Electrolytes - what they are and why we need them

Electrolytes are minerals that have a positive or negative electrical charge when they are dissolved in water. A few of the roles they have in the body include maintaining the balance between fluids inside and outside of your cells, regulating the body’s chemical reactions and also used as a way of diagnosing a wide range of medical conditions and diseases.

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Did you know?

An adult human body is made up of roughly 60% water, meaning nearly every fluid and cell in your body contains electrolytes.

The 7 most important electrolytes for the body are:

• Sodium 

• Potassium

• Magnesium

• Calcium 

• Phosphate 

• Chloride

• Bicarbonate

The body’s cells use electrolytes to conduct electrical charges which enable muscle contraction. These charges also help with chemical reactions particularly when it comes to hydration and the balance of fluids inside and outside of the body’s cells. Something electrolytes rely on, is certain elements naturally holding a positive or negative electrical charge. When these certain elements are dissolved in a liquid, that liquid can then conduct electricity.

Another way to think about this is to use the example of salt water; this will conduct electricity easily. Do you know why?

It’s because table salt contains sodium (which is positively charged) and chlorine (which is negatively charged) and when they are combined they balance each other out. When the salt is dissolved in water, the two element’s, atoms split apart leading to them becoming positively and negatively charged once again. Electricity can then jump between the sodium and chlorine atoms, not the water molecules, because they have opposite electrical charges.

Just like the salt water, the body uses atoms or ions (electrically charged atoms) to transport chemical compounds in and out of the cells. 

A few of the well known benefits of making sure electrolytes are balanced and using electrolyte drinks are below:

• May enhance performance - electrolyte drinks help replenish water, minerals and also energy lost during exercise. When you sweat, it is not only water you lose but electrolytes as well, not only sodium but magnesium, calcium and potassium too.

• Promote quality sleep -  calcium helps the brain transform tryptophan into the sleep hormone known as melatonin and also promotes deep rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Magnesium regulates the hormone melatonin, which guides sleep-wake cycles in the body. Better sleep means less daytime fatigue, enhanced focus, and more productive days!

• May strengthen immunity - electrolytes work closely with the immune system and magnesium for example helps the body control inflammation.

• May reduce stress and anxiety - magnesium is important for reducing anxiety and plays a major role in the body's natural stress response. 

Did you know chronic stress can easily deplete magnesium and increase the risk of anxiety and depression? 

One way to avoid this is to make sure there is enough magnesium in the diet either from a supplement or other examples include avocado, dark chocolate and almonds.

Let’s look a little deeper into the 7 most important electrolytes and what happens if the body has too much or too little of them in the body (an imbalance).

Sodium

• Positively charged

• Plays a vital role in helping cells maintain the correct balance of fluid and also helps the body absorb nutrients.

• Sodium is the most abundant electrolyte found in the body

• If there is too much sodium in the body it causes a condition known as hypernatremia and is linked with confusion and behavior changes, seizures and coma, loss of muscle control and unusually strong reflexes.

• If there is not enough sodium in the body it can cause a condition called hyponatremia which is linked to irritability, confusion, weakened reflexes, nausea, vomiting, seizures and coma.

Magnesium

• Positively charged

• Plays a role in helping cells as they turn nutrients and the brain relies heavily on magnesium to do its job.

• If there is too much magnesium in the body it is known as hypermagnesemia and is linked to heart rhythm changes, weakened reflexes, decreased ability to breathe and cardiac arrest.

• If there is not enough  magnesium in the body, it is known as hypomagnesemia and is linked to muscle weakness twitching and loss of control and heart arrhythmias. This tends to happen in connection with there being calcium and potassium deficiencies

Potassium

• Positively charged

• Potassium works alongside sodium in that when one sodium ion enters a cell a potassium one leaves and vice versa.

• If there is too much potassium in the body it is known as hyperkalemia which is linked to weakness, inability to move muscles, confusion and arrhythmias.

• If there is not enough potassium in the body it is known as hypokalemia and is linked to muscle weakness and cramps, excessive thirst and needing to go to the toilet frequently, dizziness and passing out when standing up too quickly.

Calcium

• Positively charged

• As most people well know this element is known for building strong bones and teeth but it is also used to control muscles, transmit signals in your nerves and manage your heart rhythm.

• If there is too much calcium in the body it is known as hypercalcemia which is linked to headaches, fatigue, confusion, constipation and abdominal pain, vomiting, frequently needing to go to the toilet, kidney stones and failure, severe heart arrhythmias and pain in the bones and joints.

• If there is not enough calcium in the body, it is known as hypocalcemia and is linked to confusion and behaviour changes, unusually strong reflexes, loss of muscle control and twitching, spasms in the throat making it hard to breathe or speak.

Chloride

• Negatively charged

• Chloride is also the name for a chlorine ion and is the second most abundant ion in the body.

• It acts as a key role in how cells maintain their internal and external balance of fluid.

• Has a key role in maintaining the body’s natural pH balance.

• If there is too much chloride in the body, it is known as hyperchloremia which can cause acidosis (your blood’s acidity is too high). This can result in nausea, vomiting and fatigue as well as rapid deeper breathing and confusion. This usually happens in connection with too much potassium and can lead to severe kidney problems/kidney failure or too little potassium and can lead to diarrhea, fluid leakage from the pancreas and other urinary tract problems. 

• If there is not enough chloride in the body, it is known as hypochloremia and can cause blood to become more alkaline(alkalosis) and usually append with hyponatremia (too little sodium in the body) or vomiting. Symptoms of alkalosis include apathy, confusion, arrhythmias and muscle twitching or loss of control.

Phosphate

• Negatively charged

• Phosphate is a phosphorous based molecule and plays a key role in transporting chemical compounds and molecules outside the body.

• It also helps cells to metabolise nutrients, and is a key part of molecules known as nucleotides which are the building blocks that make up DNA.

• If there is too much phosphate in the body, it is known as hyperphosphatemia which can cause there to be too little calcium because the body tries to use the calcium as a substitute for phosphorus. It doesn't usually show symptoms until it becomes severe but is also linked with excessive itching.

• If there is not enough phosphate in the body, it is known as hypophosphatemia which usually causes muscle weakness and if it gets worse can lead to more severe symptoms including the breakdown of muscle tissue, kidney damage, seizures, reduced heart function and trouble breathing.

Bicarbonate

• Negatively charged

• Only some of the carbon dioxide that is made in the body gets sent to the lungs to be breathed out. Instead some of it will get recycled into bicarbonate which the body uses to stabilise blood pH levels and keep them at a normal level.

• If there is not enough bicarbonate in the body it can cause acidosis (the blood is too acidic) which leads to fatigue, nausea and vomiting, breathing deeper and faster and can also cause confusion.

• If there is too much bicarbonate in the body it has the opposite effect and causes alkalosis (the blood is too alkaline) which can lead to confusion, apathy, arrhythmias and muscle twitching.

To help improve electrolyte imbalance, an easy addition is by using electrolyte drinks, chews or tablets which have a combination of these 7 important minerals. The drinks are usually available in an effervescent or powder form, come in a whole range of flavours and are easy to drink.

If you feel you have an imbalance and it is not being corrected very easily, using drinks/tablets there are various tests medical professionals can do, to give you a broader look into how your body is working and using these minerals.

Electrolyte drinks