Electrolyte Supplements: Do You Really Need Them?

 

If we want to make it short, the overly succinct answer to the main question of this post will be: Yes. But that would not make for an engaging reading experience, wouldn’t it? So, allow me to elaborate. Yes, you do need electrolyte supplements, as our way of living, the hot Australian weather, and the variations in our activity levels can oftentimes make us get dehydrated and lose electrically-charged minerals necessary for the continuation of our bodies’ internal processes.

I am not the most active person nowadays, but even I, occasionally engage in some high-intensity sports or need to work outside for hours on end. Therefore, I sweat. A lot. And when that happens, electrolytes, at least for me, are sort of a necessity.

What Are the Main Reasons for Investing in Them?

Electrolytes, especially Sodium, help your body retain and distribute water across your cells. This is due to a process called the sodium-glucose cotransport that’s active in the small intestine. The gist of this is this: Na ions and glucose molecules are moved together across cell membranes by using the same transporter. When sodium moves, it basically pulls glucose with it, and this also drives fluid absorption as water follows glucose and Na osmotically.

In other words, and to make it simpler to understand, electrolyte supplements are a better way to get hydrated than by drinking water alone, especially in the context of keto and electrolytes. Plus, electrolyte-rich supplements, outside of getting you hydrated, are:

• The best way to replace the minerals you lost during sweating episodes
• Can improve your recovery times after intensive exercise
• They support the activity of your neurotransmitters
• Are a recommended way to recover faster after acute illness
• And they can minimise the impact of electrolyte depletion.

What Are the Most Important Five Electrolytes?

This is actually a surprisingly complex question, even though the answer at first glance might seem quite straightforward. How exactly do you quantify the impact of electrically charged minerals when their depletion will eventually lead to dangerous side effects regardless of which mineral is lost? That said, it’s generally agreed that the most important four electrolytes are:

Sodium:

• Sodium is the main electrolyte you lose during intensive episodes of sweating, so It’s considered the most important electrolyte, and it’s the main ingredient used in electrolyte supplements. In the human body, Na regulates blood pressure and maintains the balance of fluids inside cells.
• It’s abundant, but it also gets depleted fast. How much will you lose? That depends on person to person. But people working in moderately hot conditions for 10 hours per day could expect to lose between 4.8 and 6g of Sodium, which is the equivalent of 12 to 15g of NaCl.

Potassium:

• Potassium works alongside Sodium to regulate the balance of fluids inside cells, but it’s also a key component in the regulation of your heart rhythm. In fact, a serum level of Potassium that’s under 2.5 mEq/L indicates severe hypokalaemia, which in the worst-case scenario, can even induce cardiac arrest.
• Potassium is involved in the electrical signals sent out by the muscle fibres, and it basically allows them to contract. It aids in the transportation of glucose, it counterbalances the effects of excess Na, and it helps eliminate waste products from cells.

Magnesium: 

• Magnesium is one of the body’s biological workhouses. It’s not just useful for a couple of chemical reactions; instead, it is involved in no less than 300 enzymatic processes, affecting everything from the synthesis of DNA/RNA, to the process of breaking down glucose.
• Magnesium is involved in the ATP production process, as it binds to it and lets other enzymes use it. Plus, it limits the flux of calcium into neurons and acts as a regulator for electrically charged impulses. That’s why it’s also often prescribed for anxiety and tremors. Personally, I used to take magnesium supplements before exams, and at least in my case, the effect was noticeable
• Not least, since it blocks excessive calcium buildup inside muscle cells, Magnesium can act as a muscle relaxant, and aid with twitches and cramps. Its effect on muscles also includes the human heart. Since it regulates ion channels, Mg prevents electrical instability and can resolve arrhythmias. In fact, low magnesium levels are often implicated as a risk factor for developing atrial fibrillation.

 Calcium:

• No top-quality electrolyte supplements would be complete without Ca. Essential for maintaining the durability of your bones and teeth, Ca supports blood clotting, facilitates the communication between muscle cells and nerves and it’s also an essential mineral for muscle contractions.
• Calcium is a key component of exocytosis, acting as a universal switch for the start of endocrine processes, and it’s also a biochemical regulator, influencing the activity of the enzymes involved in glycogen breakdown and mitochondrial activity. However, too much Ca can lead to the accumulation of calcium oxalate in the kidneys and to the calcification of soft tissues, especially the blood vessels.

What Is the Connection Between Keto and Electrolytes?

Keto and electrolytes go together like milk and cereal. When you stop eating carbs, your body depletes its glycogen reserves, which are stored alongside water. If glycogen is depleted, that water gets released, and it has to go somewhere, so you get rid of it through urination. This is why the keto diet works so efficiently and it produces fast results. You literally pee your excess kg’s away. But, as you can imagine, this also leads to issues.

Keto and electrolytes need to work together, as once you start losing fluids through urination, you will also start to excrete minerals. Another impact is the drop in insulin levels. This signals the kidneys to excrete more sodium, which in itself leads to the loss of even more electrolytes, particularly magnesium and potassium.

Have you ever heard of the term “keto flu”? It’s not really an exaggeration. A shift in the body’s fluid and electrolyte levels can lead to symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain, cramps, nausea, or brain fog. The connection between keto and electrolytes, therefore, is quite important. Electrolyte supplements can ameliorate the unwanted symptoms of ketosis and make it easier to continue your weight loss journey.