweat a lot , or when you've had a bad meal and are therefore struggling with vomiting and diarrhea, your body loses a lot of fluid. This also flushes out important electrolytes . [2] If your body has sufficient electrolytes, they contribute to normal muscle function.
3. Symptoms of electrolyte deficiency
You've learned that electrolytes play a key role in fluid distribution in your body. A persistent electrolyte deficiency leads to disruptions in your water balance and nerve pathways . [3]
In general, however, the symptoms of electrolyte deficiency are diverse and often subliminal . They range from malaise to fatigue, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, and even headaches.
In order not to jeopardize your mental performance at work or during training, we recommend that you consume electrolytes during exercise.
4. Tips for a balanced electrolyte balance
There are several options for providing your body with sufficient electrolytes. Special electrolyte drinks and electrolyte solutions are the easiest way to quickly replenish your electrolytes. Handy electrolyte powders are also ideal for quickly replenishing your electrolyte levels on the go and after exercise.
Discover our RECHARGE with electrolytes
5. Conclusion
Electrolytes are salts, minerals, and trace elements that give water its electrical conductivity. You usually get enough electrolytes from your daily diet.
However, if you lose a lot of fluid through exercise, hot temperatures, or gastrointestinal problems, you may experience an electrolyte deficiency. In this case, electrolyte powder or other electrolyte drinks can help you quickly replenish the loss.
6. Sources
[1] Rost, R. (2005) Sport and exercise therapy for internal diseases, German Medical Publishers, Cologne, [ https://books.google.de/books?id=D4fPTkOXPmUC&lpg=PA3&ots=ICXaXYPkq4&dq=elektrolyte%20im%20sport&lr&hl=de&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=elektrolyte%20im%20sport&f=false ]
[2] Gröber, U. (2012) Micronutrients in sports, Journal of Complementary Medicine, Hippokrates Verlag in MVS Medizinverlage Stuttgart GmbH & Co. Kg, Stuttgart.
[3] Raschka, C., Ruf, S. (2015) 22 Minerals: Major and Trace Elements in Sports, Thieme, Stuttgart, New York, Delhi, Rio, [https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/pdf/10.1055/b-0038-162265.pdf]
