Most people have heard of electrolytes but may not know exactly what it means. Electrolytes are ions that have an electrical charge and are present in bodily fluids such as blood and plasma. Their role is to help the heart, nerve and muscle cells communicate in a healthy way. The main electrolytes are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, hydrogen phosphate and hydrogen carbonate. Sports drinks like Gatorade contain electrically charged ions to maintain hydration and the balance of electrolytes. Athletes often turn to these drinks because they lose fluid through sweating and it helps replenish them quickly. It is contraindicated for people who are sedentary to drink sports drinks because their electrolyte level may become too high. Similarly, sick kids should drink Pedialyte instead and only turn to sports drinks if recommended by their physician because the concentration is for adults.

The kidneys come into play as they flush out electrolytes when the level is too high. “What the kidneys permanently do is manage electrolytes and water,” said Dr. Jon Webb, nephrologist at UK. While balanced electrolytes are necessary to regulate hydration and blood pH as well as ensure nerves and muscles function properly, it is not a concern that pertains to everybody. “Most people without underlying medical problems such as kidney diseases or heart diseases requiring specialized medicines can maintain normal electrolytes through healthy eating without a lot of extra supplements,” said Webb.

Doctors think of sodium in terms of water balance and use a profound analogy to describe exactly how we function. “How it works with thirst is when your sodium level rises, it tells your brain that you need water because your glass of water has become skinnier and the key main triggers for thirst are when you are dehydrated and your blood volume is down,” said Webb. Furthermore, if your blood is too concentrated, or your cup of water has excessive amounts of salt in it, those triggers tell the brain to drink water and promote thirst. “The body is very good at surviving and the brain tells the body what it needs to do,” said Webb.

While you may be curious if your electrolytes are balanced, doctors do not routinely monitor electrolytes in patients who do not have symptoms or specific medical problems that have a correlation with electrolyte issues. “There are some non-specific symptoms where the primary doctor may want to screen for certain electrolyte disorders like fatigue, muscle cramping, muscle weakness, change in urinary patterns, more frequent urination, excessive amounts of urine output or irregular beats of your heart,” said Webb. The screening is a simple blood test.

If an imbalance is found, it is not unusual. “Most of the medicines used to treat heart disease can affect the potassium balance so that is one of the most common and familiar electrolyte imbalances,” said Webb. Another common issue is sodium imbalance. “Low sodium has been in the media in regards to cases where someone has dramatic levels of low sodium specifically marathon runners who drink excessive amounts of water during the marathon,” said Webb. In these instances, simple monitoring can prevent electrolyte issues. “Most runners who are in marathons would have more electrolyte-containing solutions while they are running instead of plain water and potentially sodium-containing substitutes and supplements while running,” said Webb.

Good kidney health comes down to the basics. “The biggest risk factors for kidney disease are high blood pressure and diabetes so using lifestyle modifications to avoid these things such as trying to maintain an appropriate weight level, exercising and maintaining a good activity level can help,” said Webb. Some electrolyte imbalances can be managed by dietary changes or with supplements. Some people like to take calcium over-the-counter, which is an important supplement that most people are able to get through dairy products like milk and cheese. If you are deficient in calcium, postmenopausal or otherwise at risk for osteoporosis, you may want to talk to your doctor about taking a supplement to prevent progression to osteoporosis. “If it is severe enough, there may be medications that are needed to help balance these electrolytes,” said Web.

If you have an electrolyte imbalance, there is hope. “These electrolyte disorders have been understood for a long time but there are always advances in trying to improve current medications which have side effects of electrolyte imbalances and new ways to correct kidney issues which cause electrolyte issues,” said Webb. There are always things going on as far as research so try not to worry without cause. “The kidneys have an amazing range of ability to keep things within normal limits so if you have healthy kidneys and are not on specific medicines for medical problems, I would assume that your electrolytes would be in normal limits,” said Webb.

By Jamie Lober, Staff Writer