Everything you need to know about electrolytes

If you’ve been on any social media platform lately, you’ve probably seen some sort of post about electrolytes, especially in Texas. You may be asking yourself, what are electrolytes, what do they do, what are signs that I may need to consider taking an electrolyte powder/supplement. That’s what we will be breaking down in this blog!

What are the main electrolytes? What do they do?

• Sodium:

  • One of the most important electrolytes! Sodium helps with fluid retention and in charge of helping muscles contract via electrical signaling. Sodium is regulated in our kidneys to maintain appropriate fluid balance to reduce chances of dehydration and water loss.

• Potassium

  • Potassium interacts directly with sodium to maintain nerve, heart and muscle function at the cellular level.

• Chloride

  • Similar to sodium, chloride helps regulate fluid retention, reduce chances of dehydration, and balances acid-base relationships to move fluid in/out of cells

• Magnesium

  • Magnesium helps metabolize ATP (adenosine triphosphate—our cellular energy source), helps maintain proper muscle and nerve functioning

• Others we won’t go super in detail about but are good to know— calcium, phosphate, bicarbonates

What would I feel or notice if I didn’t have enough electrolytes?

• You may feel some of these common symptoms you may feel if you have poor balance or intake of electrolytes may present.

• Fatigue, weakness or lethargy, changes in cardiac rhythm, acid-base imbalance, GI abnormalities, or abnormal blood pressure and heart rate readings

*** If you notice any of these signs and symptoms, please consult your primary care physician to figure out the best plan for you, this is for information purposes only***

How do we get or intake electrolytes?

There are some very common and well-known ways to increase electrolytes, such as:

• Gatorade/powerade or any other sports drink

• Tablet or powder electrolyte supplementation (ex: LMNT, Liquid IV, propel, Nuun, etc.)

• Through our food

• Specific pill supplementations

How do I know if I have a deficiency?

• If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, it would be best to talk to your primary care physician to conduct some blood and urine tests to examine if you truly do have a deficiency.

• This is especially important to monitor during the summer months as we spend more time outside and are likely sweating more than normal

Sources:

• Shrimanker I, Bhattarai S. Electrolytes. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541123/