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When people are strong and reliable, we describe them as solid, yet the human body is about 60% water. Let’s face it: even the toughest among us is less like concrete, and more like a walking water balloon. Water is essential to most of our bodily functions, like carrying nutrients to our cells and keeping the brain sharp. The problem is that we’re constantly losing water through sweating, peeing, and breathing. We must do our part to keep the balloon full. We must drink fluids.
Drinks are absorbed and retained better when paired with minerals commonly found in food like sodium, potassium, and chloride. It’s important to replenish these minerals, called electrolytes, during tough, lengthy exercise, as sweat ushers them out of the body.
Cue the electrolyte products. Commercials show our favorite pro athletes boosting their electrolytes with sports drinks, powders, and gels—with looks of deep satisfaction etched on their faces—but does the average person actually need these supplements?
Charge up hydration
Electrolytes are key to hydration, mainly because they enhance fluid retention. “Having more electrolytes can trigger more efficient fluid uptake from the gut,” says Kim Barrett, a gastrointestinal physiologist at the University of California, Davis and spokesperson for the American Gastroenterological Association.
Sodium is the most important electrolyte for staying hydrated. When it’s consumed, sodium hangs around the exterior of cells, where its positive electrical charge attracts water molecules into the bloodstream and tissues. Think of sodium-rich water encircling the cells as “the sea water we took with us” when our ancient ancestors left the oceans to live on land, says Craig Horswill, a professor of exercise and nutrition at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Electrolytes help ensure healthy hydration at the cellular level.
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A negatively-charged electrolyte, chloride, clings to sodium,…
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