Do you need to drink electrolytes?

There is a large, growing and very competitive market for electrolyte powders, drinks and tablets. In 2024, the electrolyte drink market was valued around US$38 billion (S$49 billion).

- Emma Yasinski

NEW YORK — There is a large, growing and very competitive market for electrolyte powders, drinks and tablets. In 2024, the electrolyte drink market was valued around US$38 billion (S$49 billion).

The products are designed to be consumed before, during and after exercise — and manufacturers claim they will optimize your hydration, health and performance. There are even options to supplement your daily hydration, whether or not you are exercising.

But do you really need to replenish the electrolytes lost in your sweat? And are sports drinks, electrolyte powders and salty supplements the best way to do it?

WHAT DO ELECTROLYTES DO?

Electrolytes are minerals — such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium — that carry an electrical charge that influences how water moves in your body.

"They help maintain the fluid balance," said Dr Amy West, a sports medicine physician at Northwell Health. They help move fluid into and out of your cells and regulate blood pressure, heart rhythm, muscle and nerve function.

While they are found in supplements and sports drinks, they are also in the foods people eat every day.

"When we talk about potassium, it's in a banana," said Ms Heidi Skolnik, a nutritionist at the Hospital for Special Surgery. "When you eat a pretzel, there's sodium on it."

As you sweat, you lose both fluid and electrolytes, and if you lose enough fluid, you can become dehydrated. The volume of blood in your body drops and "your heart has to pump harder to get the same amount of blood circulating", she added.