(^16) • JULY
checkOUT/GUIDE TO CUTTING-EDGE SUPPLEMENTS
Replenishing Electrolytes
Hot weather, sports activities, intense workouts, and keto diets
are common robbers of electrolytes, key minerals that your body
needs to perform at its best /// BY VERA TWEED
Electrolytes are minerals—including
sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium,
and calcium—that form an electrical
charge when combined with fluids.
In your body, electrolytes are essential
for transmitting signals that help to
maintain a balance of fluids, healthy
muscle contraction, and normal function
of the nervous system, which includes
the brain.
A perfect diet rich in a variety
of plant foods could theoretically
supply sufficient amounts. But in the
real world, electrolytes can fall short
for several reasons.
How Electrolytes Get Depleted
Sweating isn’t the only way electrolytes
become depleted, but it’s a major one.
Playing sports, doing intense workouts,
working outdoors on a hot day, or simply
being in a hot environment can rob your
body of these crucial minerals. And you
may not even realize that it’s happen-
ing. In a hot climate that’s also very dry,
sweat can evaporate so quickly that you
don’t notice it. For athletes who train for
long periods or run marathons, drinking
too much water can actually be a hazard
because it dilutes sodium in the blood—
a condition called hyponatremia—causing
fatigue, cramping, headaches, and nausea.
A keto diet is another electrolyte
robber. For more than 50 years, it’s
been known that fasting or significantly
restricting carbohydrates triggers
excretion of sodium and potassium and
leads to electrolyte imbalance. More
recently, adherents of the keto diet have
found that getting extra electrolytes
from foods or supplements can reduce
or eliminate “keto flu,” symptoms that
typically appear during the first week
or two of a keto diet and, in some cases,
may persist without extra electrolytes.
Cancer treatment, kidney disease,
and any illness that causes vomiting or
diarrhea can also disrupt your elec-
trolyte balance. Symptoms can include
fatigue, muscle weakness, cramping,
irregular heartbeat, numbness, tingling,
and headaches.
Types of Electrolyte Supplements
Gatorade, the first American sports
drink, was developed in 1965 to provide
D i d You
Know?
Electrolyte supplements
come in gels, powders,
liquids—and effervescent
tablets that can be
mixed with water.
BN0719_D_CheckOut_JS.indd 16 5/30/19 1:57 PM
vip2019
(vip2019)
#1