Electrolyte Balance
Physical Activity and Electrolytes
During exercise your body loses fluids and electrolytes through sweat, which can impair your physical and cognitive abilities. Understanding the role that electrolytes play in your exercise routine is key to optimizing performance and avoiding-issues.
Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge and they help regulate muscle function, nerve signalling and fluid balance.
During exercise, your body sweats out electrolytes. Without replenishing them, you are at risk of an imbalance that can lead to muscle cramps, weakness, and other issues.
Our body is composed of about 60% water. This vital resource is essential for a variety of physiological processes, including temperature regulation, nutrient transportation and joint lubrication. During exercise, your body’s core temperature rises, and you begin to sweat as a way to cool down. Sweat is composed mainly of water, but it also contains key electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluid than it takes in. As dehydration progresses, the balance of water and electrolytes becomes disrupted, leading to impaired bodily functions. This is what happens during dehydration:
As your body loses fluid, blood volume decreases, which increases your heart rate and causes your body temperature to rise
With less fluid available, the sweat rate decreases, which can lead to overheating as the body struggles to cool down
A lack of electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, can lead to muscle cramps, spasms, and weakness.
Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance can impair cognitive function, affecting concentration, coordination
As more fluids and electrolytes are lost, you may feel fatigued, dizzy, or lightheaded
The key electrolytes are:
Sodium: regulates fluid balance, supports nerve function and muscle contractions. It is the primary electrolyte lost in sweat.
Potassium: plays a key role in muscle function and heart health and helps maintain fluid balance.
Magnesium: Plays a role in muscle relaxation and helps prevent cramping. It is also involved in energy production.
Calcium: Necessary for muscle contractions and overall bone health.
Main food sources of electrolytes:
Sodium - salted food (generally not an issue to get, there’s a risk of getting more than needed from processed foods)
Potassium: nuts and seeds, bananas, avocado, chicken, salmon
Magnesium: nuts, seeds, legumes, dark green vegetables, fish, and seafood
Calcium: dairy products, leafy green vegetables, fish with edible bones
Signs and symptoms of electrolyte loss:
Sodium: Dehydration, low blood sugar, heart palpitations; muscle cramps; weakness or lethargy, confusion or disorientation, slurred speech; nausea
Potassium: Lack of this mineral creates confusion, irritability, fatigue due to decrease in glycogen stored; muscle weakness or twitching or spasms, leg or other muscle cramps
Magnesium is crucial for every organ in the body, especially the heart, muscles, and kidneys. It also contributes to teeth and bones, it activates enzymes, contributes to energy production, and helps regulate levels of calcium, copper, zinc, potassium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients in the body. Magnesium acts to calm feelings of stress created by over stimulation of the central nervous system. It also helps to regulate heart function by helping to strengthen the heart muscle, as well as maintain a normal heart rhythm.It also helps improve sleep patterns. Weight loss is positively influenced by sleep. Lack of sleep decreases the energy available for exercise and has been shown to increase sugar cravings. Ensuring adequate and timely intake of magnesium is also a consideration with weight loss goals.
Calcium: osteoporosis, brittle nails
Proper hydration and nutrition is key to optimal body function during exercise and any physical activity.
*Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts, based on my personal research as a Healthy lifestyle coach. Use it at your own discretion.
