electrolyes

All you need to know about electrolytes and why you need them~

Guest Blogger submission

Fitness has become the prime need for so many people. We indulge in sports and workout to get fit bodies and a stress-free soul, but sometimes, due to lack of vital nutrients and electrolyte, this workout gets converted into pain! It is a pure misconception that your body needs only fluids and calories to fuel an intense workout as electrolytes are more important compared to the hydration and caloric needs. If you indulge in regular workout or sport, then you may look out for replenishing electrolytes due to many reasons.

What is electrolyte?

Electrolytes are minerals. They break to form electrically charged particles present in the body fluids. These are very powerful particles that are responsible for many vital body functions like muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission. The essential electrolytes required by those involved in some type of sport are magnesium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and sodium.

Any rigorous physical activity may make you lose too much of fluids due to sweating. You would actually lose electrolytes in this process and the fact is that it needs quick replenishment else it would result into issues like muscle cramps, mental confusion, headache, nausea, and fatigue. Apart from experiencing these immediate symptoms, one would also experience weak muscle movement during the next sport or workout session due to lack of electrolytes. It can also be disastrous if you continue with your “No Electrolyte Replenishment Regime” for a long time as it would get converted into serious health problems like seizures, kidney failure, and also uneven heart rhythm.

Replenishing electrolytes is important only when your workout lasts more than an hour as for short duration workouts or sports activity, sipping on water may also help.

Ways to replenish electrolyte

  1. Drink lots of water – Plain water doesn’t have electrolytes, but still it is one of the best ways to rehydrate the body. Sipping on water during the workout would keep your body hydrated but if it goes beyond one hour then you need to take electrolytes too.
  2. Even solids work – It is usually believed that electrolytes are liquid, but there are some electrolytes that you would get from solids. Eat one banana or boiled potato after your workout to instantly supply your body with potassium.
  3. Sip on coconut water and sports drink – Sports drinks are meant for sports and that is the reason why they have sufficient electrolytes to replenish the loss. Though it is the easiest way to get your electrolytes, you may avoid these drinks if your workout duration is less than 1 hour. For less rigorous workouts, opting for natural electrolyte rich like coconut water would be the better idea.
  4. Fruits and juices – Fruits are naturally loaded with electrolytes. They are rich in all forms of electrolytes and you can benefit from their natural composition by consuming more fruits after a workout or sipping on juices during and after the workout.
  5. Nuts and seeds – Nuts and seeds have both sufficient amount of magnesium and calcium. You can snack on them before or after the workout to get your body going.

All types of electrolytes are important, but remember electrolyte is not just sodium. So, take mixed electrolytes in either solid or liquid form to get the advantage of electrolytes without encountering the side-effects.

Author Bio:

Carol has been writing on different weight loss supplements as a part of her writing profession and intense passion towards this segment. Her articles speak about actual applications and research work carried out on these supplements. She has written extensively on Garcinia Cambogia Extract and some of these articles are also shared on US Pure Garcinia Cambogia, online shop for GCE.

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