One of the most basic human needs—drinking water—wouldn’t seem to be complex, would it? But it might be simple to overthink hydration with so many different types of water becoming popular—sparkling, alkaline, or sexy—and with new products constantly flooding the market. One sort of enhanced water that may have attracted your attention is electrolyte water, especially if you work out frequently and become saturated with perspiration.
I work out five days a week, so I’m always grabbing for electrolyte powders and water with extra electrolytes to make sure I’m rehydrating after perspiring for more than an hour. However, I’ve always been curious about: When is electrolytes truly necessary? And is that an excellent option for electrolyte water?
Electrolytes: What Are They?
Nephrologist Staci A. Leisman, MD, of Mount Sinai in New York City, explains that electrolytes are specific minerals that our bodies require in order to function. She says, “Electrolytes include potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium. They are necessary for the proper operation of cells, nerves, and muscles.” According to the National Library of Medicine, electrolytes are essential for hydration since they also help to balance the amount of water in your body.
Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly taking in and losing electrolytes, according to Dr. Leisman. Electrolytes are lost through perspiration and urine, and they are consumed through food and, in certain places, tap water. (The electrolyte sodium hydroxide, for instance, is present in the tap water of New York City.) “All of the food you eat has electrolytes in it,” she continues. For instance, potatoes have a high potassium content, and adding table salt to them also adds sodium fluoride, an electrolyte.
“We’re always keeping a balance between the electrolytes we consume and the electrolytes we lose,” explains Dr. Leisman, even when we’re not trying. You’re receiving all the electrolytes you need if you eat a balanced diet, so don’t worry about trying to keep a close eye on them, she advises.
Does Water Added with Electrolytes Need to Be Consumed?
Generally speaking, you need only worry about taking extra electrolytes if you’ve lost a significant amount of water, or if you’re really dehydrated. According to Dr. Leisman, for instance, “you’re probably losing a decent amount of both water and electrolytes in your sweat if you’re running long distances or doing heavy exercise outside.”
Yet, it’s unlikely that you’ll require additional electrolytes following a light or moderate exercise. You generally don’t need to down an electrolyte drink to replace lost electrolytes and water if you’re not sweating a lot. “I think one of my concerns is that [companies] market much of this electrolyte water to people whose exercise consists of walking two miles around the park, who are not sweating profusely, who are not doing extreme exertion,” says Dr. Leisman. According to her, there are firms that merely add electrolytes to their water for flavor, but they claim to do so for health reasons.
Having said that, it’s critical to understand that electrolyte-flavored waters and sports drinks are two whole different things. Sports drinks contain electrolytes on purpose to aid with hydration. For instance, electrolytes are added to ZenWTR and Smart Water for flavor, but in such a tiny quantity that they aren’t included on the nutrition label and have no nutritional value. In contrast, rehydrating electrolyte beverages should list the specific amount of each electrolyte on the bottle, and they will typically have a far higher concentration of those electrolytes.
Twelve-ounce servings of Propel’s Flavored Electrolyte Water, Gatorade Thirst Quencher, and a packet of Liquid IV hydration drink, for instance, provide 160 mg of sodium and 40 mg of potassium, 500 mg of sodium, and 370 mg of potassium, respectively. As a point of reference, according to Dr. Leisman, people should normally strive for 2,000 mg of sodium and 3,400 mg or 2,600 mg of potassium per day for males and women, respectively, according to the FDA. (Intersex and non-binary people were left out.)
Does Consuming Electrolyte Beverages Carry Any Risks?
If you’re drinking electrolyte water with small quantities added just for taste, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s definitely still okay if you want to drink anything with more electrolytes if you don’t necessarily perspire a lot or regularly, advises Dr. Leisman. “I would say there’s probably very little benefit or very little harm to drinking bottled water that adds electrolytes,” she claims.
“The main harm is probably on the environment and your pocketbook, but for some of these supplements in which you add electrolyte powder, it’s important to read what’s inside and confirm either with your doctor or with a nutritionist that you’re not consuming vast quantities of electrolytes that may be harmful to you.”
For instance, adding more sodium to your diet through electrolyte drinks if you don’t need it could be hazardous, according to Dr. Leisman. “If you’re consuming half a gram [500 mg] just from your water, then you have the potential to be consuming a substantial amount, which could do things like worsen your blood pressure,” she says. She adds that you should be aware of the potassium levels in improved water, particularly if you have kidney problems. An excess of potassium can result in hyperkalemia in individuals with kidney problems (e.g., kidney disease), which can cause “heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, or vomiting,” according to the National Kidney Foundation.
So, what kind of water is best to drink?
It makes sense to drink tap water if you reside in an area with clean water. According to Dr. Leisman, “it’s definitely better for the environment than all of these millions of plastic bottles that are piling up.” “I think there’s an argument to be made that tap water can have some impurities that aren’t great. . . so, filtered water or bottled water may be better for your health, specifically to avoid things like lead or other dangerous impurities,” she continues.
To ensure that your drinking water is free of pollutants, you can send over a sample of your water by using the list of water testing labs provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency on their website. (In New York, for instance, you can get a water testing kit from the local authorities.)
Clean tap water and bottled water with electrolytes added don’t really differ all that much, according to Dr. Leisman. However, feel free to sip if you like to drink electrolyte water because it keeps you hydrated.