It’s easy to get lost down the internet rabbit hole of trying to decide which supplements you need to take before, during, and after your workouts.
It’s overwhelming even for the most experienced athlete out there.
We want to help simplify the supplement game.
What’s the ONE supplement that everyone needs to be taking during their workouts, regardless of their fitness goals?
Electrolytes… Hear us out!
Electrolytes are essential to workout performance and recovery. Without a proper and balanced electrolyte supplement, you’re more likely to hit your performance wall and miss out on reps, sets, and results.
Let’s review the benefits of electrolytes, when you should take electrolytes, and how much you should consume.
What are Electrolytes?
Electrolytes are a type of substance that conduct electricity and act as communication superhighways in your body.
They help to control and promote a number of important bodily functions including blood pressure, fluid balance, and muscle contractions.
Without electrolytes, you wouldn’t be able to blink, speak, or move. You can’t live without them.
Electrolytes can be found in many of the foods we eat, but also in supplement form.
The most important electrolytes, especially for performance, are sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Benefits of Electrolytes
Outside of the essential bodily processes, electrolytes also have other benefits that surround recreation, sports, and performance.
Supports Performance
Did you know that losing as little as one percent of your body weight in water weight can impact strength, speed, and performance?
This slight change in water weight loss can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Studies show that replacing fluids AND electrolytes can help to stave off a decline in performance. [1]
Decreases Risk of Heat-Related Illnesses
If you exercise outside during the hotter months, you are at a higher risk for dehydration and heat-related illnesses like fatigue and stroke.
Electrolyte drinks have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses, especially when consumed before and during exercise. [2]
What’s the Best Time to Take Electrolytes?
If you are an active person, an athlete in training, or someone who has a physically demanding job, electrolyte supplements and drinks are a quick and easy way to restore electrolyte loss.
Focusing on exercise, there are three important times to take electrolytes.
Pre-Workout: Take one serving of an electrolyte supplement like Hydro IV an hour before your workout. This will help to prepare your muscles for the workload that will follow.
Intra-Workout: For every 20 minutes of exercise, you should drink 4 to 6 ounces of fluids. Ideally, these will be electrolyte-based fluids. We recommend avoiding the sugary sports drinks because many of them are too high in sugar and too low in electrolytes.
Post-Workout: After your workout, drink one to two cups of an electrolyte-based drink or post-workout supplement like Hydro IV.
Electrolytes: How Much Should You Take Daily?
Let’s say you have a rest day, but you still want to make sure you’re getting plenty of electrolytes throughout the day. How much should you take of each mineral?
Everyone is different, and recommendations can vary based on your age, gender, and fitness level.
With that said, there is a general guideline based on MyPyramid.gov:
- Sodium: 2,000 mg for the general population / 3,000 mg or more for athletes
- Potassium: 4,500 to 5,000 mg
- Magnesium 350 mg for men / 275 mg for women
- Calcium: 800 mg
Get Your Electrolytes (And A Lot More!)
Electrolytes are a part of any serious lifter or athlete’s supplement program.
Not only are they essential for optimal health and fitness, but they also can prevent intra-workout fatigue and crashes.
For those athletes who have to train outside, electrolytes aren’t a polite suggestion, they’re a requirement.
Hydro IV does more than keep your electrolyte levels elevated, it also provides L-citrulline, which helps to increase nitric oxide production. This means better blood flow, recovery, and energy.
Protect your performance with Hydro IV.
References
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016 Mar;116(3):501-528. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006. Erratum in: J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Jan;117(1):146. PMID: 26920240.
- Sun JM, Chia JK, Aziz AR, Tan B. Dehydration rates and rehydration efficacy of water and sports drink during one hour of moderate intensity exercise in well-trained flatwater kayakers. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2008 Apr;37(4):261-5. PMID: 18461208.
