Electrolytes are tiny minerals found in the blood and body fluids. In order for muscles, nerves and blood circulation to function properly, they need to be kept in balance. The electrolytes, i.e. sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, magnesium and phosphate, can be depleted in case of intense sweating, so it is important to replenish them after a training session. Caused by fluid loss, poor nutrition, malabsorption and other disorders, electrolyte imbalances can have serious consequences. For example, they can cause abnormal heartbeat, confusion, sudden changes in blood pressure, disorders of the nervous or bone system and, in extreme cases, even be fatal. In any case, electrolytes can be replenished by taking fluids, eating well, taking supplements and implementing specific medical procedures. By eating right and maintaining adequate levels of hydration, it is virtually impossible to have problems with electrolytes. However, if these precautions are not enough, contact your doctor to develop a treatment.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Maintain Proper Hydration
Step 1. Drink 9-13 glasses of liquid per day
Salt and water travel together in the body, consequently they are excreted simultaneously. For this reason it is very important to maintain a good hydro-saline balance. Generally, men should drink about 13 glasses of water or other liquids (plus or minus 3 l) per day, while women should drink 9 (approximately 2, 2 l). Water, fruit juices and tea allow you to drink fluids. To keep electrolytes in balance both during and after a workout, adopt good daily habits.
Aim to drink approximately 500ml of water or other liquids approximately 2 hours before exercising
Step 2. Hydrate when you feel unwell
Vomiting, diarrhea, and high fever can cause dehydration and lower electrolyte values. The best way to prevent it? Hydrate with water, broth, tea and sports drinks. The consumption of broth and drinks containing mineral salts helps to maintain an adequate hydro-saline balance when the body is hit by a malaise.
Step 3. Don't rely on sports drinks alone to boost electrolyte values
Sports drinks like Gatorade are designed for athletes, but they are not necessarily the best option to replenish electrolytes lost through sweating. In addition to the minerals that the body needs, sports drinks often contain a lot of sugars. Consuming sugar is good after a training session, the problem is that these products contain it in high quantities. Try to naturally replace electrolytes by preferring a healthy drink.
Coconut water is great for rehydrating more naturally than sports drinks, as it contains many electrolytes that are essential for the body
Step 4. If you are severely dehydrated, go to the hospital for intravenous therapy
In the case of adults, dehydration is accompanied by intense thirst, little or no urination (or extremely dark urine), fatigue, lightheadedness and confusion. If you have these symptoms, you may need to get a drip with water and minerals to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes. Go to your doctor or hospital.
In the case of children, dehydration can be accompanied by different symptoms, such as crying without tears, dry mouth, dry diapers for more than three hours, sunken eyes or cheeks, sunken top of the skull, irritability or fatigue
Step 5. Prevent overhydration
It may happen that you take in more fluids than you need. If you drink more water than can be filtered by the kidneys, the body will retain fluids, upsetting the water-saline balance. Of course, it is important to maintain adequate levels of hydration while exercising, but if you drink a lot and start to feel nauseous, confused, disoriented or have a headache, it is possible that you are overhydrated.
- Do not drink more than one liter per hour.
- When you sweat a lot, drink half water and the other half a sports drink containing electrolytes.
Method 2 of 4: Replenish Electrolytes with Food
Step 1. When you sweat a lot, eat something salty
Heavy sweating causes the body to lose large amounts of sodium - that's why sweat is salty! After training, have a healthy snack, like a peanut butter bagel or a handful of peanuts. Unlike other salty foods found in the snack department of the supermarket, dried fruit is a sodium-rich but healthy food.
Step 2. Replenish the chloride with a snack
Chloride is lost along with sodium through the sweating process. When you're done working out, have a healthy snack with a chloride-rich food, such as olives, rye bread, seaweed, tomatoes, lettuce, or celery.
Step 3. Eat foods rich in potassium
After an intense training session, it is good to eat foods rich in potassium to replenish this element. The same advice also applies to those who take diuretic drugs. Here are some good examples of potassium-rich foods: avocados, bananas, baked potatoes, bran, carrots, lean beef, milk, oranges, peanut butter, legumes (beans and peas), salmon, spinach, tomatoes, and germ. of wheat.
Step 4. Eat foods rich in calcium
To naturally increase calcium values, eat foods that are rich in calcium, such as milk and dairy products. Milk, yogurt, cheese and cereals can be included in every meal. Leafy greens, oranges, canned salmon, shrimp, and peanuts are other foods that contain calcium.
Adults who lead an active lifestyle need at least 3 servings of milk and dairy products a day to get enough calcium, while adolescents need at least 4. One serving is equivalent to a 250ml glass of milk, to a pot of yogurt. 200 g or 2 slices (about 40 g) of cheese
Step 5. Eat foods rich in magnesium
The body needs magnesium for muscles and nerves to function properly, so consume foods that are rich in magnesium. Here are some good options: green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes (like beans and lentils).
Step 6. Incorporate other electrolyte-rich foods into your diet
Some can be eaten at the end of the workout, but you can also include them in your daily diet to maintain a correct hydro-saline balance. For example, eat chia seeds, kale, apples, beetroot, oranges, and sweet potatoes.
Method 3 of 4: Change Your Habits
Step 1. Increase your intake of vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency can reduce values such as phosphate and calcium, so sunbathe daily to remedy this deficiency. Try to expose yourself for about 20 minutes a day, but apply protection first to avoid getting burned. Also eat foods rich in vitamin D, such as mushrooms, fatty fish (mackerel or salmon), fortified cereals, tofu, eggs, milk and derivatives, lean pork.
If you suspect that you have low vitamin D, you can diagnose the disorder with a blood test. Talk to your doctor to get tested and see if you should take a supplement
Step 2. Stop smoking
Smoking and the consumption of tobacco products can decrease calcium levels. Stop to feel better and regulate the level of calcium in your blood, as this is a very important electrolyte.
Step 3. Stop drinking alcohol
Alcoholism commonly causes electrolyte imbalances. If you have problems with alcohol, see a quitting specialist. It is possible to try to combat addiction on your own, but professional help is preferable to ensure that you follow the path safely. If you have too much alcohol and it is strictly necessary to stop drinking it, it is in fact important that a doctor monitors the functioning of the liver, kidneys, pancreas and electrolytes.
Step 4. Don't go hungry
Restrictive diets are dangerous for various reasons. In fact, they have various consequences, including the upset of the hydro-saline balance. Avoid diets that promise you will lose a lot of pounds in a short time or that suggest eating only (or almost all) a certain type of food. Even the raw food diet and purification with juices can throw the hydro-saline balance into turmoil.
If you are trying to lose weight, follow a healthy and balanced diet. Try working with a nutritionist or dietician to structure your meal plan
Method 4 of 4: Get Medical Treatment
Step 1. See a doctor if you are taking any medications
Some drugs are known to decrease electrolyte levels, especially diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide or furosemide. Talk to your doctor about replacing a certain medicine, especially if you lead a particularly active lifestyle and sweat a lot. Never stop taking a drug without a specialist's permission. Here are other medicines that may lower electrolyte values:
- Some antibiotics;
- Laxatives;
- Steroids;
- Hydrogen carbonate;
- Proton pump inhibitors;
- Cyclosporine;
- Amphotericin B;
- Antacids;
- Acetazolamide;
- Foscarnet;
- Imatinib;
- Pentamidine;
- Sorafenib.
Step 2. Monitor the causes of water retention
If you are withholding water due to a medical condition, you may see a drop in electrolytes. This can be due to heart failure, kidney problems, liver disease, and pregnancy. The pathologies must be treated with specific medicines under the supervision of a doctor to prevent the electrolyte values from dropping to a worrying level. In case of gestation, it is possible to stabilize the hydro-saline balance with the help of your gynecologist.
- Having swelling in the legs or difficulty breathing while lying down are other typical symptoms of water retention. You may also see changes in your heart rate or blood pressure, shortness of breath, or a thick, fluffy cough with saliva.
- Although less common, the condition called SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion) can also lower electrolytes.
Step 3. Treat conditions that cause electrolyte imbalances
Many disorders can cause imbalances, some directly, others indirectly. You need to work with a doctor to treat these diseases and avoid having dangerously low electrolytes. Consider that the problem can be caused by the following pathologies:
- Celiac disease;
- Pancreatitis;
- Abnormalities affecting the parathyroid hormone (hypoparathyroidism or hyperparathyroidism);
- Diabetes (if not kept under control, it is possible to always feel thirsty and consequently risk overhydration).
Step 4. Get help if your electrolyte values are dangerously low
It is usually possible to keep them under control at home by means of proper hydration and nutrition. However, if they go too low, they can cause serious problems. In this case, symptoms ranging from weakness to heart palpitations tend to occur. If you have any troubling symptoms and have low electrolytes, go to the hospital. The type of malaise accused varies according to the seriousness of the situation.
- There are medicines for oral intake (for example tablets) that allow to remedy problems of potassium, magnesium and low calcium;
- In the hospital it is possible to undergo intravenous therapy if the levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphate are dangerously low.
Warnings
- Electrolytes that are too high are just as dangerous as those that are excessively low. If you're having trouble, be sure to see a doctor and get regular tests to make sure your readings are balanced.
- Ecstasy can lower electrolytes to a very dangerous or even lethal level. Avoid this psychoactive substance, especially if you have heart, liver or kidney problems.
- Overhydration can be as dangerous as dehydration. To prevent it, try not to drink more than one liter of fluids per hour.
