Proper Hydration II: Electrolyte Water

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in water or any aqueous solution and help regulate muscle contractions, balance PH levels, and prevent dehydration. The electrolytes are sodium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfur, potassium, and phosphorus. These are all macrominerals, since they are present in large quantities in the body and are needed in large amounts in our diet -about 100 mg or more per day of each of them. Sweat is the body’s main thermoeffector

The body’s ability to maintain an optimal body temperature through self-regulation independent of external temperatures is called thermoregulation. There are four ways to regulate heat: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation. In humans, sweating is the most powerful autonomic thermoeffector (process that regulates temperature). Prolonged exercise causes the loss of water as the body secretes sweat to promote heat loss. Sweat keeps the body cool as it evaporates from the skin.

When do we need to replenish electrolytes?

The sweat rate varies considerably from person to person, and it depends on many factors: the intensity of your workout, the environmental temperature and humidity, your body size and composition, the clothes you wear, and even your gender, among others. Nevertheless, dehydration will impair the exercise capacity of all and can have serious effects on your health; that’s why it is important that you rapidly restore the fluid balance during and after your workout. While drinking plain water is enough to prevent dehydration after a regular workout of 30 minutes or less, electrolyte water will be more efficient to rapidly replace fluid loss during and after an intense workout of longer duration. Symptoms of dehydration can include:

• Dry mouth

• Dizziness

• A fast or abnormal heart rate

• Confusion

• Irritability

• Nausea and vomiting

• Dark-colored, strong-smelling urine

• Lethargy

Food Sources of Electrolytes

Risking stating the obvious, I must add that food also contain electrolytes. This is a brief list of some of the best food sources of electrolytes:

• Spinach, kale, and other leafy greens

• Nuts and seeds (Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds)

• Avocados

• Broccoli

• Potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash

• Legumes (lentils, kidney beans, soybeans)

• Tofu

• Fruits (bananas, strawberries, apricots, prunes)

However, eating before, during and right after a long exercise session might not be possible or even convenient. That is why the most practical solution is drinking fluids.

Plain water, sport drinks and electrolyte water

Tap water contains electrolytes, although in most cases in modest quantities. Depending on the geographical area, 1 liter (34 ounces) of tap water may contain between 2 and 3 percent of the reference daily intake (RDI) for calcium, magnesium, and sodium, but little or no potassium, chloride or phosphorus. Note that distilled water does not contain minerals, so it cannot be used as electrolyte replenishment.

The main problem with plain water is that it is… plain. Its taste -or, I should say, lack of taste- is not very appealing for most of us and often does not stimulate us to drink enough.

On the other hand, some commercial sport drinks do have a variety of flavors and contain electrolytes, but also high levels of additives, like sugars and dyes. For example, a 20-ounce Gatorade’s Thirst Quencher contains 36 grams of sugar, Red No. 40, Blue No. 1, or Yellow No. 5 dyes (depending on the flavor) and a total of 140 calories. That is enough to keep me away from them.

So, is there a kind of water that contains all the necessary electrolytes, no chemical additives, and tastes great? Of course, there is! I mean, no, not really. But you can make it at home.

Just consider what minerals are the electrolytes you want in your drink, and how you can incorporate them into your homemade drink. The following is just one of many possible recipes for electrolyte water. It yields about 1 liter (32 ounces).

Electrolyte Water Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of filtered water

• 2 cups of coconut water

• 1/2 cup fresh orange or pomegranate juice

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt (or sea salt)

• Powdered calcium-magnesium supplement (optional)

• 2 drops of stevia or 1 tsp of raw honey (optional)