Therefore, you need to get an adequate amount of electrolytes from your diet to keep your body functioning as it should. This article takes a detailed look at electrolytes, their functions, the risk of imbalance and possible sources. When these minerals dissolve in a fluid, they form electrolytes — positive or negative ions used in metabolic processes.
These electrolytes are required for various bodily processes, including proper nerve and muscle function, maintaining acid-base balance and keeping you hydrated. Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge.
Electrolytes are crucial to keeping your nervous system and muscles functioning and your internal environment balanced. Your brain sends electrical signals through your nerve cells to communicate with the cells throughout your body. When this happens, it sets off a chain reaction, moving more sodium ions and the change in charge along the length of the nerve cell axon. The electrolyte calcium is needed for muscle contraction 7. It allows muscle fibers to slide together and move over each other as the muscle shortens and contracts.
Magnesium is also required in this process so that the muscle fibers can slide outward and muscles can relax after contraction. Water must be kept in the right amounts both inside and outside each cell in your body 8. Osmosis is a process where water moves through the wall of a cell membrane from a dilute solution more water and fewer electrolytes toward a more concentrated solution less water and more electrolytes. This prevents cells from bursting from being too full or shriveling up due to dehydration 9.
To stay healthy, your body needs to regulate its internal pH For example, your blood is regulated to stay at a pH of around 7. Having the right balance of electrolytes is fundamental to maintaining your blood pH level Electrolytes are essential for keeping your nervous system and muscles functioning.
In some circumstances, electrolyte levels in your blood can become too high or low, causing an imbalance 11 , 12 , Disturbances in electrolytes can have a harmful effect on your health and can even be fatal in rare cases Electrolyte imbalances often occur due to dehydration caused by excess heat, vomiting or diarrhea. Some illnesses, including kidney disease, eating disorders and injuries like severe burns, can cause electrolyte imbalances as well 16 , 17 , 18 , However, more severe imbalances can cause symptoms like 20 , 21 :.
If you suspect you have an electrolyte imbalance, be sure to discuss your symptoms with your doctor. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.
Electrolytes are minerals found in your blood that help regulate and control the balance of fluids in the body.
These minerals play a role in regulating blood pressure, muscle contraction and keep your system functioning properly. The right amount of electrolytes in your body is needed for optimal health and physical performance. You might also experience muscle cramping and spasms. Most of us have felt the effects of being dehydrated at one point or another — dry lips and tongue, headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea, cramps.
How many electrolytes you lose during exercise depends on weight, fitness level, intensity, duration of activity, humidity and how much you sweat. Electrolyte drinks come in a variety of forms — from tablets that you drop into water, to powders that you mix up, to liquid that comes in a regular water bottle. Start Here. Also in Spanish. Diagnosis and Tests. Related Issues.
Clinical Trials. Article: Effect of bioimpedance-defined overhydration parameters on mortality and cardiovascular events in Article: Association between the use of balanced fluids and outcomes in critically Fluid and Electrolyte Balance -- see more articles.
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