One thing that we often hear about in the sporting and fitness community is electrolytes and the need for consumption both during and after exercise. I hope to explain a bit about what electrolytes are in terms of relating to our bodies and the importance of regulating them. Examples of electrolytes are Sodium (Na) Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg).
Electrolytes are critical in the process of cells generating energy, in cells being able to maintain their structure and in basic overall cellular function. Electrolytes play a role in bodily functions such as muscle contraction and moving water through the body to needed areas. One of the first indications of electrolyte deficiency is becoming thirsty.
So lets look at a couple different electrolytes that play an important role in exercise:
Potassium (K) is an electrolyte that is essential for the generation of electrical impulses needed for regular body functioning, as well as brain and muscle functioning. If the potassium levels are too high in our bodies, a condition referred to as Hyperkalemia, there is a potential for serious health risks, primarily irregular heart rhythm which can in turn be life threatening. A more common condition in endurance athletes is too little potassium in the body which can cause cramping and vomiting. Keep in mind that potassium is lost during sweating, which is something that we endurance junkies know a thing or two about!
Sodium (Na) plays an integral role in water regulation within our bodies. It helps allow the muscles to function and our brains to work. Too much sodium in the bloodstream can lead to dehydration which can occur from excessive sweating during exercise. Temperature certainly plays a role in this, as we are much more likely to experience dehydration in the heat of the summer. Often we will hear about endurance athletes taking salt pills as a means to replace the sodium lost during sweating. I personally do not recommend the consumption of salt pills during exercise and choose to replace sodium in others ways that we will look at later in this post. The primary reason I discourage the use of salt pills during exercise is that it can be a bit too difficult to determine the amount of sodium that is actually needed. The consumption of too much actually works against you in that you end up increasing the rate and likelihood of dehydration. Too little sodium in the bloodstream results from water intoxication (which is seldom anything to worry about during exercise where you are sweating). Basically what happens here is the kidneys become overwhelmed by the amount of water in the bloodstream and the lack of sodium and the fail to work properly. Some common symptoms of sodium imbalance are lethargy, confusion, weakness, swelling and seizures.
When it comes to electrolytes, balance is key. If you are engaged in aerobic type activities lasting 90 minutes or more, consider a sports drink that has electrolytes in its ingredients. I prefer to replenish electrolytes from more natural sources such as coconut water, bananas and watermelon. Making certain to eat a well structured diet rich in nutrients from a variety of foods (fruits and veggies folks) is the best way to ensure we saturate our bodies with electrolytes needed for our bodies to function efficiently. One thing that I want to point out and stress is that sports drinks do little to rehydrate the body during exercise! Its important to remember this and its important to consume water during exercise in addition to the sports drinks if you choose this method of electrolyte replacement. The reason that sports drinks do not assist much in re hydration is that most contain sugar, therefore the water that is contained in the sports drinks go to the stomach to assist in digesting and breaking down the sugars and not into the bloodstream. I have read one recommendation that if you are going to consume a sports drink, do it 1 to 2 hours prior to exercising, then use water only to hydrate during the exercise. I can get on board with that recommendation. Just keep in mind that if your workout last longer than 90 minutes or if exercising in heat, its important to begin consuming electrolytes.
There is a benefit to using sports drinks, and that is that companies such as Gatorade and Hammer Nutrition (to name just a couple) have taken the guess-work out of it, in terms of replacing electrolytes during and after exercise. These drinks such as Gatorade G2 and Hammer's HEED give you the needed electrolytes you will lose during those hard sweaty workouts. Both companies also have recovery products that make electrolyte and nutrient replacement simple after your workouts. Again, you can get the same replacement benefits from natural food source such as coconut water and hydrating fruits, plus you do not have to work about the refined sugars and artificial sweeteners that some products contain. In terms of recovery foods and drinks, its recommended that we consume foods with a 4:1 ration of carbohydrates to proteins for aerobic/endurance workouts and 2:1 carbs to protein for strength training workouts. Chocolate milk or chocolate soy milk has about as perfect of a carb to protein ratio as you will find in a simple to purchase form, so this is a great post workout recovery drink :)
There you have it and hope that gives a bit of insight into the importance of electrolytes in terms of body functioning and the need for balance when exercising. Happy training!!!!!
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