By Gaelyn Lyons

The other weekend, I took a trip to Target, my place of solace and self-care. As I passed the personal care aisle, I noticed a sale on Liquid IV, my go-to electrolyte powder for pre-run hydration. As I browsed the different aisles, I noticed bottles of Gatorade, packets of powdered Propel, and other electrolyte tablets, which got me wondering: what are electrolytes? If you’ve had the same question, don’t fret – I did some research for the both of us. Let’s start with a little chemistry lesson.

Electrolytes are compounds that undergo a physical or chemical change when subjected to water, breaking down into positive (cations) or negative (anions) ions to create a solution that can conduct electricity.^1,2 Depending on how well the compound can dissolve into its separate ions, an electrolyte can be considered strong or weak. Ionic compounds like NaCl are considered strong electrolytes, since sodium and chloride ions dissociate from each other almost completely when dissolved in water.² Pure water is also considered to be an electrolyte, albeit a weak one, since the H₂O molecule does not completely break down. Although the rate of ionization is low, pure water contains H⁺ and OH^– ions (this will be important later).²

The strength of an electrolyte is determined by measuring a solution’s ability to conduct electricity, which is the movement of electrons. A great example of how electrolytes are used to conduct electricity is a battery. To power devices like our toothbrushes, batteries require a cathode and an anode, separated by an electrolyte solution, which allows for the movement of the positively and negatively charged ions between the two nodes.^3,4 The electrons from the negatively charged ions build up at the anode of the battery. When the battery is placed into a circuit, the electrons flow from the anode, through the circuit, and back to the cathode, where positively charged ions wait to collect the electrons.⁴ Now, I can hear you say “Gaelyn, we’re biologists! What does any of this have to do with us?” Well, my friend, electrolytes are not just important for batteries, but they also play a crucial role in our bodily functions. We may be more like batteries than we think.

In the human body, electrolytes play crucial roles in maintaining cell membrane potentials, balancing blood acidity levels, and keeping the body hydrated.^5,6 Often referred to as macrominerals, the 7 major electrolytes that are needed for these functions are the positively-charged sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, along with the negatively-charged chloride, phosphate, and bicarbonate.^2,7 Just like batteries, our cells move positive and negative electrolytes across the cell membrane to create changes in the electrical gradient to power specific cell functions. The sodium-potassium pump in neurons is a great example, as this transmembrane ATPase (an enzyme that uses ATP, the main energy molecule in the cell, to pump ions in or out of the cell) moves sodium out of the cell and potassium in, inducing an electrical charge that facilitates communication to and between other brain cells.⁸ Remember when I mentioned that water is an electrolyte? The H+ and OH- ions balance other electrolytes to make sure our blood (which has a pH of 7.4) isn’t too acidic or too basic. Both kinds of pH imbalances can cause symptoms like headaches, nausea, or fatigue.^{9, 10}

Most people get enough electrolytes through their diets: many fruits, vegetables, and dairy products contain enough electrolytes like magnesium, potassium, and calcium to replenish the electrolytes lost through normal daily activities.¹¹ However, electrolyte imbalance can be caused by sweating heavily, experiencing GI issues like diarrhea, drinking too much or too little water, or by taking certain medications.⁶ Table 1 shows the different types of electrolyte imbalances that can occur.

Table 1: Conditions caused by imbalances of electrolytes. Sourced from MedPlus.

Electrolyte	Too low	Too high
Bicarbonate	Acidosis	Alkalosis
Calcium	Hypocalcemia	Hypercalcemia
Chloride	Hypochloremia	Hyperchloremia
Magnesium	Hypomagnesemia	Hypermagnesemia
Phosphate	Hypophosphatemia	Hyperphosphatemia
Potassium	Hypokalemia	Hyperkalemia
Sodium	Hyponatremia	Hypernatremia

For cases where individuals need to increase their electrolyte intake, electrolyte supplements in the form of powders, tablets, or sports drinks can be used.⁷ Additionally, you can make your own electrolyte drink at home. Common ingredients for homemade electrolyte drinks include coconut water (which contains potassium, sodium, and manganese), raw honey (which contains potassium, magnesium, and calcium), and salt (I’ll let you guess on this one), but there are many others that can be used if these don’t suit your preferences.^{12, 13}

The next time you go for a run, battle the stomach flu, or partake in a few alcoholic drinks, remember to keep up with those electrolytes! Although these ions may not be the first thing that comes to mind in terms of maintaining your health, electrolytes play important roles in the proper function of our bodies, so it’s important to replenish them through a balanced diet.

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Reference:

1. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/chemistryformajors/chapter/electrolytes/
2. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_and_Websites_(Inorganic_Chemistry)/Chemical_Reactions/Chemical_Reactions_Examples/Electrolytes?readerView
3. https://www.batterypowertips.com/what-is-an-electrolyte-faq/
4. https://www.batterypowertips.com/what-is-battery-faq/
5. Shrimanker I, Bhattarai S. Electrolytes. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541123/
6. https://medlineplus.gov/fluidandelectrolytebalance.html
7. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/best-electrolyte-sources
8. https://neuroscientificallychallenged.com/posts/know-your-brain-sodium-potassium-pump#:~:text=This%20influx%20of%20positive%20sodium,to%20areas%20of%20low%20concentration.
9. Adeva-Andany, M. M., Carneiro-Freire, N., Donapetry-García, C., Rañal-Muíño, E., & López-Pereiro, Y. (2014). The importance of the ionic product for water to understand the physiology of the acid-base balance in humans. BioMed research international, 2014, 695281. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/695281
10. https://www.healthline.com/health/ph-imbalance#causes
11. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/electrolytes-food
12. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/coconut-water/faq-20207812
13. https://www.africanbronzehoney.com/blogs/news/honey-sweetened-electrolyte-drinks-a-natural-alternative-to-sports-drinks#:~:text=Raw%20honey%20is%20a%20great,and%20energized%20during%20your%20workouts.