Phizziology – Jake Kay-Lawson
Understanding Electrolytes: What They Do and Why They Matter
Electrolytes are essential for maintaining the body's vital functions, but many people are unaware of just how crucial they are. Whether you’re an athlete pushing your limits, someone with a busy lifestyle, or simply looking to boost your health, understanding what electrolytes do can help you maintain peak physical and mental performance. These charged minerals help keep everything in balance, but what exactly are electrolytes, and why are they so important for your well-being?
What Are Electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in water. Because water makes up a large proportion of your body, electrolytes can be found almost everywhere and help the cells of your body operate correctly. Electrolytes are crucial for a wide range of physical and mental bodily functions, from transporting nutrients to supporting muscle contractions and nerve signalling. They also help maintain fluid balance by controlling how much water is absorbed into and out of your cells. This balance is essential for keeping your body hydrated, which in turn supports everything from digestion and blood flow to mental acuity. Key electrolytes include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphate, and bicarbonate. The body requires a precise balance of these electrolytes to perform efficiently, so ensuring your electrolyte levels are always topped-up is crucial for optimum health.
Key Electrolytes and Their Functions
Let’s take a closer look at the primary electrolytes and some of the many important roles they play in your body:
Sodium: Primarily responsible for regulating fluid levels and helping muscles and nerves function. Sodium is vital for maintaining blood pressure and ensuring proper hydration.
Potassium: Works with sodium to balance fluid levels and supports muscle function, including the heart's ability to maintain a steady rhythm. It also plays a role in regulating blood pressure.
Chloride: Often found alongside sodium, chloride helps regulate fluid balance, supports digestion, and maintains healthy pH levels in the body.
Calcium: Most people associate it with strong bones, but calcium also functions as a key cellular messenger, helping muscles contract, nerves transmit signals, and blood clot effectively.
Magnesium: Involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, magnesium supports memory formation, protein synthesis, and energy production.
Zinc: Important for the immune system as well as supporting healthy skin via a role in collagen production.
Bicarbonate: Works as a buffer to help maintain the body’s pH levels, which is essential for overall cellular function.
Each of these electrolytes works together to ensure that your body operates smoothly.
How Electrolytes Affect Your Body
Electrolytes are used to move water around the body. A great example is sweat, which is packed full of electrolytes. When you sweat your body pumps sodium and other electrolytes out of the body. Water subsequently follows, congregating on your skin to help cool you down. The same trick is used to absorb water, hence why drinks designed to rehydrate you often contain electrolytes. A major role of electrolytes is to maintain fluid balance within the body and prevent dehydration. Dehydration can have lots of negative effects, including muscle cramps, increasing mental fatigue and irritability, and reducing energy levels.
Electrolytes also play a critical role in nerve function. The neurons in your brain use the flow of electrolytes to generate electrical impulses, with sodium, potassium and chloride ions flowing into and out of the cell at incredible speeds. These nerve impulses dictate our thoughts and carry signals by carrying electrical impulses between your brain and the rest of your body. Athletes and people who engage in regular physical activity are particularly aware of the importance of electrolytes because they are often lost through sweat, especially during prolonged exercise or intense heat. If this happens it can have significant effects on physical performance, reducing power output, increasing your heart rate and the thickness of your blood as you become dehydrated.
While this is only a small snapshot of what electrolytes do in the body it highlights just how important they are to both physical and mental performance. So a healthy balance of electrolytes is key to overall well-being.
Causes of Electrolyte Imbalance
Now that we’ve covered why it’s important to keep your electrolyte levels balanced, let’s look at why avoiding an imbalance is crucial to maintaining optimal mental and physical performance.
Dehydration: Losing too much water through sweat, vomiting, diarrhoea, or even excessive urination can cause a significant drop in electrolytes.
Poor Diet: Not consuming enough nutrient-dense foods can lead to a lack of essential electrolytes.
Overhydration: While rare, drinking too much water without replenishing electrolytes can dilute them in your system.
Kidney Dysfunction: Since your kidneys filter and regulate electrolytes, any issues with kidney function can lead to imbalances.
Medications: Some medications, particularly diuretics, can increase the excretion of electrolytes through urine.
Symptoms of Imbalance
Electrolyte imbalances can manifest in several ways, depending on which electrolytes are affected. Common symptoms include:
Muscle cramps or weakness
Fatigue or lethargy
Headaches
Dizziness or confusion
Nausea and vomiting
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Seizures (in severe cases)
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, especially after heavy exercise or illness, it’s crucial to seek medical attention. Severe imbalances can lead to life-threatening conditions, including heart arrhythmias and seizures.
How to Correct and Prevent Imbalances
Fortunately, preventing and correcting electrolyte imbalances can often be achieved through simple lifestyle changes. Here are some practical tips:
Stay Hydrated: Drinking water is essential, but when you're sweating heavily, consider replenishing lost electrolytes with sports drinks or supplements.
Eat a Balanced Diet: Incorporate a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole foods that are rich in electrolytes into your daily diet.
Consider Supplements: For those who engage in strenuous physical activities or have a medical condition that affects electrolyte levels, taking an electrolyte supplement, such as Phizz Daily 3-in-1, may be helpful.
Regularly consuming foods and beverages rich in electrolytes is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your body maintains proper balance.
Sources of Electrolytes
Most people can maintain adequate electrolyte levels through a combination of proper hydration and a balanced diet. Here’s where you can find some of the most common electrolytes in everyday foods and drinks.
Electrolytes in Food and Drink
A healthy diet should provide plenty of electrolytes naturally. Some of the best food sources include:
Sodium: Commonly found in table salt but also soups, olives and nuts. Keep in mind while sodium is important, too much can be harmful.
Potassium: Found in bananas, oranges, spinach, potatoes, and tomatoes. These foods can help restore potassium levels lost during physical exertion.
Calcium: Found in dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yoghurt, as well as in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach.
Magnesium: Found in nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes.
Chloride: Found in salt and foods that contain sodium, like seaweed and olives.
Phosphate: Found in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products, as well as beans and nuts.
Additionally, natural electrolyte-rich drinks like coconut water provide a hydrating boost after exercise or hot weather.
When to Consider Supplements
While most individuals get enough electrolytes through food and water, there are times when supplements may be beneficial. If you're engaging in extended exercise sessions, competing in endurance sports, or recovering from an illness that has caused dehydration, an electrolyte supplement like Phizz can help restore balance. However, not all supplements are created equal. Look for products that offer a balanced blend of key electrolytes without excessive amounts of sugar or artificial ingredients.
This Is Where Phizz Can Help
Phizz offers an easy and effective way to ensure you maintain the right balance of electrolytes. Combining seven key electrolytes, essential vitamins, and minerals into one convenient effervescent tablet, Phizz hydrates you 3x faster than water alone. Whether you're an athlete looking for recovery or simply managing your daily hydration, Phizz provides a science-backed solution that supports both mental and physical performance.
Trusted by professional athletes and supported by over 5,000 five-star reviews, Phizz is a proven product that goes beyond basic hydration. Not only does it help with faster recovery and improved performance, but its eco-friendly, plastic-positive packaging ensures that you’re making a sustainable choice for both your health and the planet.
For those who want to feel and perform at their best, Phizz is the ultimate hydration companion. Explore our range of products today to take your hydration to the next level.
