skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Electrolytes are ionic substances necessary to our body for our muscles to work properly. They provide necessary electric charges to expand and contract muscle tissue. As you know, the heart is a muscle too, so we are not just talking about the muscles you use to exercise, but also the ones that keep you ticking. Our electrolyte levels can be affected by diet, stress, illness, medications and physical stress.
There are different types of ions that make up electrolytes – those that are positive and those that are negative.
Positive ones are potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. Negative ions are chloride, bicarbonate and phosphate.
There are some simple and not-so-simple signs that you could have an electrolyte imbalance.
1. High or low blood pressure
2. Fatigue
3. Immune deficiency
4. Poor circulation
While the elderly and ill are often plagued by electrolyte imbalances, it is not exclusive. Even some of the greatest, healthiest professional athletes have been known to have the same problem. Any daily physical activity will take a toll on your electrolytes.
As we mentioned, there are a number of prescription and over-the-counter drugs that can throw your electrolytes off kilter, such as antihistamines, tranquilzers, some antidepressants and diuretics.
It is important to keep one’s electrolyte balance in check because they can lead to other more serious health problems. Be sure to monitor your electrolyte balance with your doctor or through a food log if you have a stress disorder, heat-related illness, sweat excessively or too little or have poor circulation resulting in cold hands or feet. Also use caution if you have high or low blood pressure or a compromised immune system.
Even if you are in great health and engaged in regular physical activity, like your CROSSFIT 619 workouts, you should also keep your electrolyte balance in check!
As we have seen, electrolytes are elements like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that are essential for the healthy function or organs, nerves and muscles. We can get them in the foods that we eat and lose them through sweat and elimination. After being sick, many people have electrolyte imbalances. This can also happen from working out and sweating heavily. Since SD PERSONAL TRAINER emphasizes a healthy, heavy workout, how can you ensure that you have a proper electrolyte balance in your diet?
If you are concerned that you may not have a good balance in your electrolytes, you can start by asking your doctor to make an electrolyte test. This is a basic blood or urine test that will tell you if you have too much or too little of the important electrolytes like calcium, magnesium or potassium. You can often treat any deficiency with a daily supplement, but also making sure that you eat enough of the proper whole foods such as yogurt (calcium) or yams (potassium) can be the best way.
Most people do not get the recommended daily intake of potassium. Try logging your foods and checking their potassium richness as a double check. You can do this to check on any kind of potential electrolyte deficiency. Not only will this help restore any imbalances that you may have, but it will also fuel your energy for the day.
Calcium-rich foods like kale, broccoli and wild salmon, as well as low fat yogurt, will help maintain a healthy diet.
Magnesium is found in such foods as brown rice and avocado. These are easy additions to the diet and work with calcium to properly form bones and muscles.
Another unsung hero of the electrifying electrolytes is potassium.
Potassium is potassium is a positive ion found inside the cells, also essential for normal cell function, such as regulation of the heartbeat and muscle function. The chemical notation for potassium is K+.
An abnormal increase in potassium in the body is known as hyperkalemia, while a decrease is known as hypokalemia. They can distinctly affect the function of the nervous system and increase the chance of irregular heartbeats. In some cases, this can be fatal.
Potassium is normally excreted by the kidneys, so those with kidney disorders are most at risk for irregular potassium levels. Potassium in the blood is also measured in millimoles/Liter and normal levels are bout 3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L.
Another important electrolyte in the body is the friend to sodium, chloride. Chloride is a negatively charge ion found in the fluid outside of cells and in the blood. Sea water has almost the same concentration of chloride ion as human body fluids do. Chloride also helps the body maintain a normal balance of fluids.
Increased chloride levels are often a result of certain kidney disease and parathyroid gland over-activity. Chloride is lost in urine and sweat and can be lost through excessive sweating or vomiting. The normal range for chloride is 98 - 108 mmol/L.
Bicarbonate levels, also an important electrolyte, are measured by monitoring the acidity of the blood and other body fluids. Acidity can be affected by foods are medications we ingest and it affects the function of the kidneys and lungs. The normal range for bicarbonate is 22-30 mmol/L.
Many of our electrolyte woes can be avoided through proper fluid intake. At SD PERSONAL TRAINER, we always hydrate during and after our workouts!
We’ve all seen sports drink commercials. They tell us that electrolytes are important. But what are they?
Electrolytes are substances in the body that become ions and can conduct electricity. When present, they give the body a balance that is essential for normal cell and organ functionality.
Common electrolytes that doctors watch with blood tests are sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate.
Sodium is one of the most commonly known electrolytes. We know that the body needs it for many of its functions and that excess sodium is excreted in sweat and urine.
The chemical notation for sodium is Na+. By combining it with chloride, it becomes a household staple – table salt.
Many of the processes in the body, especially the brain, nervous system and muscles, require electrical signals for communication. Sodium is critical to generate these electrical signals.
An imbalance of sodium – too much or too little – can cause cells to malfunction and, in some cases, death.
Increased sodium levels in blood occurs whenever the ratio of sodium to water is off. This can result in kidney disease – often caused by deficient water intake or loss of water from illness.
Low sodium levels occur when there is too much in relation to water levels. This happens with some diseases of the liver or kidney and in patients with heart failure. It can also happen to burn victims due to the loss of water in the body from injury.
Blood sodium levels are measured in millimoles to liters (mmol/L) and normal levels are 135-145 mmol/L.
As you can imagine, sodium levels in the body are often controlled by fluid intake. This is one reason why we encourage drinking plenty of water during our challenging CROSSFIT 619 workouts. It is important to ensure that they body does not lose too much fluid when you work up a good sweat.
