I’m sure you are aware of the fact that it is extremely important to hydrate yourself after a rigorous work out session. Hydrating yourself will help replenish the electrolytes in your body. Sipping coconut water or health drinks or just by gulping in plain water, can help maintain the right fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. But what exactly are these electrolytes and why are they essential?
Electrolytes are Body Salts
In a nutshell, electrolytes are the crucial salts required by our bodies to enable the proper functioning of the cells and the organs. The common electrolytes present in our body are sodium chloride, calcium, potassium and magnesium. When these salts enter our body, they dissolve in water and turn into electrically charged electrolytes called “ions”. The ions dissolve into positive and negative charges that serve as medium for fluid movement in and out of the cells and create nerve impulses for proper brain and muscle coordination.
Importance of electrolytes supplement
Ever wondered why you feel the salty taste on your skin after a brisk walk or a work out? Well that is exactly because of these electrolytes. They almost serve like an electric switch, which turns on the power of contemplation and movement in the body and triggers all the muscular actions by controlling the ion movement. So when you indulge in a thorough sweat session, the electrolytes and water get deposited in the sweat glands. And as a result of osmosis, the glands fill up and cause the salty mix to release onto your skin.
Thus without electrolytes the cells in our body would just shrink and die or just explode from being overfilled with water and ions. Also the nerve impulses that are controlled by the electrolytes aid several vital functions of our body, such as breathing, heart beats and the proper learning ability of the brain.
Results of body ion imbalance
Various fitness experts and nutritionists always recommend proper hydration after a thorough work out session, because losing too many electrolytes can lead to a massive fluid and ion imbalance in the body which could further result in messing up your breathing capacity and muscle coordination. And if the body’s electrolyte level is too high, then it would retain more water which in turn raises the blood pressure because the heart has to function harder with an increased water level. Also the nerve impulses cannot be channelized properly due to the body imbalance, making it eventually affect the various important functions of our body.
What to eat after a work out session
Now that you know about the significance of electrolytes in your body, it is also essential to understand that maintaining its proper balance differs from person to person depending upon their routine.
So for instance, athletes, body builders, players etc. Who indulge in rigorous work outs and are otherwise also involved in a lot of muscular activities as a part of their occupation may consume health drinks which could have a substantial amount of sugar content, in order to ensure proper electrolyte balance in the body.
Alternatively, individuals who do not follow a stringent regimen but may consider a short work out session for fitness, do not necessarily require the sports drinks to recover their lost electrolytes. On the contrary consuming a single bottle of such drinks will only replace the calories they worked off!!! So for such people, water is an absolutely sufficient source of hydration.
Thus having understood the concept of electrolytes and its functioning, it is up to you to decide how you maintain its proper balance to avoid any discomfort or damage to your body.
