How Many Electrolyte Drinks Can You Have Per Day?

Electrolytes are everywhere - in sports drinks, tablets, and in handy sachets like the ones we have at Dash Hydrate. There's no escaping these electrically charged minerals in today's health and wellness landscape. 

If you've been following our blog, you should understand some of the important roles that electrolytes play and why we need them more in certain situations. If you've forgotten, don't worry. We’ll provide a quick refresher before we attack the main question in today's blog.

While it's clear that adding electrolytes to our diet can improve our health and wellness, can you get too much of a good thing? Too much sun can cause sunburn, and too much food can leave you bloated. So, can you drink too many electrolytes?

In today's article, we’ve looked at how many electrolytes are too much and how many electrolyte packets per day to maintain optimal health. Stick with us until the end, and you’ll be an electrolyte expert in no time at all! 

Why Do We Need Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are essential minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in fluids such as blood, sweat, and urine. They're a vital fuel that keeps our body systems running normally during movement and exercise.

Some of their main functions include maintaining efficient nerve transmissions, ensuring normal muscle contractions, regulating fluid balance, and controlling our blood pH.

When our electrolyte levels run low, we don't have enough to carry out these essential functions. Our needs increase during the following situations, making our electrolyte intake particularly important:

• Spending long periods in hot and humid environments 

• Performing long-duration, high-intensity activities

• When experiencing symptoms of dehydration 

• If suffering from sickness and experiencing diarrhea and vomiting. 

While there's no denying that we need to take in more electrolytes during these situations, how many electrolyte drinks per day do we need? Is there actually too much of a good thing? To better understand this, let's use our baseline requirements as a starting point. 

Our Daily Electrolyte Requirements 

If you’re an average person who tends to sit on the couch most days, you’ll likely get close to or even hit your daily needs with a well-balanced dietary intake. This should consist of electrolyte-rich foods and sufficient water intake, depending on your gender.

However, most of us perform weekly activities and go above rest. This is when our electrolyte requirements increase, and therefore, require us to supplement our intake. 

These are the recommended daily intakes for some of the most common electrolytes for adults living a normal lifestyle. Remember, these will be much higher in the conditions listed above, which will influence how many electrolytes per day you’ll need. 

Now, let's take a look at the nutritional breakdown of our Dash Hydrate Italian Lemon Ice Sugar-Free Electrolyte Powder. Each packet (mixed with water) contains the following:

• Sodium - 240 milligrams.

• Potassium - 210 milligrams.

• Magnesium - 50 milligrams. 

Remembering that our daily needs are increased in most situations, we would have no issue consuming multiple DASH Hydrate electrolyte packets in a normal manner before, during, and after sporting events, when in certain environments, or throughout the day when suffering from sickness. All the times when we need that extra boost, but more food or added sugary drinks isnt always the answer.

This would be alongside a normal dietary intake, where electrolyte-rich foods and electrolyte-rich drinks would make up most of our daily needs. Remember, supplements should be used to supplement a well-planned dietary intake, not replace it!

However, there does become a point when more can be too much or potentially even dangerous. Remember, our electrolyte levels need to be balanced. We’re supplementing them when our levels run low to maintain our vital bodily functions. Once we’ve balanced them out, they can become too high and cause other symptoms that we need to be aware of and deal with. We’ll talk about this in our final section.

Can You Have Too Many Electrolytes?

Generally speaking, you should be able to monitor changes in symptoms, consuming electrolyte supplements naturally, while continuing your daily activity or exercise. In most cases, common sense should dictate how much you need. These are some common signs of excess electrolytes to be aware of:

• Confusion.

• Dizziness.

• An irregular or fast heartbeat.

• Headaches.

• Fatigue.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Diarrhea.

Remember, our bodies are designed to survive. While it's totally possible to consume too many electrolytes, we have certain safety mechanisms in place to try to maintain balance. Some of these symptoms may also signal an electrolyte deficiency, which is why it's important to understand your needs and daily requirements first.

If you notice any of these symptoms developing and you’ve been consuming a lot of electrolytes, you’re likely consuming too much. If you’re not consuming any electrolytes and you notice these symptoms developing, you might be deficient.

While this seems fairly rudimentary, a common-sense approach is often best when it comes to your nutritional needs. Unless you’re a high-level athlete looking for that extra percentage, you can base your intakes on your body's responses. Listen to your body, notice changes in your condition or the development of these symptoms, and respond accordingly. 

One last thing before we wrap up today's article. If you’re a hard-working first responder or an athlete training in the heat and firmly focused on your performance, you may require the help of a professional to measure your hydration needs and create a personalized hydration plan. In this case, you’ll get a specific number of DASH packets based on your individual needs and daily dietary intake. 

So, can I drink electrolyte water every day? The answer - yes, as long as you listen to your body's needs and monitor your responses accordingly. Use a common-sense approach, and you’ll be soaring to levels you only ever dreamed of in no time at all!