are electrolytes really needed for hydration
Take a swig of an electrolyte drink, and you make sure your body doesn't overheat. You also give yourself an energy source -- one that only serious athletes need, Zeisel tells WebMD. The amount of sugar in the sports drinks is relatively small compared to the amount of sugar someone burns in exercise. Electrolytes also need to be replaced – more or. less depending on sweat rate and salt content. * increased losses with increased sweat. rate and dehydration. Sweat.  Major means of cooling the exercising body.  Losses vary greatly person to person and with different types of. activities. Soft drinks are never a good option during sports. They have no electrolytes, so they really don't replenish what the body needs, says Chris Carmichael, who heads a training company for personal coaches in Colorado Springs, Colo. He's also the personal coach of four-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Key Electrolytes in the Body. Body fluids (water) contain electrolytes. Electrolytes are salts of various types each of which play a critical role in physiology (function) and in athletic performance. The best known salt is so called table salt which is usually sodium chloride (NaCl). When you exercise heavily, you lose water and salts in your sweat. Gatorade was an advance over water because it added a number of electrolytes that were lost in sweat, says Steven Zeisel, MD, PHD, chairman of nutrition at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Athletes, of course, need more. The exact amount of water needed per day really depends on the individual, says Rick Hall, a registered dietitian in Phoenix. People who exercise, for example, will lose a lot more water through sweat and breathing, so their needs are higher.. Electrolytes are salts and minerals that carry electrical impulses in the body and assist with muscle contraction, energy generation and hydration. The common ones include potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride, which we can get through adequate nutrition. Do you really need electrolytes? Because of this critical need for proper hydration and appropriate electrolyte balance, the body has a myriad of redundant systems that all function to monitor and maintain hydration and electrolyte balance. For example, the kidneys monitor blood levels and work to keep electrolyte levels in the blood constant. Water: Why We Need It. Hydration is important because the body is comprised mostly of water, and the proper balance between water and electrolytes in our bodies really determines how most of our systems function, including nerves and muscles, says Larry Kenney, PhD, a professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State. Discuss optimum hydration and effects of. dehydration on exercise. Discuss the best methods for fluid replacement. Review the electrolyte composition of sports. drinks. Optimum Hydration. Performance decreases with water loss of 2% or. more of body weight.
Yes, electrolytes is needed for hydration.