Despite electrolyte imbalances being surprisingly common, many people are unaware that they’re running low until it's too late. One minute you’re performing at your best, and the next you’re experiencing mood swings, low energy levels, and your performance is tanking. Whether you’re a first responder who’s saving people's lives or an everyday office worker, a decline in these essential minerals can quickly shut your body down.
While electrolyte drinks and supplements have surged in popularity, many people fail to understand when they actually need them. The real secret lies in identifying the vital early warning signs before things deteriorate.
Luckily for you, we’re here to help. Once you’ve reached the end of this article, you’ll have everything you need to recognize the early warning signs and optimize your health and wellness. Here’s how to keep your body performing at its best by learning about the power of electrolytes!
What Happens When Your Body Is Low On Electrolytes
So, what are the 4 signs of an electrolyte imbalance that you NEED to be aware of? Take note of each one and become an electrolyte expert in no time at all.
Fatigue And Weakness
If you’re finding it hard to go about your daily activities and don’t feel like your usual self, it might be an early sign of low electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium. Both of these help with energy production and fluid balance, helping your nerves and muscles to function correctly. Without them, you’ll have to work harder to function, leading to a sudden drop in energy.
Related symptoms can include lightheadedness, headaches, and dizziness. If you recognize any of these, it’s time to top up your electrolyte levels. Without catching them early, you’ll limit your daily activity, ruin your exercise performance, and destroy your recovery.
Muscle Cramps
Muscle cramps are undeniably one of the easiest signs to recognize when it comes to low electrolytes. If you’ve suddenly felt a painful cramp when sitting down to relax, you’ll know exactly what we mean.
Most of the main electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, help the muscles to contract and relax during movement, activity, and exercise.
If there’s not enough electrolytes to go around, your nerves start misfiring and your muscles contract uncontrollably. Your muscles become inflamed and you suffer from delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). We all know the feeling of sitting down after an intense leg session and struggling to get back up. Keeping your electrolytes in check can help deal with this common issue.
Remember when you finished an intense exercise session and immediately got a cramp when you got home? You most definitely didn’t drink enough electrolytes. This can happen during or after exercise, when sweating excessively, and when dehydrated.
Confusion And Mental Changes
Electrolytes don’t just help with our physical health. They play vital roles in our mental health too, particularly our cognition (brain function). Sodium, calcium, and magnesium help regulate the nerve signalling and fluid balance in our brains. Without them, we can’t think clearly, leading to confusion, irritability, and even dangerous side effects such as seizures if left for long enough.
Being able to recognize changes in your mental state early is key to making sure it doesn’t progress any further. If you’re struggling to think, try an electrolyte drink and see how you feel. Your mental health should also be a top priority. Without it, you wouldn’t be the unique and amazing person you are!
Irregular Heartbeat
Our heart is arguably our most important organ. It pumps blood around our body to our other essential organs and keeps us alive. We NEED to look after it if we want to live a long and fulfilling life.
Electrolytes help maintain our heartbeat, a rhythmic contraction and relaxation cycle. When our levels fall too low, our heart can misfire, causing skipped beats and palpitations. Not something you want from such an important organ.
Monitor your heart rhythm, taking note of any unusual changes. If something doesn’t feel right, it might be worth getting checked out.
The Importance Of Electrolytes
Now that you know what happens when you're low on electrolytes, let’s do a quick recap on why they’re so important. So, what are electrolytes and what do they do?
Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in fluids like blood, sweat, and urine. Think of them as a type of essential fuel that we need to keep our body systems functioning optimally.
Remember, our main electrolytes are:
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Sodium
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Potassium
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Calcium
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Magnesium
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Phosphate
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Chloride
Each of these is vital for the physiological processes that keep our body running as intended. They move across our cell membranes, maintain our fluid balance, and support essential chemical reactions in our bodies.
Here are just some of the key benefits:
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Maintaining Nerve Communication - Ensure efficient nerve signal transmissions between our brain, spinal cord, and muscles.
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Supporting Muscle Function - Help our muscles to contract and relax, reducing the risks of muscle cramps and poor performance.
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Regulating Fluid Balance - Regulates how much water comes in and out of our cells, preventing dehydration and the negative symptoms.
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Helping Keep Stable pH levels - Keep our blood within its optimal pH range (not too acidic or alkaline), ensuring healthy cellular activity.
When our electrolyte levels aren’t high enough to carry out these essential functions, we start to run into trouble. Water certainly helps, but it’s often not enough in certain situations. Here’s when the power of electrolytes starts to shine:
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When you’re spending extended periods in hot and humid environments
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If you’re performing continuous, high-intensity activity
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When noticing any of these important symptoms of dehydration
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If suffering from sickness and experiencing vomiting and diarrhea
How To Keep Your Electrolyte Levels In Check
We’ve given you the tools to recognize when you’re in trouble. Now it’s time to do something about it! It takes a little bit of effort to keep your electrolyte levels in check, but it should become second nature once you’ve learnt how to make it part of your daily routine. Here's how to replenish electrolytes after dehydration, the smart way!
As with most things, it’s important to build a solid foundation first. Never underestimate the power of a high-quality diet full of electrolyte-containing foods. Alongside this, stick to the suggested daily hydration guidelines, and this might just do if you’re sitting around all day.
However, for most of us, we’re looking to optimize our health and wellness. Yes, we’re talking about amazing first responders, awe-inspiring athletes, and unique everyday individuals. In this case, you’ll need the best electrolyte drinks, just like the ones we provide at DASH Hydrate. Our sugar-free electrolyte drinks will keep your levels in check no matter what you’re doing.
Listen to your body, recognize these 4 vital signs, and you’ll be on your way to better health and even better performance. We’re here to help you recognize your true potential by supporting you every step of the way.
