Endurance athletes: why are electrolytes important?

Why are electrolytes important? Electrolytes are essential minerals that needs to function properly. As an endurance athlete, it’s crucial to replace electrolytes lost during exercise. The four main electrolytes lost through sweat are sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

When discussing athletes and electrolytes, having an adequate balance of fluid and electrolytes enhances performance, recovery, and overall health maintenance.

Studies have noted that most endurance athletes aren’t meeting their hydration and electrolyte needs during races. This can be problematic and decrease your ability to perform. Instead, make sure you are following the recommended guidelines for electrolyte consumption while training as an athlete.

Keep reading to learn why electrolytes are important, when you need them, and how much you need for optimal performance. We also go over examples of how to replenish electrolytes, including a comparison chart of the best electrolyte mixes. So let’s get started!

Pst… before you continue, have you checked out my fueling guides for athletes? They are downloadable guides written by a sports dietitian and age-group athlete covering pre, intra, and post-workout fueling strategies. Get your copies today!

What do electrolytes do for endurance athletes?

Everybody experiences fluid and electrolyte losses through daily bodily processes such as breathing, digestion, and perspiration. Most people replenish them through the fluids they drink and the food they eat without much thought.

However, athletes have an increased need for fluid and electrolytes because they are sweating more frequently during training. Adequate electrolytes help athletes sustain blood flow/volume to the heart, distribute nutrients to cells, and enhance their metabolism. If athletes do not maintain a proper fluid balance, it can lead to a decrease in performance ability.

Other benefits of electrolytes for endurance athletes include:

• Better muscle performance
• Faster recovery period
• Increased cardiovascular health
• Less cramps/spasms
• Improved endurance

Why are electrolytes important for endurance athletes?

It is likely that you have been taught to drink an increased amount of water to stay hydrated during training and races. While hydration is extremely important, drinking too much plain water is not ideal for endurance athletes. Many new triathletes and runners make the mistake of chugging too much water and not focusing on electrolytes.

An over dilution of water without the proper amount of electrolytes can lead to conditions such as hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is characterized by having below normal levels of sodium in your blood (<135mmol/L). When you sweat, you lose both water and sodium. So, you can’t replace it with only water or your blood-sodium concentration will be off. Which makes sense, right?

A study published found that 13% of Boston Marathon runners had hyponatremia at the finish line, with 0.6% having a critical case of it. It concluded that hyponatremia is a substantial concern for endurance athletes and should be prevented through proper sodium consumption. Symptoms of hyponatremia include muscle cramps, confusion, slurred speech, and disorientation.

Why are electrolytes important?

Since athletes deplete electrolytes faster, they are at a greater risk of developing imbalances and deficiencies. Because of this, it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of electrolyte imbalances. An imbalance can occur when you have not enough (or too much) of certain minerals in your body.

Signs of electrolyte imbalances to look out for:

• Chronic cramping or muscle spasms
• Frequent urination
• Headaches
• Confusion/irritability
• Nausea/vomiting

If you find yourself experiencing any of these signs or symptoms, try to focus on increasing your electrolyte consumption. This will hopefully help alleviate your symptoms and subsequently improve your performance and overall health.

When to take electrolytes?

When you should take electrolytes will be dependent on your training routine. There are benefits to taking them before, during, and after training.

Some athletes find that consuming an electrolyte powder or drink 60 minutes before their workout helps them perform better and prevent dehydration. This is especially true if you are someone who sweats a ton while they work out.

When it comes to intra-workout, if your workout is going to be longer than 90 minutes, it is recommended to take electrolytes in some form during your workout. Consider carrying an electrolyte drink or a single-serve powder mix packet that you can add to your water bottle.

Post-workout is the most popular time to take electrolytes and will help replenish any electrolytes you lost through sweat during your session. If you don’t take any pre or intra-workout, then I encourage you to add them to your post-training regimen. Your post-workout meal is also a great time to include whole-food sources of electrolytes.

Overall, my best advice is to take them when it is most convenient for you and what feels best for your training. Experiment with different timing and products and reflect on how you perform during that run or bike. Adjust accordingly!

How much electrolytes do athletes need?

Your electrolyte needs will vary based on your body size, training intensity, and duration of your workout.

Another important factor to consider is the environment you are training in. The hotter and more humid the weather, the more electrolytes you will lose through sweat.

Current research suggests athletes can lose around 3500-7000 mg of sodium daily. If you are exercising less than two hours, it is recommended to consume 120-160 mg of sodium and 50-100 mg of potassium per 16-ounce serving of an electrolyte drink or water. If your training is longer than two hours, you will want to increase this amount.

To figure out your personal hydration needs as a runner or triathlete, you can calculate your sweat rate, which tells you how much fluid you should aim to drink.

Looking for more information on how to calculate your personal sweat rate and hydration needs as an athlete? Make sure to check out my intra workout fueling guide!

What’s the best way for athletes to replenish electrolytes?

Endurance athletes can replenish their electrolytes in a few ways. Two of the most popular are electrolyte powders and sports drinks. Electrolyte powders are mixes that you can add straight to your water bottle. Some include all four electrolytes and others may only contain specific ones such as sodium.

A few popular brands of electrolyte mixes are Liquid IV, Nuun, LMNT, and Gatorade (refer to the graphic below). While these can be a convenient option, you can also replenish through whole food sources. As we mentioned earlier, the four key electrolytes lost through sweat are sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Here are a few food sources for each:

• Sodium: sunflower seeds, pretzels, bread, crackers, soup
• Potassium: avocado, potato, salmon, banana, acorn squash, white beans
• Calcium: yogurt, milk, okra, edamame, parmesan, spinach
• Magnesium: spinach, pumpkin seeds, tuna, brown rice, almonds, dark chocolate

What is the best electrolyte mix?

There are a few different electrolyte options out there to add to your water bottle. The graphic below shows a quick comparison of the top brands.

These brands will also vary slightly in calorie and sugar amounts, as well as flavor. Check out the brand’s website for further information on each electrolyte powder mix and to decide for yourself which one will best suit you and your performance training!

Prefer to watch instead of read recipes? I got you covered!

The Takeaway

If you aren’t focusing on your hydration and electrolytes, you are missing out on an opportunity to improve your performance, cardiovascular health, muscle recovery, and more. Don’t let an imbalance be the reason you don’t perform well in a race or training session!

Stay on top of your electrolytes by being prepared with mixes or sports drinks. If you can include a few whole food sources into your day as well, that’s even better.

For personalized support in how to excel as an endurance athlete, don’t forget to check out my 1:1 performance nutrition coaching.