Electrolytes: sounds like something out of an 80's time travel movie, right? Well the truth is, they power the flux-capacitor inside your body…well, not really. But they are as cool as a Delorean, and very important when it comes to staying healthy and hydrated.
Your Body’s Battery Power
Like what powers your car battery, electrolytes help to power your cells all throughout your body. Imagine that your body is a car, say, a Delorean… (wink!) You have the carburetor, the transmission, the engine, spark plugs, catalytic converter, and tons of more parts that basically all function independently, while also working together to make this Delorean run at peak performance. All of these car parts need to be able to communicate with each other in order for the car to run properly. Say you decide you want your Delorean to go faster. What starts as a thought, “I want to go faster,” needs to be communicated throughout your body down to your foot in order to get your foot to actually press on the gas pedal, which will make the car speed up. What helps carry this information from your brain to your foot? Electrolytes.
Ions: Mighty Messengers
Electrolytes are full of ions, which are little electrically charged particles. In order for your “go faster” thought to be carried out by your body, information needs to be transferred from your brain to your muscles, and that’s done in the form of electrical impulses. Electrolytes are what allow those all-important electrical impulses to travel across cell membranes and reach their destinations (like your muscles or your brain), making them essential for many bodily functions like maintaining fluid levels in your body, muscle control, coordination, and smooth heart function. They are in your blood, urine, and all other bodily fluids and they help to regulate muscle usage and hydration.
Don’t Break Down on The Side of The Road
Just like a car battery, your electrolyte levels can become too low, causing vomiting, diarrhea, sweating or even kidney problems. This often happens when the amount of water in your body changes rapidly. For example, when you exercise, you lose electrolytes in your sweat, so replenishing them is essential.
Power Up!
Try to keep a healthy balance of electrolytes in your diet. It is key in maintaining normal, functioning organs. Make sure to maintain and replenish your body’s necessary electrolyte levels, especially when you are physically active. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium can be found in fresh fruit like bananas, oranges and apples. So grab a Chiquita and hit the road!
Sources:
The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Minerals and Electrolytes
MedlinePlus®, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine: Fluid and Electrolyte Balance