By Minerals that are charged with electricity are found in the body’s fluids. These include blood, sweat and urine. They are essential for many bodily functions such as producing electric impulses to enable nerve function, and regulating the acidity level in the blood.
You’ve probably heard of electrolytes when it comes to hydration and sports drinks, but what are they exactly? Dietitians from Cedars-Sinai describe their role in the human body.
Conducting Electrical Signals
Electrical signals are required to transmit information in very short timescales for many of the physiological processes you take for granted. From the coordinated swimming of Paramecium protozoa to your heart pumping your blood to every part of your body, to hitting a baseball fastball3, these processes require electrical signaling. The electrical signaling pathways that these signals travel on depend on the flow of specific ions across cell membranes. This is where electrolytes come in.
They are a group of minerals with an electric charge that is found in your blood, urine and sweat. The nervous system and muscles function properly when electrolytes are present.
You can think, feel, and move by allowing ions to flow across the membranes of neurons. The electrical changes that occur when certain ions, such as calcium, sodium and magnesium, pass through neurons are what allow them to communicate. These changes result in a voltage difference or potential that can be used to measure the resting membrane potentia of the cell.
But to make an actual electrical signal, the cell needs more energy – so it enlists ion channels in its membrane that use ATP (energy) to drive ions down their concentration gradients. This ion flux takes up to 10 times more energy than just resting membrane potential alone.
Similarly, your heart relies on the flow of specific ions like potassium and calcium to maintain a healthy, consistent rhythm and ensure that its millions of blood vessels are contracted and relaxed in the right way. These two minerals are in imbalance and can cause arrhythmias, as well as other serious heart conditions4.
Electrolytes also play a major role in keeping you well hydrated, by regulating the amount of water that enters and leaves your cells via osmosis. This is especially important during exercise when you lose a large amount of electrolytes via sweat. Many athletes drink no sugar electrolytes in order to rehydrate themselves and perform their best.
Maintaining Electrolyte Balance
It is important to maintain the right balance of electrolytes for many body functions. From regulating the internal environment of the body to transmitting electrical messages between nerve cells, they play a key role. The body cannot function without these chemically-charged minerals.
Each electrolyte has a positive or negative electrical charge. When they are dissolved, they split up into ions which carry electricity. Salt water conducts electrical current because the atoms (positively and negatively charged) of sodium and chlorine separate. The same principle applies to the electrolytes found in the blood, urine and sweat. When a patient is suffering from an electrolyte balance, the doctor usually prescribes medications to restore that balance.
Diuretics are a common medication to treat fluid and electrolyte balance. In fact, these medications can often cause their own set of problems when a person does not take them exactly as directed. This is true especially for patients with kidney diseases.
The most common electrolytes in the body are sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphate and magnesium. These electrolytes are obtained from food and water. They can also be lost from the body in excessive sweating or diarrhea.
When a person has an electrolyte imbalance, the doctor may recommend specific foods or supplements to help bring the levels back to normal. They may also recommend limiting or stopping certain medications.
A patient with fluid and electrolyte imbalance might also be given a chest X-ray or an ECG to evaluate the possibility of complications from excess fluid in the lungs. In some cases, a person will be able to correct the imbalance at home by slowly increasing the amount of fluids they drink or by adding electrolyte-containing foods to their diet. However, a person should always consult with their doctor before making these changes.
In addition to fluid and electrolyte balance, the doctor will also check a person’s pH, which measures acidity or alkalinity in the blood. This is vital for the proper functioning lungs and kidneys. Slight variations in acid-base values can have life-threatening consequences.
Maintaining Muscle Function
While all electrolytes support a variety of functions, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride are important for keeping your energy levels up during exercise. They also help prevent dehydration during hot weather, which can lead to fatigue and even more serious conditions like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. They are vital for muscle contraction, preventing cramps and helping you maintain your exercise intensity and improve recovery time.
Electrolytes are obtained through a variety of foods and drinks, including whole foods. You can meet your electrolyte requirements by following a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and seeds, as well as lean proteins and healthy fats. Some sports drinks and supplements contain a balanced mix of electrolytes to help you stay hydrated and energized during your workouts.
Certain medications, such as diuretic drugs, and medical conditions like diabetic ketoacidosis (or severe burns), can disrupt your electrolyte equilibrium. This can cause a variety symptoms. If you suspect an imbalance, consult your doctor and make dietary adjustments to improve your symptoms.
While electrolytes are important for all types of exercise, they are especially crucial during summer workouts because of the risk of dehydration and other heat-related problems. During warm weather workouts, muscles and tissues will sweat more in order to cool down, which can lead to an increased fluid loss. This loss of electrolytes can interfere with a number of important bodily functions, such as maintaining an optimal fluid balance and maintaining the proper pH level in body tissue and fluids.
Drinking water is a great way to replenish electrolytes that you lose through sweat. Too much water can deplete the body of important nutrients. Consuming too many sports beverages can dehydrate you more, rather than hydrate you, resulting in a negative electrolyte balance. Instead, eat foods that are rich in electrolytes. These include bananas, oranges spinach, sweet potatoes yogurt and almonds.
Maintaining Hydration
Electrolytes are not just for dehydration. While they are mentioned in ads for sports beverages that promise to replenish electrolytes lost through perspiration, there is much more the body can do with them. These electrically charged mineral regulate everything, from hydration to muscle functions, including the heart. If your electrolyte level is off, you could experience mild, temporary symptoms or serious, long-term health issues.
It’s important to know that an electrolyte balance is not the same as dehydration. Dehydration refers to a low level of fluids in the body, while an electrolyte imbalance means that the body is not getting enough of certain nutrients.
If you are exercising for an extended period of time, you should consider drinking an electrolyte beverage before, during and after your workout to help prevent muscle fatigue and improve recovery.
Some people with kidney disease or diabetes need to carefully monitor their electrolyte intake, as some medications may affect the body’s balance. Talk to your physician if you have any of these conditions. You can learn more about the recommended amount of these minerals, and whether dietary changes may be recommended.
While electrolyte drinks can be helpful in certain situations, the best way to get these specialized minerals is by eating healthy food. Choose whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies, low-fat dairy products, and lean beef over processed foods. A registered dietitian can also help you assess your current hydration needs and recommend ways to maintain or enhance your overall health through diet.
