What foods and drinks are high in electrolytes?

Which sports drinks have the most electrolytes?

On a serious note, magnesium deficiency may cause sudden cardiac death in athletes, especially those in heat or doing long endurance events.

Gatorade.

Powerade.

Powerade Zero.

PediaLyte.

Propel.

Vitaminwater.

ZipFizz Healthy Energy Drink Mix.

Lucozade Sport.

Apples, corn, beets, carrots and green beans, are all rich in electrolytes. Other electrolyte-laden fruits and veggies include limes, lemons, oranges, sweet potatoes, artichokes, all types of squash and tomatoes. For best results, choose fruits and vegetables that are organic and, if possible, local to your community.

Common symptoms of an electrolyte disorder include:

irregular heartbeat.

fast heart rate.

fatigue.

lethargy.

convulsions or seizures.

nausea.

vomiting.

diarrhea or constipation.

Electrolytes lost from sweat are replaced through food, and plain water is what your body prefers for adequate rehydration. Eat foods high in electrolytes. This is not difficult to do when eating a plant-based diet. For instance, high potassium fruits include banana, dates, raisins, coconut, and avocado.

Here are some of the most abundant electrolytes and why our body requires them.

Calcium. Calcium is the most abundant electrolyte in the human body.

Potassium. If you watch sports, you’d notice that athletes always seem to have a banana with them.

Magnesium.

Sodium/Chloride.

Phosphorus.

Here’s a closer look at the 7 major electrolytes:

Sodium (Na+)

Chloride (Cl-)

Potassium (K+)

Magnesium (Mg++)

Calcium (Ca++)

Phosphate (HPO4–)

Bicarbonate (HCO3-)

But your body needs a constant dietary supply of electrolytes to support such vital functions as keeping your heart beating. Bananas have a small amount of one electrolyte, calcium, and measurable amounts of three other essential electrolytes, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.

Canned tuna, canned salmon, soup, beans, pickles, olives and whole-grain bread are higher-sodium foods that are actually good for you. Since most of these foods are seasoned with table salt (a.k.a. sodium-chloride) you’ll find both electrolytes. Milk, cheese and yogurt are packed with bone-building calcium.

To prevent dehydration and restore electrolytes, focus on these foods — which are some of the most hydrating due to being very water-dense:

Coconut water.

Celery.

Watermelon.

Cucumber.

Kiwi.

Bell peppers.

Citrus fruit.

Carrots.

First, apple juice, by itself, doesn’t contain sodium, an essential electrolyte that helps the body retain and draw water into the bloodstream. And second, the large amount of sugar in apple juice can actually intensify dehydration by drawing water out of the bloodstream.

Add 16 oz. of fresh citrus juice. The citrus family of fruit contain calcium and potassium, which combined with salt provides a balance for pH and fluid levels in the body. Lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit and orange juice all have the necessary minerals for electrolyte replenishment.

The best source of electrolytes is not from drinks, but from food. Fruit and vegetables, even canned or frozen vegetables, such as corn, carrots and green beans, are high in electrolytes, as are bread, milk and fruit. Tap water or spring water does not contain electrolytes.

Gatorade contains 160 milligrams of sodium and 45 milligrams of potassium per serving, while Powerade contains 150 milligrams of sodium and 35 milligrams of potassium per serving. By comparison, Gatorade is slightly superior at replacing lost electrolytes.

Natural coconut water contains five key electrolytes: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Coconut water is packed with potassium, more than found in one banana or 15 sport drinks.

Salt tablets are an unacceptable choice for electrolyte replenishment for two reasons: They provide only two of the electrolytes your body requires – sodium and chloride. They can oversupply sodium, thereby overwhelming the body’s complex mechanism for regulating sodium.

Electrolytes are essential nutrients that help maintain fluid balance. They also conduct electrical activity in your body and are responsible for muscle contractions and neural activity. Electrolyte imbalance occurs when you lose an excessive amount of body fluids through sweat, vomiting, diarrhea or a high fever.

Gatorade has electrolytes: your body soaks up these electrolytes quicker because your electrolytes are depleted from exercise, and they soak up the water right along with it. Regular water works just fine too, it just doesn’t get absorbed as quickly. Gatorade has a good amount of sodium and glucose (sugar).

Aka Nature’s Butter, avocados are loaded with Potassium. In fact, just 1 avocado can contain approximately 975mg of potassium, that’s double that of a banana. Opt for ¼ serving avocado on a slice of toast post-workout to refuel and rehydrate!

Cucumbers are a low-calorie member of the botanical family that includes squashes and melons. More than 97 percent water, the cuke has only trace amounts of nutrients, with the exception of a collection of minerals that act as electrolytes and serve a variety of functions in the body.

Why Potassium Is Important. Potassium is an electrolyte with many essential jobs: It helps conduct nerve impulses and muscle contractions, regulates the flow of fluids and nutrients into and out of body cells, and helps keep your blood pressure in check—partly by countering the effects of sodium.

The new water has the same level of electrolytes as Gatorade. Each drink has 160 milligrams of sodium and 45 milligrams of potassium per 12-ounce serving. Gatorade also contains 80 calories in a 12-ounce serving.