Can I Drink Electrolyte Water Everyday?

Our bodies are incredible at maintaining a very delicate balance of minerals and electrolytes, ensuring that they’re in the right place at the right time. This is why how often you should drink electrolytes is dependent on many different factors. 

There’s a time and a place for restoring your electrolytes and that’s why we’ll take a closer look and answer the question, how often should you drink electrolytes? 

Electrolytes are essential minerals in our bodies that primarily stay replenished via the things we eat and drink. From muscle function and nerve regulation to hydration and blood pressure, your body is always working to keep a correct balance of electrolyte levels; as too much or too little of them can disrupt the functions of our bodies. The levels of these electrolytes change in the body depending on your fluid levels(1).

The key electrolytes and their primary functions are:

• Sodium and chloride - helps control the distribution of water throughout your body which helps you stay hydrated.
• Potassium - moves across our nerve cells to generate electrical impulses which are essential for our body to transmit nerve signals
• Magnesium and calcium - these play a vital role in muscle function, contraction and recovery. 
• Phosphate - vital to your energy functions and an essential electrolyte for the formation of healthy teeth. 
• Bicarbonates - maintains a normal pH balance, moves carbon dioxide through the bloodstream and works with other electrolytes like sodium, potassium and chloride to maintain electrical neutrality in your cells(2).

It’s clear that electrolytes play an important part in our daily well being, however, adding more of them isn’t always necessary. Before rushing to add more electrolytes to your daily routine, first take a look at your overall diet. 

A study found that if you’re eating a lot of bananas, yogurt, avocado, coconut water, and spinach, for example, you may already be consuming a number of minerals found in electrolyte powders(3).

In addition to the fruits, vegetables and grains we’ve mentioned, electrolytes are also found in dairy products and certain types of fish, including sardines, yellowfin tuna and canned salmon. Many fruits and vegetables have a high water content so have the added bonus of also being a potential source of hydration. 

Essentially, if you keep on top of your hydration levels and also maintain a well-balanced, whole food diet then you’ll likely get most of the nutrients you need that way.

When considering how many electrolyte drinks per day is right for you, you need to consider your activity levels and what your body may need. 

As an example, if you’re going for a run, even on a cooler morning, you’ll likely benefit from regular hydration from waking up, and replenishing with a hydration drink with electrolytes after your run. You would also want to boost electrolyte intake after an extreme bout of vomiting or diarrhea, or when recovering from chronic disorders such as eating disorders or kidney disease(4). 

When you hear the term ‘electrolyte imbalance’ it’s highly likely you’ll assume it means they’re too low. However, when you’re considering how often you should drink electrolytes, it’s worth noting that excessive use of electrolyte drinks can be a problem too. An imbalance can occur when the concentration is too high for your body - specifically your kidneys and hormones - to regulate and maintain their balance. 

There are also different types of electrolyte imbalances depending on what compounds are out of balance. High sodium levels, for example, can disrupt your balance, causing fatigue, trouble sleeping, headaches, and an overall feeling of weakness.(5) 

Frustratingly there’s a lot of crossover between the symptoms of having too many and too little electrolytes. For the purpose of understanding how often you should drink electrolytes, we’ll look at the symptoms of having too much of a particular electrolyte in your system(5):

• Confusion and irritability.
• Irregular heart rate (arrhythmia).
• Breathing difficulties.
• Fatigue.
• Headaches.
• Muscle cramps or weakness.
• Diarrhea or constipation.
• Nausea and vomiting.

Using our muscles as an example; our muscles need calcium, sodium and potassium for their proper function. If you’re lacking those minerals, then you may experience cramps or twitching. However, if you have too much potassium then you could experience muscle weakness(6). Since we lose these minerals and electrolytes when we sweat, replenishing them after intense periods of sweating from regular exercise makes sense. 

Some people who live in hot climates may benefit from drinking electrolytes daily, while others may only need to consume electrolytes during long workouts .Electrolyte powders are safe and effective at increasing hydration status in those who need an extra boost. 

On the other hand, let’s say you’re meeting a friend for coffee on a sunny afternoon, it’s advisable to have a glass of water alongside your caffeine fix - you see how the needs are completely different in each scenario. 

The physical benefits of good hydration include body functions and regulations, as well as flushing out waste and toxins. Electrolyte and regular water both count towards your daily fluid needs, as do other beverages such as coffee, tea, fruit juices and milk.

Whether you drink bottled or tap water, it most likely contains trace amounts of electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Sports drinks are generally recommended over plain water to replace fluid and electrolytes after intense exercise. However, these drinks have been designed for athletes and as such are not suitable for sedentary individuals to be drinking throughout the day. Along with electrolytes, they contain calories from added sugar. In fact, a 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains a whopping 30 grams of sugar (7). 

Electrolyte water can offer improved hydration, enhanced energy and better recovery, but realistically only in certain circumstances. 

It may be beneficial if you’re likely to lose minerals fast, so you may want to consider electrolyte water if you’re doing any of the following:

• You’re exercising for more than one hour
• You sweat heavily during exercise
• You’re ill with vomiting or diarrhea
• You will be exposed to heat for longer periods

Pocari Sweat’s proven formula is engineered with a perfect blend of electrolytes, water, and carbohydrates which closely match the makeup of sweat, helping you to replace what you lose with a delicious and refreshing drink! What’s more, our tasty restoration drink is scientifically proven to restore and extend your hydration level (7). 

When it comes to how often you should drink electrolytes, it’s unnecessary to drink electrolyte and hydration drinks daily without a reason. They may be beneficial during prolonged exercise, in hot environments or if you’re ill with vomiting or diarrhea. Consider your activity levels, your environment and listen to what your body needs. 

1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153188
2. https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/what-are-electrolytes
3. https://www.verywellfit.com/using-electrolyte-powder-daily-8356603#toc-benefits-of-using-electrolyte-powder
4. https://zoe.com/learn/do-you-need-to-drink-electrolytes#summary
5. https://www.health.com/can-you-have-too-many-electrolytes-7968688
6. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24019-electrolyte-imbalance
7. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/electrolyte-water#electrolyte-vs-regular