Do you Need an Electrolyte Drink in the Summer?

With temperatures in the triple digits in many parts of the country, you may be wondering if you are doing enough to stay hydrated.   There are so many options to from sports drinks to electrolyte powders to electrolyte tablets.  But do you really need an electrolyte drink when temperatures rise or is plain water enough?  What are electrolytes anyway?

What are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals that help keep you hydrated, regulate muscle contraction, and control nervous system function. Some common electrolytes are sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.   Sweat is made up of mainly water but also electrolytes. The more you sweat, the more electrolytes you lose, especially sodium and chloride. There is a common misconception that cramps are caused by losing potassium, but it’s actually because of lost sodium.

Do you need an Electrolyte Drink?

Generally speaking, you don’t need a sports drink, or electrolyte tablets/powders to get the electrolytes you need on a normal day.   The average person can get all the electrolytes they need by eating a nutritious well-balanced diet and drinking plenty of fluids.  A nutritious diet contains plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy protein. However, there are times when sportsdrinks or tablets can be helpful.

When would it be helpful to drink a Sports drink?

A sports drink would be helpful in activities that make you lose a lot of water, such as when exercising for longer than an hour, when exercising intensely, or when exercising in high heat and humidity.  If you are a salty and heavy sweater, that is your clothes are drenched and caked with salt after exercise, you need to pay particular attention to getting enough electrolytes.

Other conditions would be if you work outside in hot and humid conditions or are sick and losing water by vomiting or diarrhea.

Sports drinks, tablets, gels, and bars are a convenient way to replace electrolytes when you can’t or don’t want to carry food with you.  But it has more to do with convenience than necessity because you can get all the electrolytes you need from real food.

If you don’t like the artificial taste of store-bought sports drinks, you can also make your own.  I have a recipe here.

What Foods Contain Electrolytes?

There are electrolytes in so many foods. Here are some examples:

Sodium-rich foods are pretzels, salted nuts, trail mix, and crackers.

Potassium-rich foods are bananas, potatoes, dried fruits, oranges, cantaloupe, cashews, and almonds.

Magnesium-rich foods are pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, and peanut butter, generally, foods that contain fiber also contain magnesium.

Calcium is found in milk, yogurt, cheese, and OJ fortified with calcium.

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