ELECTROLYTES
Electrolyte is ‘medical/scientific’ term for salts, specifically ions. The term electrolyte means that this ion is electrically-charged and moves to either a negative (cathode) or positive (anode) electrode: Ions that move to the cathode (cations) are positively charged, & ions that move to the anode (anions) are negatively charged. For example, your body fluids — blood, plasma, interstitial fluid (fluid between cells) — are like seawater and have a high concentration of sodium chloride (table salt, or NaCI). The electrolytes in sodium chloride are:
sodium ion (Na+) _ cation
chloride ion (CI-) – anion
As for your body, the major electrolytes are as follows:
sodium (Na+)
potassium (K+)
chloride (CI-)
calcium (Ca2+)
magnesium (Mg2+)
bicarbonate (HCO3-)
phosphate (PO42-)
sulfate (SO42-)
Electrolytes are important because they are what your cells (especially nerve, heart, muscle) use to maintain voltages across their cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses (nerve impulses, muscle contractions) across themselves and to other cells. Your kidneys work to keep the electrolyte concentrations in your blood constant despite changes in your body. For example, when you exercise heavily, you lose electrolytes in your sweat, particularly sodium and potassium. These electrolytes must be replaced to keep the electrolyte concentrations of your body fluids constant. So, many sports drinks have sodium chloride or potassium chloride added to them. They also have sugar and flavourings to provide your body with extra energy and to make the drink tase better.
Another example where electrolyte drinks are important is when infants/children have chronic vomiting or diarrhoea, perhaps due to intestinal flu viruses. When children vomit or have diarrhoea, they lose electrolytes. Again, these elelctrolytes and the fluids must be replaced to prevent dehydraton and seizure. Therefore, drinks such as ‘Pedialyte’ have sodium and potassium in them like the sports drinks do. However, paediatricians do not recommend giving sports drinks to a sick child! Sports drinks have much higher sugar concentrations than Pedialyte and the high sugar is not a proper treatment.
Diane Oz
“My Dr. told me that there is a difference between athletes taking supplements like gatorade/powerade for dehydration through perspiraton than people with C.D. taking the same stuff for dehydration due to frequent bowel motions, and to be careful when taking such supplements as we can upset our own electrolyte balance. He would prefer we take the pharmaceutical supplement like gastrolyte/ (dioralyte) as they have the correct electrolyte balance rather than the sports drinks which can do more harm than good”.
Updated July 2003