Are you thirsty after your work out?  

 Of course you are!  

 So you smash your whole drink bottle full of water on the way home and feel very pleased with yourself.  

But did you know water on its own is not enough?  

 When we sweat, it’s not just water. Sweat is made up of water and electrolytes and trace elements such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc and iron, which is why it tastes salty, not like bottled Mount Franklin.  

If someone is suffering from dehydration brought on from sun exposure or extremely strenuous exercise, both the fluid and the electrolytes need to be replaced. Generally one would head to a local hospital, but there are home remedies that include water, salt, and sugar (NB VFIT does not condone experimenting with home remedies!).  

So let’s get back to basics.  

 How much fluid should I consume? 

At a minimum adult women of a general energy output should consume around two litres (eight cups) and adult men 2.6 litres. This increases if the woman is pregnant, or if the adult is moderately to very active.  

What are electrolytes?  

 Electrolytes are a fancy name for various salts and minerals.  

 Wait, so sea water has salt, can we use that to replace our electrolytes? 

 Nope, the ratio of salt to water is too high in sea water, and causes further dehydration.  

So what are the signs or symptoms of dehydration or electrolyte imbalance?  

• Muscle aches 
• Frequent headaches 
• Feeling very thirsty 
• Insomnia 
• Fever 

• Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeats 
• Constipation or diarrhea 
• Trouble concentrating 
• Blood pressure changes 
• Fatigue 

• Dizziness 

Imbalances can be diagnosed by your GP, however for the purpose of this article we are going to focus on what to do after an intense workout to help prevent imbalance.  

The good news is you can keep the fluid/electrolyte scales in balance quite easily!  

1. Increase your fluid when training 

1. Keep up good nutrition! You will replace the minerals that you need from a well balanced diet, although some people who train a hard and regularly like to add calcium, magnesium, and zinc supplements to their diets as well (NB always seek guidance from a nutritionist or GP prior to making any drastic intake changes)  

1. Add extra salt to freshly made foods after training or after sweating a lot. Just general table salt will do. HOWEVER, if you are eating processed foods (anything out of a can, or anything that has additives), please check the label as it may already be high in salt!  

Crisis averted!  

See you at the gym… with your drink bottle!  

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