Electrolytes

[tulippetals]

AIBU to think they’re not as bad as everyone makes out?

I’m seeing a lot of discourse about how they’re awful, you shouldn’t ever drink them unless you’ve been working out for four hours etc etc.

My diet is on the whole very low in sodium. Under 3g a day on average. I will have electrolytes after I’ve been on a run (40 minutes minimum each time), because I’ve noticed I feel less crampy in bed after them.

According to social media I’m apparently sleep walking into kidney failure. Surely it’s not actually that bad and this is just the next thing that they’re getting themselves up in arms about? I can appreciate that you shouldn’t be drinking 5 or 6 sachets a day, but one after exercise surely isn’t as bad as people say?

I've not seen anything to say they are terrible for you but I'd be interested to read the research if you have a source?

I've suffered from cramp in my feet for 20+ years. I find taking electrolytes on the days I exercise really helps.

I think you have to be careful with them i.e. if you have an existing kidney condition. The idea is that if you are already on a well balanced diet and hydrated, they're not needed but if you're on a restrictive diet, or high activity, then it's fine and sometimes needed.

It’s just a lot floating round on social media. I’m ignoring a lot of it, but I’ve seen a podcast stating “not one piece of research is pro electrolytes”, with no sources stated. I do think it’s a lot of fuss about nothing.

I love the willpowders cherry one. Get it on TikTok as it’s cheaper! Never seen anyone saying bad stuff about them tbh

I’m a huge fan of the revival wild cherry. Super expensive but absolutely lovely

Have you joined MN just to talk about electrolytes?

I've been hospitalised twice with electrolyte imbalances, but I had cancer/sepsis at the time. It does mean I've learnt a lot about them and I recognise the side effects that come with certain ones being out of whack. But, the kind of things that affected mine would never affect a normal healthy person. And the most striking thing was that increasing one too much would often affect another and that could sometimes have serious implications.

I imagine that the type of electrolytes you can easily buy are such low concentrations that they don't make much difference either way. But unless you have regular blood tests, you can't possibly know if you're actually low in something and whether the supplement you take pushes something else dangerously high or low.

I honestly think that half the ones available are just nice flavours to make people drink water. Like a super expensive squash 😂

So what if she has? 🙄