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This article was co-authored by Claudia Carberry, RD, MS. Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.
There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Electrolytes are tiny minerals that exist in your blood and body fluids. They have to be in proper balance for your muscles, nerves, and the amount of fluid in your blood to be in good working order. Your electrolytes – sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, magnesium, and phosphate – can get depleted if you sweat a lot, so it’s important to replenish electrolytes after a workout. Electrolyte imbalance, caused by loss of fluids, inadequate diet, malabsorption, or other conditions, can have serious consequences. Imbalance may even lead to irregular heartbeat, confusion, sudden blood pressure changes, nervous system or bone disorders, and in extreme cases, even death.[1] Electrolytes can be replenished, though, through fluids, foods, supplements, and some medical practices.[2] Keep in mind that most people will not have an issue with electrolytes as long as you eat regularly and stay hydrated. If that, alone, is not adequate, talk to your doctor about a treatment plan.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:
Managing Your Hydration
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1Drink 9-13 cups of fluids daily. Salt and water stay in and leave your body together, so keeping a balanced fluid level is important. In general, men should drink around 13 cups of water and other fluids daily (about 3 liters), and women should aim for 9 cups (2.2 liters).[3] Water, juice, and tea count towards your fluids. Stay hydrated every day – it’ll help keep your electrolytes in balance during and after a workout.[4]
- Try to drink about 500ml (17 ounces) of fluid about two hours before you exercise.
- Recovery after intense exercise and sweating can be aided by drinking electrolyte water.
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2Stay hydrated when you’re sick. Vomiting, diarrhea, and high fevers can cause dehydration and lower your electrolytes. The best way to prevent this is to stay hydrated with water, broth, tea, and sports drinks. Including soup and beverages that contain salt will help keep your electrolytes and fluid levels balanced while you’re sick.[5]Advertisement
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3Don't rely on sports drinks alone to boost electrolytes. Sports drinks like Gatorade are marketed towards athletes, but they’re not necessarily the best choice to replenish the electrolytes you lose from sweating. Many sports drinks contain a lot of sugar in addition to the salt your body needs. Some sugar is good after exercise, but possibly not as much as these drinks contain. Try to replenish your electrolytes naturally with healthy food options.
- Coconut water is a good way to rehydrate more naturally than with sports drinks, and coconut water contains many needed electrolytes.[6]
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4Go to the hospital for an IV if you get really dehydrated. Signs of dangerous dehydration in adults include extreme thirst, urinating little or not at all (or very dark urine), fatigue, dizziness, and confusion.[7] If you have these symptoms, you may need an IV of water and salt to replenish your fluids and electrolytes. Call your doctor right away or go to the hospital.
- Children may demonstrate dehydration differently. Look for crying without tears, a dry mouth or tongue, no wet diapers over 3 hours, sunken eyes, cheeks, or soft spot on top of their skull, irritability, or listlessness.
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5Avoid over-hydrating. It is possible to drink too much water. When you drink more than your kidneys can filter, you retain water and can throw off your electrolyte balance.[8] It’s important to stay hydrated while exercising, but if you’re drinking a lot of water and start to feel nauseated, confused, disoriented, or get a headache, you may be over-hydrating.
- Don’t drink more than a liter of fluid every hour.
- When sweating a lot, drink half water and half sports drinks that contain electrolytes.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:
Replenishing Electrolytes with Food
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1Eat something salty after you sweat. You lose a lot of sodium from your body when you sweat heavily – that’s why sweat is salty! After your workout, sit down and have a salty snack like a bagel with peanut butter or a handful of peanuts. Nuts are a healthy high-sodium food, unlike other salty items from the snack-food aisle.
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2Replace chloride with a snack. Chloride gets lost in sweat alongside sodium. Snack on a healthy chloride-rich food after exercising such as olives, rye bread, seaweed, tomatoes, lettuce, or celery.
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3Eat foods rich in potassium. After a heavy workout, it’s good to include some potassium-rich foods in your meal to increase your body’s potassium supply. You should also eat lots of foods high in potassium if you take a diuretic medication. Some good examples include avocadoes, bananas, baked potatoes, bran, carrots, lean beef, milk, oranges, peanut butter, legumes (beans and peas), salmon, spinach, tomatoes, and wheat germ.[9]
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4Eat calcium-rich foods. Naturally increase your calcium level by eating foods that contain good amounts of calcium, like dairy. Milk, yogurt, cheese, and cereals can be included in every meal. Other good foods for calcium include green leafy vegetables, oranges, canned salmon, shrimp, and peanuts.[10]
- Most athletes need at least three servings of dairy every day to get enough calcium, and teenagers should get at least four servings. A serving may be a 250ml glass of milk, a 200g tub of yogurt, or two slices (about 40g) of cheese.
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5Munch on magnesium-rich foods. Your body needs magnesium for muscles and nerves to function properly, so include some foods that contain magnesium in your diet. Good options are green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, and lentils.
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6Include other electrolyte-rich foods in your diet. Some foods contain a number of electrolytes that you can nibble on after a workout, or just include in your daily diet to keep electrolyte levels balanced. Snack on chia seeds, kale, apples, beets, oranges, and sweet potatoes.[11]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:
Altering Your Habits
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1Increase your vitamin D. Having low vitamin D can decrease your phosphate and calcium levels, so try to increase your vitamin D by getting some daily sun. Spend about 20 minutes in the sun with exposed skin each day – though don’t stay out unprotected long enough to get sunburned. Try to eat foods high in vitamin D, such as mushrooms, oily fish like mackerel or salmon, fortified grains, tofu, eggs, dairy, and lean pork.[12]
- Your doctor can diagnose low vitamin D with a blood test. Ask whether you should take a vitamin D supplement.
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2Quit smoking. Smoking and using tobacco products can lower your body’s calcium level. Quit smoking to improve your health and help regulate your body’s calcium, an important electrolyte.[13]
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3Stop drinking alcohol. Alcoholism is a common cause of low electrolytes. If you’re struggling with drinking too much alcohol, work with your doctor to quit. You can try to quit on your own, but professional help will keep you safer – it’s important for a doctor to monitor your liver, kidney, pancreas, and electrolyte levels if you’ve been drinking a lot and need to stop.[14]
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4Don’t starve yourself. Starvation diets are dangerous for many reasons, including the havoc they wreak on your electrolyte levels.[15] Stay away from diets promising you will lose a large amount of weight in a short time, and diets that suggest eating all or mostly one food type. Even the raw food diet and juice cleanses can throw off your electrolyte balance.
- If you’re trying to lose weight, eat a healthy and balanced diet. Consider working with your doctor or a dietitian to create meal plans.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:
Treating Low Electrolytes Medically
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1Talk to your doctor about your medications. Some medications are notorious for decreasing your electrolytes, especially diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide or Furosemide.[16] Speak with your doctor about your medications and whether you should work together to switch to a different medicine, especially if you’re very active and sweat a lot. Never stop taking your medication without your doctor’s approval. Other medications that may lower electrolyte levels include:
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2Manage medical causes of water retention. Your electrolytes can be low if you’re retaining water due to a medical condition. This can occur because of heart failure, kidney problems, or liver disease, and pregnancy. Medical conditions should be managed with medications under your doctor’s supervision to prevent lowering your electrolytes to dangerous levels. Your OB/GYN can help you regulate your fluid levels while you’re pregnant.
- Other signs that your body is retaining too much water is swelling in your legs, or difficulty breathing when you’re lying down. You might also experience changes in heart rate or blood pressure, shortness of breath, or a wet cough with frothy spit up.[21]
- The condition SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone) is less common, but can also lower electrolytes.[22]
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3Manage medical conditions that lower electrolytes. Many medical conditions can directly or indirectly decrease your electrolytes. Work with your doctor to medically manage conditions to avoid having dangerously low electrolyte levels. Be aware that the following conditions can lower various electrolytes:
- Celiac disease[23]
- Pancreatitis
- Parathyroid problems (your parathyroid working too much or too little)
- Diabetes - you might feel thirsty all the time and therefore over-hydrate if you have uncontrolled diabetes
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4Get help for dangerously low electrolytes. You can usually manage your electrolyte levels at home with proper hydration and diet, but if your levels get too low it can cause dangerous physical problems. If this occurs, you will likely have symptoms ranging from weakness to heart palpitations. Get medical treatment at the hospital if you feel unwell, which will vary depending on the severity of your symptoms and how low your electrolyte levels are:
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow can I make sure I'm getting enough electrolytes?
Dee DineDee Dine is a Nutrition and Vegan Food Specialist and the founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a blog dedicated to healthy, plant-based vegan, limited ingredient recipes. Dee holds a BS in Biology/Biochemistry with an emphasis in Immunology. Dee has written two books full of healthy plant-based recipes, including chocolate desserts, snacks, juices and, wellness shots. They are: "Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients: Dessert, Breakfast & Snack Vegan Recipes" and "4-Ingredient Smoothies and Juices: 100 Easy Nutritious Recipes for Lifelong Health". Dee is an editor with TheFeedFeed, a crowdsourced digital cooking publication, and has been featured on BuzzFeed, Marie Claire, the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, Well + Good, and Hello Glow.
Nutrition & Vegan Food SpecialistLeafy greens, nuts, avocados, and seeds such as sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds help replace the loss of electrolytes while on a keto diet. These foods are keto-friendly and high in magnesium and potassium. Electrolyte supplements containing sodium, potassium, and magnesium are another way to replace lost electrolytes. A keto diet leads to a reduction in electrolytes because the diet is low in carbohydrates, which leads to more water excretion, and thus a reduction in sodium and other electrolytes. -
QuestionWhat are the symptoms of low electrolytes?
Claudia Carberry, RD, MSClaudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.
Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee KnoxvilleMaster's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee KnoxvilleExpert AnswerYou may feel tired, confused, have a headache, muscle cramps, or chest pain if your electrolytes get too low. This is very serious and should be treated by a medical professional immediately. -
QuestionWhat is the best source of electrolytes?Claudia Carberry, RD, MSClaudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.
Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee KnoxvilleMaster's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee KnoxvilleExpert AnswerElectrolytes can be found in many types of foods. Bananas, avocado, and sweet potatoes are some great choices.
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Warnings
- Electrolyte levels that are too high are just as dangerous as levels that are too low – be sure to work with a healthcare professional if you’re experiencing problems with your electrolytes, and get routine testing to make sure they’re balanced.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- The recreational drug Ecstasy can lower your electrolytes to a dangerous, or even lethal, level. Stay away from this “party drug,” especially if you have heart, liver, or kidney problems.[28]⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Over-hydration can be as dangerous as dehydration. To avoid over-hydration, try not to drink more than one liter of fluids per hour.[29]⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References
- ↑ https://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/side-effects/electrolyte-imbalance.aspx
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/fluidandelectrolytebalance.html
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
- ↑ https://www.khsaa.org/sportsmedicine/heat/exerciseandfluidreplacement.pdf
- ↑ https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/water-balance/dehydration
- ↑ http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/4-ways-to-get-electrolytes-after-a-workout
- ↑ https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/water-balance/dehydration
- ↑ http://www.healthline.com/health/overhydration?m=2#Types2
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000479.htm
- ↑ https://www.drugs.com/cg/hypocalcemia.html
- ↑ http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/4-ways-to-get-electrolytes-after-a-workout
- ↑ https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-vitamin-D-foods.php
- ↑ https://www.drugs.com/cg/hypocalcemia.html
- ↑ http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/electrolyte-disorders/hypomagnesemia
- ↑ http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/electrolyte-disorders/hypophosphatemia
- ↑ https://www.patientsafetyoxford.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Medicines-that-affect-fluid-balance-in-the-body-draft-SJ-v2.0.pdf
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000479.htm
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/dxc-20261072
- ↑ http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/electrolyte-disorders/hypomagnesemia
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000307.htm
- ↑ http://www.healthresource4u.com/hypervolemia.html
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000314.htm
- ↑ https://www.drugs.com/cg/hypocalcemia.html
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000479.htm
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypoparathyroidism/basics/treatment/con-20030780
- ↑ http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/electrolyte-disorders/hypomagnesemia
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000307.htm
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/basics/causes/con-20031445
- ↑ http://www.healthline.com/health/overhydration?m=3#treatment6
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The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
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