It is quite obvious that to maintain a good diet you must hydrate well.
But with the large number of hydration products on the market, many selling themselves as “better than water,” it is much more complex to identify what we really need and what we have left over.
How to navigate the offer of all types of oral serums, isotonic drinks and energy drinks that claim to hydrate?
“When you don’t do sports, water provides the few minerals you need to hydrate yourself,” sports nutrition specialist Anna Grifols told BBC News Mundo, “drinks with electrolytes are designed to replace what is lost when sweating.”
So, what criteria do we use to choose? When is it better to have a drink with salts and when is a glass of tap water enough?
What are electrolytes
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Sports nutritionist Anna Grifols says that if we are not doing physical activity, water is enough.
“Electrolytes are minerals that, when dissolved in water —as in our blood and other body fluids— become electrically charged and allow our body to perform vital functions,” Laura Jorge, founder and director of the Laura Jorge nutrition, psychology and health centers, explained to BBC News Mundo. “Among them are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, bicarbonate and phosphate.”
“They help regulate fluid balance—sodium outside the cell and potassium inside—, they allow the transmission of nervous impulses, calcium, sodium and potassium facilitate muscle contraction and relaxation and contribute to maintaining stable blood pH.”
As Grifols explained, the ion that is lost the most through sweat is sodium.
That is why, during long efforts or in high heat, replenishing sodium “favors rehydration; otherwise you can become dehydrated even by drinking water.”
When do we need to replace them?
Electrolytes are necessary when two factors come together: physical exercise and heat.
The level of physical activity you are doing, and the environmental conditions, are good parameters to follow to know what type of drink is best for you.
Laura Jorge said that for sessions of less than an hour and low intensity, water is enough.
But when the body starts to lose more fluid and salts, it is better to adjust.
In winter, many people can train up to an hour and a half with water alone; In summer or with high humidity, after 45 minutes it helps to add electrolytes, because sweat accelerates, said Grifols.
And certain types of people benefit more from replenishing salts when they are exercising: “If you have ‘very salty’ sweat – you will notice it by white spots on your clothes or skin – replenishing sodium helps maintain performance, avoid cramps and prevent drops in pressure and fatigue. In endurance sports such as long-distance running, cycling or triathlon, attention to salts should be greater,” said Jorge.
The intensity of the training is also key, according to the expert: if the session lasts between 1 and 2 hours and is moderate or intense, isotonic drinks work well (because they provide water, sodium and a moderate amount of carbohydrates).
If the effort extends beyond 2 hours or is very intense, it is advisable to look for a drink with more carbohydrates, which help maintain the supply of electrolytes. In light but extremely hot workouts, it is better to choose a drink that is low in carbohydrates but with enough sodium.
Precautions
Excessive consumption of isotonic drinks can deregulate the body, according to experts.
Something that experts agree on is that drinking drinks with electrolytes “just because” can have unwanted effects.
Laura Jorge lists the main risks when they are abused—especially those commercially available for athletes—: “excess sodium can raise blood pressure in sensitive people and promote fluid retention; excess sugar adds calories and glucose spikes; an imbalance of minerals—too much sodium and little potassium—affects muscle and heart function; and highly concentrated formulas can cause digestive upset if drunk quickly or undiluted.”
It is also important to keep in mind that we already receive many of these electrolytes through our diet, especially sodium, which is found in excess in salty and ultra-processed foods.
According to Grifols, in people without kidney disease, the body is usually able to handle the extra sodium; but it can be a risk for many.
The practical recommendation is to take care of daily habits (cook more at home, moderate ultra-processed foods) and reserve drinks with salts for when you really need them due to sweat in the heat or humidity, or during longer or more intense sessions.
Grifols also made an important clarification: sports drinks do not replace oral serum in cases of diarrhea or vomiting.
“In these situations we lose minerals in different proportions – for example, more potassium – and sports formulas do not always cover that need; it is better to use oral rehydration serum.”
Also, remember that many commercial drinks include sugar; If you’re not active, it’s easy to end up consuming free sugar unnecessarily.
Homemade alternatives
You would never imagine that a broth could hydrate you, but it is a great option if you do long-distance exercise and get tired of the sweet taste.
Despite the number of options available on the market for hydration, many times you don’t need to buy more than what you already have in the pantry to replenish electrolytes.
Anna Grifols told BBC Mundo that those looking to rehydrate with salt and without carbohydrates, a homemade, well-salted vegetable broth can be useful for prolonged efforts or nighttime competitions.
And if you need water, salts and carbohydrates in a single bottle, the recipe is even easier: in a 1 liter bottle, add 950 ml of water, 2 grams of salt (Grifols recommended measuring using two 1 g sachets of salt) and between 50 and 70 grams of sugar.
“Table sugar—sucrose—combines glucose and fructose, and it works well during exercise,” he explains.
You can flavor with lemon, lime, orange or pineapple juice. With 2 g of salt per liter you get, according to Grifols, about 800 mg of sodium per liter, enough for about two hours under normal conditions; with more heat or humidity, you can add more sips of water.