5 Reasons To Avoid Electrolyte &
Sports Drinks
Drinking Plain Water Is Not Enough To Stay Hydrated – But Sports Drinks Might Do More Harm Than Good…
Dr. Chad Walding, DPT
Thanks to popular sports drinks advertisements, you might think that these beverages will help you stay hydrated.
That fact is, many of these popular drinks and electrolyte supplements might be doing more harm than good.
And if you’re still drinking 8+ glasses of plain water a day, hoping to meet your hydration needs, I’ve got news for you…
Hydration has little to do with how much fluid you drink and more to do with your electrolyte levels.
Electrolytes are essential minerals—like sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, and calcium—that are vital to many key functions in the body.
Electrolytes are important because they help:
- Balance the amount of water in your body and hydrate your cells
- Balance your body’s acid/base (pH) level
- Move nutrients into your cells and move wastes out of your cells
- Support your muscle and nerve function
- Reduce muscle cramps and spasms
- Keep your heart rate and rhythm steady
- Keep your blood pressure stable
- Keep your bones and teeth healthy
- Lubricate brain cells and fend off headaches and dizziness
When you drink plain water all day, you’re actually diluting your levels of these important electrolytes, and consequently, your cells are unable to function properly.
As a result, an estimated 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated*.
So, if you struggle with occasional muscle cramps, dizzy spells, fatigue, and headaches – there’s a strong chance you have an electrolyte imbalance.
Case and point: while drinking water throughout the day is important… We must also be aware that plain water only solves part of the hydration problem.
Balancing electrolyte levels is arguably the most important factor in optimal hydration.
To help solve this problem, hydration drinks, and electrolyte supplements have flooded the health market.
But, not all hydration drinks are created equally…
Read on to discover the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding hydration drinks and what to look for instead when choosing the right electrolyte-balancing supplement for you.
1.) It doesn’t contain all 5 key electrolytes
As you just learned, electrolytes are one of the most critical factors in rehydration and recovery.
These minerals help send and receive signals to your brain, heart, gut, and muscles that keep the body functioning. They help direct the flow of water in and out of cells, which is essential for repairing and rehydrating muscles.
Remember, the body loses electrolytes by over-drinking water.
Therefore, properly recovering those lost electrolytes is crucial; if not done, there can be uncomfortable side effects. These can include fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, low energy, or not feeling well overall.
While many sports drinks may contain electrolytes, they often do not contain all 5 of the most important electrolytes.
That said, your hydration drink must contain all 5 of the following electrolytes for balanced hydration:
- Sodium: Sodium helps regulate fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions in the body.
- Potassium: Potassium is crucial in maintaining proper heart function, muscle contractions, and nerve signals.
- Chloride: Chloride is essential for maintaining fluid balance, forming stomach acid for digestion, and transmitting nerve impulses.
- Magnesium: Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function, regulates blood sugar levels, and contributes to bone health.
- Calcium: Calcium is vital for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth, as well as supporting muscle and nerve function.
2.) Check the sodium content. (It probably has way too much!)
Sodium is the main mineral that helps regulate fluid balance, nerve function and muscle contraction – however, too much sodium can strain the heart.
This is where you need to read the label very carefully – especially for folks over 50.
Some popular electrolyte supplements, like LMNT, contain up to 1000 mg of sodium per serving, which is 43 percent of your daily value!
With nearly half the amount of sodium the average adult needs daily, you would need to carefully monitor your dietary salt levels while taking an electrolyte supplement like LMNT.
Or, take the easier approach and find one with less sodium.
Now, if you’re an athlete or you exercise vigorously every day, you may be able to tolerate more sodium than the average person to make up for the sodium loss that occurs through excessive sweating during hard workouts.
However, 200mg of sodium per serving is more than enough for less active individuals.
3.) It has too much sugar and too many calories.
What do Gatorade, Powerade, and Vitamin Water all have in common?
They all pack just as much sugar and calories as a candy bar!
Sports drinks should be avoided if you have problematic blood sugar or if you are watching your weight.
Because if you’re drinking a sports drink as a sedentary to lightly-active individual, you’re likely drinking more sugar and calories than you’re burning off.
But, there is one caveat.
While high amounts of sugar are not ideal for most people, there are times when it might be necessary. Many sports drinks are designed to fuel high-performance athletes during intense workouts or athletic competitions.
However, if you do not fall into this category, sports drinks might do more harm than good.
That’s why I do not recommend people over 50 use sports drinks to meet their hydration needs.
There is a far better way to maintain adequate hydration – with zero sugar – which I’ll share shortly