Optimize Your Hydration and Performance: Electrolytes
Written By: Courteney Benjamin, Head of Product at sum. and Assistant Professor at Samford University, 4/1/2024
Super Quick Nutrition Overview
To really gain an understanding of what electrolytes are I find that it is always easier to start with what they are not. Electrolytes are not macronutrients. Macronutrients are the primary sources of our nutrition that provide us with energy to live and perform. Macronutrients include carbs, fats, and protein and are needed in large quantities compared to micronutrients. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals and they do not provide us with energy. You do not need to consume micronutrients in the same volume as macronutrients, but deficiencies and overconsumption of some micronutrients can result in negative health and performance outcomes.
Minerals can be categorized into two categories: 1) major minerals, which are the needed and stored in the body in large amounts, and 2) trace minerals, which are still extremely important to our health, but are not needed in as large of quantities as major minerals.
The electrolyte option in sum. contains 3 major minerals: sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Each of these minerals serve many functions in the body but I’ve summarized some of the more important roles for each one below.
Sodium:
Primary electrolyte lost in sweat
Increases fluid retention (aka your body’s ability to absorb the fluid you consume)
Makes you feel thirsty, which increases your fluid intake (see fluid intake blog)
Prevent hyponatremia (overconsumption of water than can be life threatening)
Potassium:
Also lost in sweat, but not nearly as much as sodium
Helps with fluid retention
Magnesium:
Helps with nerve and heart health
At this point you may be thinking, ok, I get the idea behind these electrolytes but how do I know what sum. electrolyte option I should select? The answer is one that everyone loves…..it depends.
Unfortunately, this is the answer because the amount of electrolytes (especially sodium) that’s lost in sweat, varies greatly from person to person and from day to day within a given person. The great news is our body’s generally do a really great job at regulating our electrolyte levels, especially sodium. The daily recommended guidelines from the International Society of Sport Nutrition for each electrolyte are:
Sodium: 4000-6000 mg per day
Potassium: 3500 mg per day
Magnesium: Males-400-420 mg per day and females-310-320 mg per day
Here are the options you can select with sum.
| Options | Electrolyte Content | 20 ounces | 24 ounces | 32 ounces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Sodium Potassium Magnesium |
300 mg 100 mg 25 mg | 350 mg 117 mg 30 mg | 414 mg 138 mg 35 mg |
| Medium | Sodium Chloride Magnesium |
600 mg 200 mg 50 mg | 700 mg 233 mg 58 mg | 828 mg 276 mg 70 mg |
| High | Sodium Potassium Magnesium |
900 mg 300 mg 75 mg | 1050 mg 350 mg 88 mg | 1242 mg 414 mg 104 mg |
Since most people aren’t super consistent with keeping track of their daily electrolyte intakes and because some people really need more sodium than these daily recommendations because they are losing that much from exercise, I suggest starting with the following.
If the workout is less than one hour and you didn’t sweat a ton, the none, low, or medium sodium option would be a great place to start.
If the workout is more than one hour or you sweated profusely during the workout, I would try the medium or high option and see how you feel.
The fun part about sum. is that you can build your drink one way on one day and try a completely different option on the other. Be a student of your own body and before you know it, you will know exactly which option to select at any given time.
References
Sport Nutrition. Third. Human Kinetics; 2019.
Kerksick, C.M., Wilborn, C.D., Roberts, M.D. et al. ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 15, 38 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y