Why Are Electrolytes Important For Athletes

  • What are electrolytes?
  • When do you need electrolytes?
  • Do they help performance?
  • How much do you need?
  • Foods with electrolytes
  • Sodium
  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Potassium
  • Related Articles

An electrolyte imbalance can seriously affect your hydration and overall athletic performance. But let’s be honest, the term “electrolytes” is confusing. Do everyday athletes even need to worry about electrolytes?

If you’ve ever looked at a bottle of Ade, you’ve likely seen the term “electrolytes”. If you’re confused how to get electrolytes or what they even do, you’re not alone. You may be wondering:

  • What the heck are electrolytes and why are they important?
  • Do you need to replenish electrolytes after every workout?
  • Should I be taking in a certain amount of electrolytes?
  • How do I get electrolytes?
  • Can I ditch the sports drink and get electrolytes naturally through food?

This post is going to give you all the info you need to know about electrolytes, so you can master your hydration, no matter your sport.

What are electrolytes?

Quite simply, electrolytes are minerals that have an electrical charge and play a central role in many bodily functions, specifically fluid balance. The important electrolytes for athletes are sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Vital Sea Plus added Superfood minerals and salts to charge the serious athlete. Like Concentrace, Aquamin, Spanish Red Cave Salts, Himalayan Salts and Nano enhanced Zeolite volcanic Zeolyfe. This product is a one of a kind Maximum Electrolyte Sports formula that's never been to market.
Electrolytes are necessary for a variety of things, like hydration, muscle contraction and blood pressure. Certain electrolytes, like sodium and potassium, are lost in sweat and need to be replaced to maintain the proper fluid balance in the body. As a matter of fact, electrolytes help with fluid absorption during exercise.
The body tightly regulates its electrolyte balance. Certain electrolytes stay in the cell, while others stay outside the cell. If electrolytes become imbalanced, you may experience fatigue, dehydration, cramping, weakness, tingling, or confusion–none of which are pleasant during your workout!
That’s why sports drinks always contain electrolytes– to replace those lost in sweat and help with fluid intake.

When do you need electrolytes?

If you workout for an hour or less, chances are that your electrolyte losses are minimal. In other words, you can probably just drink water for hydration during these types of workouts.
The same goes for a longer workout that doesn’t make you sweat much, such as strength training, walking or yoga. And of course, electrolytes do not need to be replenished on rest days. In these situations, water should be enough to keep you properly hydrated.
That said, you will need to think about electrolyte replenishment in these situations:

  • You perform endurance exercise for longer than an hour
  • You exercise a really hot climate, which causes profuse sweating
  • You are a heavy sweater (you sweat through your clothes or have chalky white spots on your skin after exercise)
    • If any of these conditions apply and you don’t replenish electrolytes, you may experience dehydration and fatigue. In the end, your performance will suffer from an electrolyte imbalance.

    Do they help performance?

    Taking in electrolytes when you don’t need them will not increase performance. But ensuring that you have adequate stores of electrolytes in the body will ensure that you can perform at your best.
    Since athletes lose electrolytes in sweat, having a negative electrolyte balance can negatively affect hydration status. Dehydration is associated with fatigue, increase perceptions of exertion and a decrease in performance. That’s why it’s important to replace any electrolytes that are lost during exercise.

    How much do you need?

    We are made up of salts and minerals, so its no surprise how vitally important supplementing daily is. We lose vital salts and minerals through perspiration and drinking water. They flush internally and through our main organ the skin.
    Replenishing and rehydrating daily is key for longevity, health and superior performance.
    From ancient times they knew the importance of minerals, salts and a balanced diet.

    Foods with electrolytes

    While sports drinks contain the electrolytes you need to stay hydrated and fueled during an intense workout, you can also find electrolytes in whole foods. Let’s dive into the essential electrolytes and how to eat and drink natural sources of each.
    Sodium
    This mineral aids in fluid retention and plays a role in nerve and muscle function, as well as blood volume and blood pressure control. Without enough sodium, blood pressure may drop or you can become dehydrated. It’s true that most Americans meet (and exceed) their daily sodium recommendations (2300 milligrams per day). But if you’re an athlete who loses a lot of sodium from sweat, taking in more than the 2300 milligrams per day won’t have any negative side effects.
    For those who workout intensely or sweat profusely, it may be necessary to add an extra pinch of table salt to your meals. Sodium is found in your favorite salty snacks and most canned and packaged foods. If you meet any of the criteria listed in the bullet points above, try adding some of these salty foods to your diet:

  • Pickles
  • Olives
  • Pretzels
  • Sea salt
  • Saltine crackers
  • Beans
  • Bread
  • Soup
    • Or you can just add 1 scoop approx. 12 grams of Vital Sea Plus to 16 ounces of water and get an immediate burst of energy, endurance, and increased stamina for weekend sporting events or serious competition for professional athletes.
    Calcium
    Everyone knows calcium as the mineral responsible for bone health. Although 99% of calcium is stored in our bones, the rest functions as an electrolyte in the in the the body.
    Calcium helps with nerve signaling, blood clotting, hormone secretion, muscle contraction, and normal heart function. Without ample calcium consumption, the body pulls calcium from the bones, causing them to weaken overtime.
    Most adults need 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, and these foods provide at least 10% of that recommendation in one serving. They make a great addition to any athlete’s diet:
  • Tahini
  • Dried Figs
  • Chia Seeds
  • Leafy Greens, Carrots, Kale, Broccoli
  • Soy Products (Tempeh Stir Fry)
  • Fortified Oatmeal
  • Fortified Orange Juice
  • Canned Fish with soft edible bones

    • Magnesium
    While calcium helps muscles contract, magnesium causes them relax. Magnesium also allows muscles to take in oxygen and plays a role in maintaining a normal heartbeat and muscle function.
    Women need 310 to 320 milligrams of calcium per day, while men need 400 to 420 milligrams. Not eating enough magnesium may negatively affect athletic performance and can cause weakness and even muscle spasms.
    Great sources of magnesium include:
  • Spinach
  • Chard
  • Edamame/soy
  • Quinoa
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Salmon
  • Nuts & Seeds – pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds/butter, almonds, flax seeds, cashews, chia seeds

    • Potassium
    A vital part of hydration and muscle contraction (including heart muscles, digestive muscles, etc.), potassium plays a major role in proper heart function. Similar to the other electrolytes, a potassium deficiency can cause muscle weakness, cramping, and abnormal heart rhythms.
    You need 3500 to 4700 milligrams of potassium in a day. You can find potassium in:
  • Dairy
  • Oranges
  • Bananas
  • Winter Squash
  • Potatoes
  • Broccoli
  • Orange Juice
  • Lentils
  • Halibut
  • Salmon
  • Apricots

    • By incorporating whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean sources of protein, and adequate water, most of us can help meet our electrolyte needs. Be sure to drink water before, during, and after your workouts to ensure proper hydration, energy, and muscle function. A balanced post-workout meal or snack can easily replace lost electrolytes and aid in recovery.

    The role of electrolytes for athletes

    As electrolytes are present in our bodily fluids, we lose them when we sweat.

    Electrolytes are involved in around a hundred biological processes linked to exercise and athletic performance, such as the storage and expenditure of energy, protein metabolism, inflammation, oxygen transport, hear rate, bone metabolism and immune function[3].

    The loss of bodily water, or dehydration, is therefore detrimental to physical performance [4].

    As such, an effective way to prevent the negative impact of fluid loss on physical performance is to drink water that has been fortified with micro-nutrients.

    Over the past 10 years, several in vivo studies in humans have shown that a rehydration protocol using beverages with high levels of minerals and micro-nutrients:

    • improves rehydration after physical exertion [4;5]
    • shortens recovery times following muscular and respiratory effort [4;5;6]
    • can improve athletic performance [7;8]

    Following a period of exertion, it is well known that it is important to consume protein-rich foods in order to encourage the repair of damaged muscle fibres. However, micro-nutrients (and vitamins) are also involved in this repair process, as they enable enzymes to function properly. Micro-nutrients are naturally alkaline, meaning they help neutralise the lactic acid produced during intense effort, thereby reducing muscle inflammation.

    So in order to ensure optimum performance when exercising, make sure you consume Vital Sea Plus every day, and stay hydrated!