Kelsey Higginson breaks down what electrolytes actually do: enable muscle contractions, transmit nerve signals, and regulate hydration. You lose them through sweat, urine, and bowel movements. For a typical hour-long workout, you don't need powders. But in heat or during intense, prolonged activity, they're a useful hack to stay hydrated and perform better.
Athletes, do you need to be drinking electrolytes? Well, maybe. Electrolytes are glorified salt water with some extra potassium and magnesium in them. However, there's a time and a place where you're going to need electrolytes. Me, everyday mom working out 1 hour a day, probably doesn't need a ton of electrolytes. Contrary to what my box just showed you. Electrolytes help your muscles move, helps your nerves send signals, and it helps control where the water goes in your body, which keeps you hydrated. We lose electrolytes through peeing, pooping, and sweating. So the more you sweat or pee, or, you know, do the number 2, the more electrolytes your body is going to need. If you are outside in 90% humidity, super hot, you're probably sweating a lot, which means you're gonna need extra electrolytes. If you are inside at a shootaround, temperature's chill, you're not sweating very much, you probably don't need a big old electrolyte powder. So now rolling into summer, you're outside, it's hot, you're doing a lot of camps, you're sweating a lot more, having electrolyte packets are probably gonna be a really good hack to keep you hydrated and to keep your muscles and body performing the way you want it to be.
