What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals that dissolve in your body fluids and carry a small electric charge. That charge is what lets your nerves send signals, your muscles contract and your cells control how much water they hold.
Your kidneys keep them in a tight range. For most people, most of the time, food and normal drinking cover everything. Heavy sweating, especially in Indian heat, is when the balance needs more attention.
Sodium, potassium and magnesium: who does what
| Electrolyte | Main job | Lost in sweat |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | Holds water in your blood and body fluids; nerve signals | The most, and it varies a lot between people |
| Chloride | Partners with sodium to balance fluids | A lot, alongside sodium |
| Potassium | Works inside your cells; muscle and heart rhythm | Much smaller amounts |
| Magnesium | Muscle function and energy metabolism | Small amounts |
Sweat sodium concentration varies several-fold between athletes, while potassium and other minerals are lost in much smaller amounts. Individual testing is more useful than general rules.
Source: Baker LB (2017). Sports Medicine.Magnesium is involved in energy metabolism and muscle function. Strenuous exercise can increase magnesium needs, but most people can meet them through a varied diet.
Source: Nielsen FH, Lukaski HC (2006). Magnesium Research.ORS, sports drink or water?
These three are built for different jobs:
- ORS (oral rehydration salts) was designed by the WHO to rehydrate people who are losing fluid fast, for example with diarrhoea. The reduced-osmolarity formula contains 75 mmol/L of sodium with a little glucose to help it absorb.
- Sports drinks usually contain far less sodium than ORS and more sugar. The sugar is fuel for long, hard sessions, not a rehydration requirement.
- Plain water is enough for most sessions under an hour, especially in cooler conditions.
After a very sweaty session, eating a normal salted meal with water often replaces sodium just as well. Drink about 1.5 litres for every kilogram you lost, over a few hours. Learn your sweat rate in Hydration in Indian Heat.
Do low electrolytes cause muscle cramps?
Probably not on their own. Cramps during or after exercise are often blamed on salt or dehydration, but the research points elsewhere.
A review of the evidence concluded that exercise-associated muscle cramps are better explained by altered neuromuscular control, linked to muscle fatigue, than by dehydration or electrolyte depletion alone.
Source: Schwellnus MP (2009). British Journal of Sports Medicine.In practice, gentle stretching of the cramping muscle and building fitness for the session's demands help more than extra salt tablets. Replacing sodium still matters for hydration, just not as a cramp cure.
Most of the electrolyte story is one mineral: sodium. The rest is marketing.
GritxLabs Editorial Team
Can you overdo electrolytes or water?
Yes. Drinking large amounts of plain water during long events can dilute your blood sodium, a condition called hyponatraemia. Taking large doses of electrolyte tablets you don't need is also pointless and can upset your stomach. Drink to thirst, and match your intake to how much and how saltily you sweat.
What we are working on
We are building GRIT. Electrolytes around this idea: single-serve sachets you mix into a bottle of water, focused on what you actually lose in Indian training conditions. It is still in development, so we will share the full electrolyte profile at launch. No added sugar and 100% vegetarian, like every GRIT. product.
What this means for you
- Sodium is the electrolyte that matters most after heavy sweating.
- Water is fine for most sessions under an hour.
- ORS and sports drinks do different jobs; know which one you need.
- Cramps are mostly about muscle fatigue, not just salt.
Frequently asked questions
What are electrolytes?
Minerals such as sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium that carry an electric charge in body fluids. They help nerves, muscles and fluid balance work.
Which electrolyte do you lose most in sweat?
Sodium (along with chloride). Potassium and magnesium are lost in much smaller amounts.
Is ORS good after a workout?
ORS is designed for rehydration during illness. After very heavy sweating it can help, but a salted meal with water often works just as well.
Do electrolytes stop muscle cramps?
Not reliably. Research suggests exercise cramps are linked mainly to muscle fatigue and altered nerve control rather than electrolyte loss alone.
References
- Baker LB (2017). Sweating rate and sweat sodium concentration in athletes: a review of methodology and intra/interindividual variability. Sports Medicine, 47(Suppl 1), 111–128.
- Sawka MN et al. (2007). American College of Sports Medicine position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(2), 377–390.
- WHO and UNICEF (2004). Joint statement: clinical management of acute diarrhoea (introducing reduced-osmolarity oral rehydration salts). World Health Organization.
- Nielsen FH, Lukaski HC (2006). Update on the relationship between magnesium and exercise. Magnesium Research, 19(3), 180–189.
- Schwellnus MP (2009). Cause of exercise associated muscle cramps (EAMC): altered neuromuscular control, dehydration or electrolyte depletion? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 43(6), 401–408.
- Hew-Butler T et al. (2015). Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 25(4), 303–320.
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing your diet or supplements, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, under 18, taking medication or have a health condition.