Buzz
Electrolyte powders are available in a variety of flavors, mineral compositions, and sweeteners. They’re marketed to athletes, dieters, and even as a remedy for hangovers. But how many of us genuinely gain from using electrolytes? And how many of the so-called hydration 'truths' we encounter online are just myths?
I’m not here to tell you that electrolytes are pointless—far from it. I enjoy a refreshing LMNT drink after a grueling summer run. I recognize the vital roles electrolytes play in the body. But we need to critically examine some of the claims circulating on social media, as influencers promote their preferred electrolyte brands. Many of these claims are addressing problems they’ve fabricated themselves.
But we’ll get to that shortly. First, let’s delve into what electrolytes actually do and who stands to benefit from them.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals that we obtain through our diet, particularly those that become charged ions when dissolved in water. For instance, table salt is sodium chloride, and when it dissolves in water, it splits into a positively charged sodium ion and a negatively charged chloride ion.
(The 'electro' in electrolytes refers to the fact that these ions carry an electrical charge. Think of water as an electricity conductor—just like you shouldn’t drop a hair dryer into a bathtub. It’s the minerals dissolved in the water that give it this conductive ability. Distilled water, however, does not conduct electricity.)
Our bodies rely on a variety of chemical elements to function, and electrolytes are among them. We use sodium and potassium ions to send nerve signals, and calcium to help our muscles contract, to name a few. Since we can't create these chemical elements on our own, they must come from our diet. When we talk about 'vitamins and minerals' as essential micronutrients, these minerals include electrolytes. Some of these electrolytes are:
Sodium
Potassium
Chloride
Magnesium
Calcium
Phosphate (which contains phosphorus)
Where do we get electrolytes?
Let’s set aside the supplements for a moment—electrolytes are typically found in the foods we eat. Any food that contains salt will provide sodium and chloride. Potassium, on the other hand, is abundant in many fruits and vegetables—bananas and coconut water are well-known sources, but leafy greens, potatoes, and others also contain plenty of it.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, there are two minerals that people most often don’t get enough of: calcium and potassium.
Sodium is also addressed in these guidelines (and appears on nutrition labels), but for a different reason—too much sodium can be harmful, particularly if you have high blood pressure. However, individuals who exercise frequently or sweat heavily may require more sodium than the guidelines suggest, which is where electrolyte supplements come into play.
Electrolyte supplements may be beneficial for athletes who experience significant sweating.
Sweating causes us to lose both water and sodium. According to a 2011 review in the Journal of Sport Sciences, athletes can lose between four to seven liters of water per day when training intensely or in hot conditions—equivalent to eight to 14 regular-sized water bottles. Along with this, typical sodium loss can range from 3,500 to 7,000 milligrams.
In contrast, the recommendations for non-athletes suggest keeping sodium intake under 2,300 milligrams daily, or even lower at 1,500 milligrams for those advised to reduce sodium to manage blood pressure.
Although you may not consider yourself an “athlete,” it’s not difficult to find yourself in situations where you're losing significant amounts of water, sodium, and other electrolytes. A simple way to observe this is by weighing yourself before and after a summer run. If you haven’t urinated in the meantime, any weight loss is likely due to lost water—often from sweating. For instance, losing two pounds equals about one liter, or two water bottles.
The key electrolyte to replace in such cases is sodium. If you try to replace lost fluids with plain water without adding sodium, it can lead to hyponatremia, a harmful sodium deficiency. (When replenishing electrolytes, you want to avoid low-sodium sources. Coconut water, though rich in potassium, has low sodium and thus isn't ideal for this purpose.)
Electrolytes can help minimize the negative effects of fasting or extreme dieting.
While I’m not here to advocate for prolonged fasts or extreme dieting, it’s common within fasting communities online to emphasize the importance of electrolyte supplements for maintaining health during a fast. And that’s accurate.
When you’re not eating, you’re missing out on the usual mineral sources (including electrolytes) from your food. Although our bodies can manage without most vitamins and minerals for a few days or even weeks, electrolytes are much more urgently required.
I’m not offering specific advice here; if your food intake is so minimal that you're at risk of an electrolyte deficiency, it's essential to consult a healthcare professional rather than relying on internet blogs. I will note, however, that unlike athletes replenishing lost fluids through sweat, you’ll need to consider more than just sodium. Don’t assume that just using table salt (or Himalayan salt, or a mix of salt and lemon juice) will take care of everything.
Electrolytes are unlikely to help with hangovers.
You’ve probably come across the idea of using Pedialyte or Gatorade to prevent or “cure” a hangover; some companies that sell electrolyte supplements promote their products specifically for, as Waterboy says, “weekend recovery.”
Hangovers are caused by alcohol consumption, not dehydration or a lack of electrolytes. According to Cedars-Sinai, people experiencing hangovers tend to have the same electrolyte levels as those who aren't hungover.
And honestly, this is something you could figure out on your own. I’ve been both dehydrated and hungover, and while there are some similarities (like nausea and headaches), they’re distinct experiences. When you’re dehydrated, a glass of water will fix you right up. But if you’re hungover, that bottle of Pedialyte will only serve to keep you distracted while your liver processes the alcohol from the night before.
Why everyone on TikTok is telling you to take more electrolytes.
If electrolyte supplements are mainly helpful for athletes and in certain medical situations (like rehydrating someone who’s had a severe case of diarrhea), why are they all over your social media feed? The answer: they’re supplements, of course. Supplements are among the easiest things to market: inexpensive to produce, cheap to ship, and, with electrolytes, they can be turned into a drink that actually tastes good.
The rise of electrolyte supplements also ties into the growing trend of drinking more and more water. Health-conscious individuals now carry huge water bottles (or Stanley tumblers, or whatever the latest trend is) and sip from them throughout the day. (This is not necessary.)
Interestingly, the most common marketing message I’m seeing on TikTok and similar platforms is a response to the idea of overhydration. Are you frequently using the bathroom? Is your urine nearly clear? Well, maybe you're “overhydrated.” What’s the solution? Not drinking less, of course. No, the answer is to click the link in my bio and buy some electrolytes to mix into your water.
Or perhaps you'd prefer a DIY fix. Since lemons are said to have magical health benefits (I’m joking, alright?), we add lemon juice and sea salt to our water bottles. Some TikTok recipes call for a tiny bit of salt, so little you can’t even taste it—about one-tenth of a teaspoon, providing 200 milligrams of sodium in a liter of water, according to World Health Organization data on how much sodium we can typically taste. Other recipes suggest adding a full teaspoon of salt (2,300 milligrams of sodium) to 1 to 1.5 liters of water.
Either way, salt isn’t your only electrolyte, and I’m not sure what the lemon is supposed to contribute, aside from flavor. (It doesn’t provide any significant amounts of other electrolytes.)
Some videos claim that if you drink filtered water, you need electrolytes. However, a liter of tap water contains only 2-3% of your daily calcium and magnesium, depending on where your water comes from, and less than 1% of other electrolytes. So, filtering your water isn’t depriving you of any substantial electrolytes.
Is it harmful to consume a lot of electrolytes?
If you’re drinking a lot of water, adding electrolytes to some (though not necessarily all) of your water might be a smart choice. Just keep an eye on your overall sodium intake to ensure it doesn’t reach dangerously high levels.
For instance, if your diet already provides you with 2,500 milligrams of sodium (which you can monitor using an app like Cronometer), two packets of LMNT would push your total sodium intake to 4,500 milligrams for the day. If you're not engaging in much strenuous outdoor exercise, that could be more than what’s healthy for you. Keep track of the numbers and apply some common sense.
