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Weight Management

What are electrolytes?

14/08/20232 min read

From U&E blood tests to benefits, our detailed guide covers all you need to know about electrolytes, including what they do and food sources

Summary

1What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are salts and minerals, like sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate which are found in our blood, and help to conduct electrical...

Jump to details below

2What do electrolytes do?

Electrolytes are important. They’re vital for your body to function correctly, and they help with a wide range of processes...

Jump to details below

3Why does the body need electrolytes?

We all need electrolytes to survive. A number of automatic processes your body carries out rely on a small electric current in order to function...

Jump to details below

Jump to section

What are electrolytes?
What do electrolytes do?
Why does the body need electrolytes?
What is an electrolyte imbalance?
8 low electrolyte symptoms
How to get electrolytes
Dietary sources of electrolytes
3 electrolyte drink benefits
When to take electrolytes
What electrolyte supplements are available?
Electrolytes blood test
The final say

Whether browsing the drinks aisle in your local supermarket or shopping online for fitness products, many of us have seen drinks and supplements promising to replenish our electrolytes.

But what are electrolytes, and why are they so crucial for our body functions? And perhaps most importantly, do we need to add more electrolytes to our diets through electrolyte supplements or sports drinks?

In this article you’ll discover the importance of electrolytes, why your body needs them and when to take electrolytes.

glass of water with wooden spoon resting on top with electrolyte gummy on

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are salts and minerals, like sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate which are found in our blood, and help to conduct electrical impulses in the body.¹

They play an essential role in the nervous system, keeping you hydrated, contracting muscles, and regulating the pH system.²

Electrolytes in the human body include:

sodium
potassium
calcium
bicarbonate
magnesium
chloride
phosphate

We usually get all the electrolytes we need from maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. However, there can be times when we have an electrolyte imbalance in the blood.³

What do electrolytes do?

Electrolytes are important. They’re vital for your body to function correctly, and they help with a wide range of processes. These may include:

transmitting nerve signals
helping blood to clot
helping muscle contraction
building new tissue
regulating fluid levels
keeping your blood pH in a normal range⁴

Why does the body need electrolytes?

We all need electrolytes to survive. A number of automatic processes your body carries out rely on a small electric current in order to function, and its electrolytes that provide this charge.

Electrolytes work with one another along with the cells in your tissue, nerves, and muscles. It’s getting that balance right that is vital for the healthy functioning of your body.

What's an electrolyte imbalance?

While we usually get enough electrolytes by eating well and drinking enough fluids, there can be times when electrolytes become imbalanced. This could be due to dehydration, a poor diet, certain health conditions, and exercising intensely without hydration afterwards.⁵

An electrolyte imbalance can have a range of different symptoms, and these can be different from person to person. It also depends on what type of electrolyte imbalance you're experiencing, as well as how severe the imbalance is.⁶

woman in bed with hands over eyes and dark hair splayed out

8 low electrolyte symptoms

Some symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance may include:⁷

fever
shortness of breath
confusion
change in heartbeat
tiredness
muscle spasms
blood pressure changes
weakness

If you’re concerned about any symptoms you're experiencing, it’s essential to talk to your doctor or visit your local emergency service.

A medical professional will be able to do an electrolyte blood test, and the results can be used to find out the cause of your symptoms and treat it.⁸

How to get electrolytes

There are a number of ways you can get electrolytes into your body more frequently.

The most common way is through your diet; however, you can also look at electrolyte supplements, sports drinks, or electrolyte water to keep your levels tip top.

Dietary sources of electrolytes

Eating a healthy and balanced diet should give you all the electrolytes you need for day-to-day activities.

However, there may be times when you want to eat high-electrolyte foods to replenish what you might have lost during intense exercise. Let's take a look...

Electrolyte foods

Some dietary sources for electrolytes may include:

fruit: our favourites are bananas, oranges, and melons⁹
leafy greens: try spinach and kale¹⁰
dairy products: like milk or yoghurt¹⁰

You can also find the below minerals containing electrolytes in the following foods:¹⁰

sodium: pickled foods, cheese, and table salt
chloride: table salt
potassium: fruits and vegetables like bananas, avocado and sweet potato
magnesium: seeds and nuts
calcium: dairy products, fortified dairy alternatives and green leafy vegetables

It’s also possible to add electrolytes to your diet with electrolyte supplements, which may be beneficial during intense or prolonged exercise. Electrolyte supplements are often available as sports drinks, but can also be taken as electrolyte powders, capsules, or tablets.¹⁰

Remember: you may not need to supplement your electrolytes if you’re eating well and drinking enough water. Always speak to your doctor if you're concerned about any symptoms you're experiencing.

Drinking electrolytes

If you drink bottled or tap water, it's most likely to contain traces of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which are all electrolytes. However, the amount you get from water compared to something officially marketed as a sports drink can vary.

Getting the right amount of electrolytes is important because they can:

control your fluid balance
regulate your blood pressure
help your muscles contract — including your heart
maintain the correct acidity of your blood (pH)

3 electrolyte drink benefits

1. May improve performance

Sports drinks, or electrolyte-enhanced waters, may benefit you after exercise.

It’s thought that electrolyte drinks may help you replenish the water, electrolytes and energy lost during exercise through sweat. In fact, losing 1-2% of your body weight in fluids can lead to decreased strength, speed, and focus so it’s important to replace the water you lose.¹¹

Sweat contains electrolytes as it includes a significant amount of sodium, as well as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. On average, you lose around 1g of sodium with every litre of sweat.¹²

2. Rehydrate during illness

Short-term illnesses such as vomiting, or diarrhoea aren't usually serious conditions. Although, when these symptoms continue for long periods of time, they can quickly lead to dehydration if fluids and electrolytes aren't replaced.¹³

Drinking electrolytes after vomiting may help to hydrate your body and help to replenish electrolytes that have been lost.¹³ Opting for electrolyte drinks after other illnesses or when you’re experiencing diarrhoea can also help to replenish lost electrolytes, avoid dehydration, and help you feel better sooner.

Infants and young children can be susceptible to dehydration from such illness, so it’s a good idea to keep on top of replacing the electrolytes you lose.

If you're experiencing symptoms of the dreaded hangover, electrolyte drinks can be a good remedy to ensure you're replacing lost fluids and electrolytes typically lost when drinking alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it removes fluids from the body, leaving you feeling weak and dehydrated.¹⁴ Find out more about taking electrolytes for a hangover.

3. May help with heat stroke

Heat-related illness can range from mild symptoms to something a lot more serious. Normally, your body manages heat by releasing it through your skin and sweating.

The key to preventing any such illness is to limit your time in hot environments and make sure you take plenty of fluids, as electrolytes help keep your body cool.¹⁵

When you’re hot, water, sports drinks and electrolyte drinks are recommended for hydration ahead of other drinks. This isn't only to replace electrolytes; drinks that contain caffeine such as soft drinks, tea and coffee, or alcohol may worse your dehydration.

Black woman sweating after workout drinking from orange bottle

When to take electrolytes

To ensure you're making the most of taking added electrolytes, it’s good to understand when the best time to take them is.

When exercising, we tend to sweat, and without proper rehydration, this can lead to fatigue. Most of us are aware we need to hydrate after exercise with post-workout electrolyte drinks, but really you should be supporting your body before, during and after exercise.¹⁶ Taking them before and after a workout can help to keep up fluid levels if you’re doing a high intensity workout or working out in a hot environment.

You could also try electrolyte supplements before going to sleep to avoid night-time dehydration.

What electrolyte supplements are available?

Electrolytes can come in many forms, perhaps most popular is electrolyte drinks.

You can also get electrolyte gels, electrolyte powders and capsules – so if you’re looking at ways to get electrolytes there’s plenty of choice.

Are electrolytes supplements suitable for everyone?

Electrolytes are essential for your body to function effectively. The biggest concern with electrolytes is when you have a low electrolyte count. If you think you may have a low electrolyte count, you should speak to your doctor who will likely send you for an electrolyte blood test.

Electrolytes blood test

An electrolyte blood test will not only check the levels of electrolytes in your blood but can also find out whether there’s acid-base imbalance.¹⁷ This involves a specific group of blood tests known as an electrolyte panel.

An electrolyte test can also be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment for an imbalance that affects the functioning of an organ.

Treatment for an electrolyte imbalance will depend on which electrolyte is out of balance and by how much. For example, if it shows you have a sodium imbalance, you may be advised to lower your salt intake (if sodium is too high) or reduce your fluid intake (if sodium is too low).¹⁷

The final say

Now you understand what electrolytes are and the importance of adding extra electrolytes to your diet; especially if you have an imbalance, are hungover or increasing your exercise.

Remember, it’s important to always consult a doctor first if you're experiencing any symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance.

Sources

1. NHS Choices. Electrolyte test [Internet]. NHS. 2019. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/electrolyte-test/ ‌

2. Kardalas E, Paschou SA, Anagnostis P, Muscogiuri G, Siasos G, Vryonidou A. Hypokalemia: a clinical update. Endocrine Connections. 2018;7(4):135–46. ‌

3. Electrolytes in food: Foods high in electrolytes [Internet]. www.medicalnewstoday.com. 2020. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/electrolytes-food ‌

4. Addiss F. Electrolytes — What Are They? What Happens If You Don’t Have Enough? [Internet]. Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. 2018. Available from: https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk/201808/electrolytes-what-are-they-what-happens-if-you-dont-have-enough ‌

5. Felman A. Electrolytes: Uses, imbalance, and supplementation [Internet]. www.medicalnewstoday.com. 2017. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153188 ‌

6. Berry J. Electrolyte imbalance: Symptoms and treatment [Internet]. MedicalNewsToday. 2020. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/electrolyte-imbalance ‌

7. Balci AK. General characteristics of patients with electrolyte imbalance admitted to emergency department. World Journal of Emergency Medicine [Internet]. 2013;4(2):113. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4129840/ ‌

8. NHS Choices. Electrolyte test [Internet]. NHS. 2019. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/electrolyte-test/ ‌

9. National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on the Tenth Edition of the Recommended Dietary Allowances. Water and Electrolytes [Internet]. Nih.gov. National Academies Press (US); 2016. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234935/ ‌

10. Whitbread D. 10 Foods High in Electrolytes [Internet]. My Food Data. My Food Data; 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 6]. Available from: https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-electrolyte-foods.php#electrolyte-foods-list ‌

11. Riebl SK, Davy BM. The Hydration Equation: Update on Water Balance and Cognitive Performance. ACSM’s health & fitness journal. 2013;17(6):21–8. ‌

12. Bates GP, Miller VS. Sweat rate and sodium loss during work in the heat. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology [Internet]. 2008;3(1):4. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2267797/ ‌

13. Millard-Stafford M, Snow TK, Jones ML, Suh H. The Beverage Hydration Index: Influence of Electrolytes, Carbohydrate and Protein. Nutrients [Internet]. 2021 Sep 1;13(9):2933. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/2933 ‌

14. Dehydration symptoms and treatments [Internet]. NHS inform. 2023 [cited 2024 Aug 6]. Available from: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/nutritional/dehydration/#:~:text=Alcohol ‌

15. Choi DH, Cho JY, Koo JH, Kim TK. Effects of Electrolyte Supplements on Body Water Homeostasis and Exercise Performance during Exhaustive Exercise. Applied Sciences. 2021 Sep 29;11(19):9093. ‌

16. Shirreffs SM, Sawka MN. Fluid and electrolyte needs for training, competition, and recovery. Journal of Sports Sciences [Internet]. 2011 Jan;29(sup1):S39–46. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22150427/ ‌

17. NHS Choices. Electrolyte test [Internet]. NHS. 2019. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/electrolyte-test/

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