Electrolytes play a unique role in your body. They carry an electrical charge, they manage your heartbeat, support nerve health and help your muscles contract properly. When you’re not even thinking about it, your electrolytes are hard at work! Every different type of electrolyte in your body performs an essential task – and when you’re exercising hard, you may need to replenish your electrolytes. This leads to some other important questions, such as “When should I drink electrolytes?” and “Do I need electrolytes if I’m not exercising?” Read on to find out!

The relationship between electrolytes and water

Electrolytes are essential minerals, such as sodium, calcium, chloride, potassium, phosphate, magnesium, and bicarbonate. All of these are involved in different functions, from playing a role in fluid balance to nerve transmission to supporting muscle health – and they need water to do their job.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, “60% of the human adult body is water” – and for some organs the percentage is even more than that. The skin contains 64% water while the muscles are nearly 80% water. 

So what does that have to do with electrolytes? Electrolytes work together and with other nutrients to move water in and out of cells. They also move waste out of cells and nutrients into cells. This action is important because your cells need water to function optimally. Electrolytes also play a role in the total amount of water in your body – especially sodium.

Have you ever eaten a salty meal and felt bloated afterward – or even looked bloated? That’s because sodium makes your body hold onto water. On the other hand, when your body loses water, it loses electrolytes and they need to be replaced.  As you can see, electrolytes are intricately linked to hydration in your body, which is critical for good health and survival.

teami hydrate being poured into water

How does the body lose electrolytes?

The most obvious way to lose electrolytes quickly is through sweat. According to the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dieticians Association, “a runner who loses three liters of fluid in 1 hour is losing 1,380-5,520mg of salt.” That’s a lot of sodium! They go on to say that, “losing as little as 2% of your body weight during a workout can result in decreased aerobic performance” – or four pounds of sweat in a 200-pound athlete. This is a prime example of why it’s so important to stay on top of electrolyte replenishment while working out.

Do I need to take electrolytes even if I’m not exercising?

You might be thinking that if you don’t exercise or sweat like a high-powered athlete, you don’t need to replenish electrolytes. That’s not exactly true, because there are many ways to lose electrolytes that you probably don’t even think about.

So when should you drink electrolytes? Even if you’re not working out regularly or sweating, there are many occasions where you can benefit from taking electrolytes because you can lose electrolytes through sweat & urine.

For example, if you’re spending time outdoors walking around your favorite theme park on a broiling hot day, you need to not only replenish your electrolytes, you need to do it frequently to stay hydrated. Spend a night having a little too much fun out with your friends and feel parched? Have food poisoning and spend a night vomiting? You need to rehydrate your body and replace lost electrolytes.

A lack of electrolytes can cause many issues, including a dry mouth, cramps, headaches, fatigue, and increased thirst. Eating nutritious foods and supplementing with an electrolyte drink mix can help you stay hydrated and on top of your electrolyte intake when you need it.

The problem is a lot of electrolyte drinks contain artificial ingredients and dyes, are high in sugar, have little nutritional value, and might even contribute to weight gain. When you look for an electrolyte drink, it is important to find one with the maximum electrolyte value and no artificial ingredients!

girl at amusement park

Meet the Teami Hydrate Electrolyte Super Mix

You know that at Teami we are so passionate about solving problems for you. And if you’re tired of not being able to find the right electrolyte drink mix, look no further! Teami Hydrate Electrolyte Super Mix contains five vital electrolytes in one scoop:

The best part is all you have to do is mix one scoop into 16 ounces of water to replenish your electrolytes. It has a mouth-watering raspberry lemonade flavor – and you’ll never have to wonder what’s in your electrolyte drink because we’re giving you the scoop right here with full transparency:

teami hydrate electrolyte super mix

Teami Hydrate is lightly sweetened with stevia and bursting with flavor from real lemons and berries. Use it to jazz up your water bottle or Teami tumbler, and get hydrated whenever you need it! More good news – it’s going to make your Instagram feed pop with its light pink color that comes from beet root powder.

Keeping an electrolyte drink like Teami Hydrate on hand will help you replenish potassium, calcium, magnesium and more when you need it.

Need more healthy lifestyle tips? Check out the Teami blog for more – and don’t forget to download your free e-books too!