September 5, 2025 • 19 mins
Today we’re diving into a topic that has been everywhere lately—electrolytes. Let’s break it down for you from a dietitian’s perspective: what electrolytes actually are, when you really need to supplement, and how they impact your gut, hormones, and hydration.
By the end of the episode, you’ll know what’s hype, what’s helpful, and what’s right for you!
⏱️ Chapters:
(00:00) — Welcome & episode intro
(01:15) — Electrolyte hype vs reality
(02:30) — What electrolytes actually do
(03:45) — Gut health connections
(05:00) — Who really needs supplements
(06:15) — Training in heat & sweat loss
(07:30) — Sodium: the MVP electrolyte
(08:45) — Sodium citrate vs table salt
(10:00) — How much sodium you need
(11:15) — Sweat testing & athletes
(12:30) — Daily use myths busted
(13:45) — Electrolytes from food sources
(15:00) — Potassium, magnesium & balance
(16:30) — Key takeaways & wrap-up
—
🌟 GRAB YOUR FREE Gut Friendly Sports Drink Guide!
—
👩🏻💻 RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED: ⤵️
📌 Electrolytes & Gut Health: What’s Hype, What’s Helpful, and What’s Right For You?
—
✉️ CONNECT WITH ME: ⤵️
👩🏻⚕️ Apply For Coaching
🖥️ Shop the Resource Suite
If the GutFit Nutrition Podcast is giving you value - helped your digestion and fitness, made you rethink how you approach your gut health, please consider leaving a review! 🎧
If you have questions for my listener Q & A episodes, you can submit them here, or send me an email at leigh@leighmerotto.com. See you soon!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey, it's Lee here, registered dietitian, gut health expert and
long distance runner. If you've ever struggled with
digestive upset on a run or wondered if those pricey
electrolyte packets are really worth it, I've got something for
you. I created brand new free gut
friendly sports drink guide, your complete resource for
hydration with evidence based recipes that support both
(00:20):
performance and gut health. You'll learn how to balance
carbs, electrolytes and fluids to feel your workouts without
the digestive distress. And the best part?
The recipes taste great, are cost effective, and one is even
low FODMAP for sensitive stomachs with IBS.
Grab your free copy now through the link in the show notes and
try them on your next long run. Welcome to the Gut Fit Nutrition
(00:40):
Podcast, the show where we dive deep into the world of gut
health, nutrition, and fitness to help you unlock your best
self from the inside out. I'm your host, Lee Morado, a
registered dietitian, gut healthexpert, long distance runner,
and movement enthusiast on a mission to empower you with
science backed whole body strategies to fuel your body,
heal your gut, and thrive in your active life.
(01:02):
Whether you're here to finally break free from IBS and
digestive symptoms, optimize your fitness performance, or
learn how to support your gut health with natural strategies,
you're in the right place. Each week, we'll explore topics
like conquering digestive symptoms, building a gut
friendly lifestyle, enhancing endurance and strength
performance, and more. So grab a cup of your favorite
(01:22):
gut friendly tea and settle in because we're about to get gut
fit together. Hello everyone, welcome back to
the podcast. So today we're diving into a
topic that has been everywhere lately, at least for the last
few months, if not even the lastcouple of years.
So if you've scrolled Instagram or TikTok or even listen to one
(01:43):
of your, you know, very popular podcasts, you've probably seen
or heard influencers promoting those $2.00 a day electrolyte
sticks. And with the recent heat wave
that we've had this summer too, it feels like everyone is saying
that you can't possibly feel your best unless you're adding
electrolytes to your water everyday.
So today I really want to break it down for you as a dietitian's
(02:06):
perspective, what electrolytes actually are, when you really
need to supplement, and actuallyhow they impact your gut
hormones and hydration status. So by the end of this episode,
hopefully you'll know what's actually hype, what's helpful,
and what is really right for youwhen you are training or when
you're just having an easy day. Let's get into it.
(02:27):
So what are electrolytes? So electrolytes are minerals,
things like sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium
that carry an electric charge when they're dissolved in water.
And yes, we do get electrolytes from our food and fluids.
So it's not just like you need to buy a supplement to get them
in. We do get them from our food,
(02:48):
but that's not to say that they aren't important.
So we need electrolytes to help regulate things like fluid
balance, muscle contractions andnerve signalling.
So really they are tiny nutrients that we need in our
our diet. A lot of them are minerals or
even trace minerals, but they dohave mighty functions in our
body. So of course they are still
(03:08):
important and we do want to get enough for our needs.
And in terms of your digestive health, they do play a few key
roles as well. So electrolytes like sodium and
potassium help regulate peristalsis which is also known
as the wave like muscle contractions that move food
through your digestive tract. And if these are out of balance,
you may notice Constipation, bloating or even cramping too.
(03:32):
Magnesium is another important electrolyte so it does relax the
smooth muscles in your gut. So our intestinal muscles are
large and small bowel are smoothmuscle tissue.
So magnesium helps to support the movement of food through
them. Also known as our motility,
magnesium also plays a role in calming the nervous system and
(03:52):
supporting our gut brain connection.
And then on the hormonal side, electrolytes are tied to our
adrenal gland function, which involves the production of
cortisol and aldosterone, which are two hormones that regulate
stress as well as fluid balance.So if those get out of whack,
you might feel low energy, dizzy, or even notice digestive
changes. So who actually needs them?
(04:14):
This is the $1,000,000 question,right?
Do you need to take them in a supplement form?
So despite what your favorite fitness influencer is telling
you. And not everyone needs an
electrolyte powder in their daily routine.
So if you aren't losing a lot ofsweat, which is one of the main
ways that we lose electrolytes, and your workouts are somewhere
(04:36):
around 45 to 60 minutes, maybe low to modern intensity, not in
a very high heat, then just plain water during your workout
is fine. And you can make sure to get
electrolytes from your food in the day to make sure that you
support the overall balance. However you may need them and
they can be really helpful to add to your fluids while
(04:57):
exercising if you're training inthe heat.
So you're going out for your hour, you know, maybe 75 minutes
run on that. Those days that we were, you
know, experiencing 3035° heat inthe sun and you know, you're
sweating a lot. If you're doing any form of
exercise 45 to 60 minutes or longer that is in high heat or
(05:18):
high intensity as well as endurance workouts, then yes,
that would be important as well.You're losing a lot of sweat and
salt. So you'll know if your clothes
get really, you know, salty, youget those salty streaks and your
skin tastes salty or maybe a heavy sweater and a very sweaty,
a salty sweater, sorry, then youmay need to take in more or even
(05:40):
if you're in a sport with heavy gear like hockey or football, so
you'll be sweating a lot. So in those cases, then
supplements can totally be helpful and are also a
convenient form to get in your electrolytes and help maintain
that electrolyte balance for proper hydration status.
So for example, when I go out onmy long run, if I'm going for
(06:01):
maybe 2 hours, not carrying a full meal with me and I'm not
going to be taking in, you know,like a ton of real food.
I may be using gels or sometimesI I take certain quick carbs in
the form of real food. But to make sure that I am
replenishing my electrolytes, primarily sodium as we'll get
into taking in a fluid that contains some electrolytes in my
(06:25):
water will help to replace what I'm losing without upsetting my
guts. So they can be convenient from
that perspective, from a training perspective and also of
course they are important for performance.
So we do want to make sure that we are punishing them and
maintaining our electrolyte status when we are training for
long periods of time and training very hard.
(06:45):
It is important in those cases. I should also note to that for
enduring sessions that are 75 to90 minutes or longer.
So same thing for those long runs or bike rides.
Also having some carbohydrates in addition to water, fluids and
electrolytes in our drinks is also important for fluid
balance. And we also get a bit of energy
(07:06):
from that and it helps maintain performance too.
So that is also important. And by the way, if you want
recipes for gut friendly sports drinks with the right
composition of carbohydrates, electrolytes and fluids, I've
put together a brand new free guide and you'll find the link
in the show notes. So let's talk about sodium.
(07:27):
So the real MVP of hydration is sodium.
This is the electrolyte you wantto focus on most in terms of
replenishing during exercise when sodium levels drop too low.
It's called hyponatremia, which can be quite common in
especially marathon runners, those who maybe are taking in a
(07:48):
ton of fluids in the form of plain water, but not taking in
enough sodium to replenish losses.
So this is not as common anymoreas there's more knowledge about
it. But it can be common in sort of
those endurance sports where people may not be getting the
right balance of sodium and electrolytes and just taking in
a lot of water without thinking about the electrolyte balance.
(08:10):
So symptoms of hyponatronia or low sodium include cramping,
headaches, irritability, brain fog, bloating, or just feeling
like your performance is off. The other electrolytes like
potassium and magnesium are important, of course, in our
overall diet and as I mentioned,some of their important
functions. However, during training, it's
(08:31):
really the sodium that we want to prioritize.
So a lot of the products probably seen certain
electrolyte brands claim we haveperfect balance of sodium,
potassium and magnesium and theyhave those added.
But really since we don't actually lose much of those
electrolytes during exercise, they're much less necessary to
replenish. So we really want to focus on
(08:53):
replacing sodium as this will help the body maintain a state
of hydration most efficiently. So while other electrolytes are
essential in overall diet, they aren't as imperative to replace
via an electrolyte supplement when it comes to sport
nutrition. Now that said, not all sodium is
created equal when it comes to performance and maintaining a
(09:15):
happy gut. Sodium citrate is the form of
sodium that is easiest on the stomach during training.
It is going to help get our fluid status optimized in the
gentlest way. So a couple of brands that I
like for endurance exercise or mortal hydration, which is
higher sodium. So it's good for those really
(09:36):
high heat days and when I'm losing more sweat or noon sport,
which is a little less concentrated in sodium, but does
have a good amount and it can begood for a little bit of lighter
sweat days. That being said, brands like
Element Tea, as you probably heard your favorite podcaster
mention those ones, or even wakewater, which claim to be high
sodium, they have around 1000 milligrams of sodium per stick
(09:59):
are very trendy. However, the key point here is
that they actually contain sodium in the form of sodium
chloride, which is basically just table salt.
So sodium chloride unfortunatelycan be harder on the guts and
can cause GI distress if you're taking it in during your
workouts. So these supplements or these
(10:21):
forms of electrolyte supplementscould be useful post training to
replenish your losses if you're a heavy sweater.
So if it tastes great for you tohave that element tea after you
finish a long run, that's cool and you know you've lost a lot
of salt, but probably not your best bet during because of the
effects on your GI system. And it goes without saying that
I don't recommend just sipping on them every day if you're not
(10:43):
actually exercising or losing a lot of.
So how much sodium do you need then, if we're talking about it
being the most important thing that we need to replenish and
make sure we're getting in for our workouts.
So this can vary a lot dependingon various factors like your
sweat rate, workout length, and even the climate.
However, general guidelines fromthe American College of Sports
(11:06):
Medicine are, during training, roughly 300 to 700 milligrams of
sodium per hour and up to 1000 milligrams if you're a really
heavy sweater. And after training, we want to
replenish about 12:50 to 1500 milligrams per every liter of
fluid lost. That said, if you want to get
more specific on how much sodiumyou need to aim to replace as an
(11:28):
athlete, sweat testing is an option.
So the test measures the amount of sodium lost in your sweat to
help determine if you are a salty sweater.
So sodium losses can really varybetween individuals.
So this test can be helpful for those you know, more advanced
athletes looking to level up nutrition.
So during a sweat test, a patch is placed either on your forearm
(11:50):
or on your back during exercise and then the sample is then
analyzed in a lab or can be donewith portable technology.
It can also be done at home using a towel, a weight scale,
and food scales. And I will link a good article
that explained instructions how to do that at home if you are
curious to try it. That being said, this area still
(12:10):
needs more research as we aren'texactly sure how much sodium to
replace based on losses. And as mentioned above, sodium
losses can really vary even depending on temperature,
climate, etcetera. So while it may help you to get
a bit more specific, it's not perfect sides.
Yeah. So all this to consider, do you
need electrolytes everyday? So here's where I want to bust a
(12:31):
myth. And I think you already know the
answer to this by now. So unless you're doing long,
sweaty, intense workouts most days, you don't need an
expensive electrolyte powder every single morning or to take
in every single day. So your favorite products like
Element Tea is basically just table salt with some nice
flavorings added. So if it helps you drink more
(12:53):
water, that's awesome, but it's probably not doing anything
miraculous. And you want to be also cautious
of not overdoing sodium intake if you're not losing a lot
through sweat every day. If you want to DIYA cheaper
version, you can try this. So take a 16 ounce glass of
water, quarter teaspoon of sea salt, squeeze of lemon, and if
(13:13):
you like a touch of sweetness, add a teaspoon of Maple syrup.
So that'll give you sodium and alittle potassium without the
$2.00 price tag. And to bring home my point about
electrolyte supplements not being necessary for everyone and
to take in every day, if you're not really training, remember
that you can and you should be focusing on getting plenty of
(13:34):
your electrolytes from real food.
This is always what we want to focus on, right?
Supplements are meant to be the cherry on top of a balanced
nutrition plan. We don't want to rely on
supplements. We want to make sure that we're
getting adequate amounts from actual food because there's
going to be so much more diversity of nutrients.
And we also get different compounds that support our
(13:55):
microbiome and lots of differentthings from real food.
So supplements are there as necessary and as sort of, you
know, unique little ways that wecan help optimize an already
balanced diet. But it's not something that we
just want to rely on as the solefocus of our nutrition and our
diet, right? So what to think about in terms
(14:16):
of food sources of electrolytes?So the first one is sodium.
So it is pretty natural actuallyfor a lot of people who are
quite health conscious that you're probably cooking a lot of
foods at home. So it can be easy to get a lot
of sodium in your diet if you'reeating a lot of packaged and
processed foods, things like canned soups or a lot of salty
snacks like chips or you're doing take out lot of lot of
(14:37):
fried food that is quite high insodium.
But if you're eating just a lot of real foods, then you may not
get much sodium from your diet. So it is important to add a
little bit of salt to your cooking and especially before
and after those heavier, harder workouts.
So add a little bit of sea salt to your food.
You can even track it in a diaryand make sure that you are
getting enough sodium every day.The other important electrolyte
(15:01):
is magnesium. So most people don't get
magnesium from diet and really the main reason I see in
practice is because most people don't focus on getting in a lot
of whole plant based foods in our diet.
Just naturally our food supply is a lot more processed and it
does strip out a lot of great nutrients like fiber as well as
magnesium. So you can make sure to try to
(15:22):
include real plant focused foods.
So yes, your fruits and vegetables, but also things like
nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, your seeds and seed butters like
sunflower seeds and tahini and pumpkin seeds are very high.
Legumes like lentils and chickpeas, dark leafy grains,
your kale, collard, spinach, as well as tofu and tempeh and my
(15:45):
personal favorite, dark chocolate.
And the same goes for potassium.So most North Americans get
roughly 50% of their potassium needs each day.
Potassium is a really important electrolyte for fluid balance
and also regulating blood pressure.
So it also helps us to be more resilient to stress and maintain
good blood pressure levels. Foods like potatoes, even low
(16:08):
fat dairy like Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, avocados are
great. Bananas, lentils, blueberries
are all excellent sources of potassium and a lot of fruits
and vegetables here. So even just aiming to get 10
servings of your fruit and veggies per day is a great way
to get enough potassium. So these foods really can cover
your baseline needs. And then you can layer
(16:29):
supplements on top if you're training hard and you need to
replenish more losses conveniently.
So what's the bottom line? So electrolyte supplements can
be really helpful for endurance athletes, heavy sweaters or
those training hard in the heat.But for most people, you can
meet your needs through food andregular hydration.
(16:50):
That $2.00 electrolyte stick probably isn't going to
supercharge your health if you're doing these things as
well. When you do take in a supplement
during your long runs and hard workouts, make sure to focus on
sodium and that it is in the form of sodium citrate for
optimal absorption and to prevent gastrointestinal
distress. And always remember, too, your
(17:10):
needs are unique. While your favorite influencer
might share what works best for them, it's a good reminder that
it's probably not always based on good quality science, and
there's probably some profit that they're making by pushing a
certain product as well. So thanks so much for tuning in
today. If you have any questions about
electrolytes or the supplement forms of them, feel free to send
(17:33):
me a message over on Instagram at Lee Morado under Score ID or
you can also drop a comment below.
I always love hearing from listeners and hearing what your
questions are and even what yourtakeaways are from these
episodes. It means so much to me to get
your feedback and hear what really stands out to you and
what also you want to hear more of.
(17:55):
So love to hear from you if you do have any questions or
comments and if you're ready forhigh touch support to break free
from gut symptoms and fuel performance, I'd love to support
you. You can apply for coaching
through the link in the show notes.
That's it for today. Stay hydrated, take care of your
gut, and I'll see you in the next episode.
That's a wrap for today's episode.
(18:17):
Thank you so much for listening and being a part of our
community here. If the Gut Fit Nutrition podcast
is giving you value, helped yourdigestion and fitness, made you
rethink how you approach your gut health, consider leaving a
review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you're getting your
podcasts. If you have questions for my
listener Q&A episodes, you can submit them as a comment on this
(18:38):
episode or send me an e-mail at lee@leemorado.com.
For more digestible IBS gut health and fitness tips, be sure
to follow me on Instagram at LeeMorado under score Rd. and to
apply for coaching, shop the resource suite or grab a
freebie, visit gutfitnutrition.com.
Thanks for tuning in. We'll be in touch soon.
Hey, it's Lee here, registered dietitian, gut health expert and
long distance runner. If you've ever struggled with
digestive upset on a run or wondered if those pricey
electrolyte packets are really worth it, I've got something for
you. I created brand new free gut
friendly sports drink guide, your complete resource for
hydration with evidence based recipes that support both
(00:20):
performance and gut health. You'll learn how to balance
carbs, electrolytes and fluids to feel your workouts without
the digestive distress. And the best part?
The recipes taste great, are cost effective, and one is even
low FODMAP for sensitive stomachs with IBS.
Grab your free copy now through the link in the show notes and
try them on your next long run. Welcome to the Gut Fit Nutrition
(00:40):
Podcast, the show where we dive deep into the world of gut
health, nutrition, and fitness to help you unlock your best
self from the inside out. I'm your host, Lee Morado, a
registered dietitian, gut healthexpert, long distance runner,
and movement enthusiast on a mission to empower you with
science backed whole body strategies to fuel your body,
heal your gut, and thrive in your active life.
(01:02):
Whether you're here to finally break free from IBS and
digestive symptoms, optimize your fitness performance, or
learn how to support your gut health with natural strategies,
you're in the right place. Each week, we'll explore topics
like conquering digestive symptoms, building a gut
friendly lifestyle, enhancing endurance and strength
performance, and more. So grab a cup of your favorite
(01:22):
gut friendly tea and settle in because we're about to get gut
fit together. Hello everyone, welcome back to
the podcast. So today we're diving into a
topic that has been everywhere lately, at least for the last
few months, if not even the lastcouple of years.
So if you've scrolled Instagram or TikTok or even listen to one
(01:43):
of your, you know, very popular podcasts, you've probably seen
or heard influencers promoting those $2.00 a day electrolyte
sticks. And with the recent heat wave
that we've had this summer too, it feels like everyone is saying
that you can't possibly feel your best unless you're adding
electrolytes to your water everyday.
So today I really want to break it down for you as a dietitian's
(02:06):
perspective, what electrolytes actually are, when you really
need to supplement, and actuallyhow they impact your gut
hormones and hydration status. So by the end of this episode,
hopefully you'll know what's actually hype, what's helpful,
and what is really right for youwhen you are training or when
you're just having an easy day. Let's get into it.
(02:27):
So what are electrolytes? So electrolytes are minerals,
things like sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium
that carry an electric charge when they're dissolved in water.
And yes, we do get electrolytes from our food and fluids.
So it's not just like you need to buy a supplement to get them
in. We do get them from our food,
(02:48):
but that's not to say that they aren't important.
So we need electrolytes to help regulate things like fluid
balance, muscle contractions andnerve signalling.
So really they are tiny nutrients that we need in our
our diet. A lot of them are minerals or
even trace minerals, but they dohave mighty functions in our
body. So of course they are still
(03:08):
important and we do want to get enough for our needs.
And in terms of your digestive health, they do play a few key
roles as well. So electrolytes like sodium and
potassium help regulate peristalsis which is also known
as the wave like muscle contractions that move food
through your digestive tract. And if these are out of balance,
you may notice Constipation, bloating or even cramping too.
(03:32):
Magnesium is another important electrolyte so it does relax the
smooth muscles in your gut. So our intestinal muscles are
large and small bowel are smoothmuscle tissue.
So magnesium helps to support the movement of food through
them. Also known as our motility,
magnesium also plays a role in calming the nervous system and
(03:52):
supporting our gut brain connection.
And then on the hormonal side, electrolytes are tied to our
adrenal gland function, which involves the production of
cortisol and aldosterone, which are two hormones that regulate
stress as well as fluid balance.So if those get out of whack,
you might feel low energy, dizzy, or even notice digestive
changes. So who actually needs them?
(04:14):
This is the $1,000,000 question,right?
Do you need to take them in a supplement form?
So despite what your favorite fitness influencer is telling
you. And not everyone needs an
electrolyte powder in their daily routine.
So if you aren't losing a lot ofsweat, which is one of the main
ways that we lose electrolytes, and your workouts are somewhere
(04:36):
around 45 to 60 minutes, maybe low to modern intensity, not in
a very high heat, then just plain water during your workout
is fine. And you can make sure to get
electrolytes from your food in the day to make sure that you
support the overall balance. However you may need them and
they can be really helpful to add to your fluids while
(04:57):
exercising if you're training inthe heat.
So you're going out for your hour, you know, maybe 75 minutes
run on that. Those days that we were, you
know, experiencing 3035° heat inthe sun and you know, you're
sweating a lot. If you're doing any form of
exercise 45 to 60 minutes or longer that is in high heat or
(05:18):
high intensity as well as endurance workouts, then yes,
that would be important as well.You're losing a lot of sweat and
salt. So you'll know if your clothes
get really, you know, salty, youget those salty streaks and your
skin tastes salty or maybe a heavy sweater and a very sweaty,
a salty sweater, sorry, then youmay need to take in more or even
(05:40):
if you're in a sport with heavy gear like hockey or football, so
you'll be sweating a lot. So in those cases, then
supplements can totally be helpful and are also a
convenient form to get in your electrolytes and help maintain
that electrolyte balance for proper hydration status.
So for example, when I go out onmy long run, if I'm going for
(06:01):
maybe 2 hours, not carrying a full meal with me and I'm not
going to be taking in, you know,like a ton of real food.
I may be using gels or sometimesI I take certain quick carbs in
the form of real food. But to make sure that I am
replenishing my electrolytes, primarily sodium as we'll get
into taking in a fluid that contains some electrolytes in my
(06:25):
water will help to replace what I'm losing without upsetting my
guts. So they can be convenient from
that perspective, from a training perspective and also of
course they are important for performance.
So we do want to make sure that we are punishing them and
maintaining our electrolyte status when we are training for
long periods of time and training very hard.
(06:45):
It is important in those cases. I should also note to that for
enduring sessions that are 75 to90 minutes or longer.
So same thing for those long runs or bike rides.
Also having some carbohydrates in addition to water, fluids and
electrolytes in our drinks is also important for fluid
balance. And we also get a bit of energy
(07:06):
from that and it helps maintain performance too.
So that is also important. And by the way, if you want
recipes for gut friendly sports drinks with the right
composition of carbohydrates, electrolytes and fluids, I've
put together a brand new free guide and you'll find the link
in the show notes. So let's talk about sodium.
(07:27):
So the real MVP of hydration is sodium.
This is the electrolyte you wantto focus on most in terms of
replenishing during exercise when sodium levels drop too low.
It's called hyponatremia, which can be quite common in
especially marathon runners, those who maybe are taking in a
(07:48):
ton of fluids in the form of plain water, but not taking in
enough sodium to replenish losses.
So this is not as common anymoreas there's more knowledge about
it. But it can be common in sort of
those endurance sports where people may not be getting the
right balance of sodium and electrolytes and just taking in
a lot of water without thinking about the electrolyte balance.
(08:10):
So symptoms of hyponatronia or low sodium include cramping,
headaches, irritability, brain fog, bloating, or just feeling
like your performance is off. The other electrolytes like
potassium and magnesium are important, of course, in our
overall diet and as I mentioned,some of their important
functions. However, during training, it's
(08:31):
really the sodium that we want to prioritize.
So a lot of the products probably seen certain
electrolyte brands claim we haveperfect balance of sodium,
potassium and magnesium and theyhave those added.
But really since we don't actually lose much of those
electrolytes during exercise, they're much less necessary to
replenish. So we really want to focus on
(08:53):
replacing sodium as this will help the body maintain a state
of hydration most efficiently. So while other electrolytes are
essential in overall diet, they aren't as imperative to replace
via an electrolyte supplement when it comes to sport
nutrition. Now that said, not all sodium is
created equal when it comes to performance and maintaining a
(09:15):
happy gut. Sodium citrate is the form of
sodium that is easiest on the stomach during training.
It is going to help get our fluid status optimized in the
gentlest way. So a couple of brands that I
like for endurance exercise or mortal hydration, which is
higher sodium. So it's good for those really
(09:36):
high heat days and when I'm losing more sweat or noon sport,
which is a little less concentrated in sodium, but does
have a good amount and it can begood for a little bit of lighter
sweat days. That being said, brands like
Element Tea, as you probably heard your favorite podcaster
mention those ones, or even wakewater, which claim to be high
sodium, they have around 1000 milligrams of sodium per stick
(09:59):
are very trendy. However, the key point here is
that they actually contain sodium in the form of sodium
chloride, which is basically just table salt.
So sodium chloride unfortunatelycan be harder on the guts and
can cause GI distress if you're taking it in during your
workouts. So these supplements or these
(10:21):
forms of electrolyte supplementscould be useful post training to
replenish your losses if you're a heavy sweater.
So if it tastes great for you tohave that element tea after you
finish a long run, that's cool and you know you've lost a lot
of salt, but probably not your best bet during because of the
effects on your GI system. And it goes without saying that
I don't recommend just sipping on them every day if you're not
(10:43):
actually exercising or losing a lot of.
So how much sodium do you need then, if we're talking about it
being the most important thing that we need to replenish and
make sure we're getting in for our workouts.
So this can vary a lot dependingon various factors like your
sweat rate, workout length, and even the climate.
However, general guidelines fromthe American College of Sports
(11:06):
Medicine are, during training, roughly 300 to 700 milligrams of
sodium per hour and up to 1000 milligrams if you're a really
heavy sweater. And after training, we want to
replenish about 12:50 to 1500 milligrams per every liter of
fluid lost. That said, if you want to get
more specific on how much sodiumyou need to aim to replace as an
(11:28):
athlete, sweat testing is an option.
So the test measures the amount of sodium lost in your sweat to
help determine if you are a salty sweater.
So sodium losses can really varybetween individuals.
So this test can be helpful for those you know, more advanced
athletes looking to level up nutrition.
So during a sweat test, a patch is placed either on your forearm
(11:50):
or on your back during exercise and then the sample is then
analyzed in a lab or can be donewith portable technology.
It can also be done at home using a towel, a weight scale,
and food scales. And I will link a good article
that explained instructions how to do that at home if you are
curious to try it. That being said, this area still
(12:10):
needs more research as we aren'texactly sure how much sodium to
replace based on losses. And as mentioned above, sodium
losses can really vary even depending on temperature,
climate, etcetera. So while it may help you to get
a bit more specific, it's not perfect sides.
Yeah. So all this to consider, do you
need electrolytes everyday? So here's where I want to bust a
(12:31):
myth. And I think you already know the
answer to this by now. So unless you're doing long,
sweaty, intense workouts most days, you don't need an
expensive electrolyte powder every single morning or to take
in every single day. So your favorite products like
Element Tea is basically just table salt with some nice
flavorings added. So if it helps you drink more
(12:53):
water, that's awesome, but it's probably not doing anything
miraculous. And you want to be also cautious
of not overdoing sodium intake if you're not losing a lot
through sweat every day. If you want to DIYA cheaper
version, you can try this. So take a 16 ounce glass of
water, quarter teaspoon of sea salt, squeeze of lemon, and if
(13:13):
you like a touch of sweetness, add a teaspoon of Maple syrup.
So that'll give you sodium and alittle potassium without the
$2.00 price tag. And to bring home my point about
electrolyte supplements not being necessary for everyone and
to take in every day, if you're not really training, remember
that you can and you should be focusing on getting plenty of
(13:34):
your electrolytes from real food.
This is always what we want to focus on, right?
Supplements are meant to be the cherry on top of a balanced
nutrition plan. We don't want to rely on
supplements. We want to make sure that we're
getting adequate amounts from actual food because there's
going to be so much more diversity of nutrients.
And we also get different compounds that support our
(13:55):
microbiome and lots of differentthings from real food.
So supplements are there as necessary and as sort of, you
know, unique little ways that wecan help optimize an already
balanced diet. But it's not something that we
just want to rely on as the solefocus of our nutrition and our
diet, right? So what to think about in terms
(14:16):
of food sources of electrolytes?So the first one is sodium.
So it is pretty natural actuallyfor a lot of people who are
quite health conscious that you're probably cooking a lot of
foods at home. So it can be easy to get a lot
of sodium in your diet if you'reeating a lot of packaged and
processed foods, things like canned soups or a lot of salty
snacks like chips or you're doing take out lot of lot of
(14:37):
fried food that is quite high insodium.
But if you're eating just a lot of real foods, then you may not
get much sodium from your diet. So it is important to add a
little bit of salt to your cooking and especially before
and after those heavier, harder workouts.
So add a little bit of sea salt to your food.
You can even track it in a diaryand make sure that you are
getting enough sodium every day.The other important electrolyte
(15:01):
is magnesium. So most people don't get
magnesium from diet and really the main reason I see in
practice is because most people don't focus on getting in a lot
of whole plant based foods in our diet.
Just naturally our food supply is a lot more processed and it
does strip out a lot of great nutrients like fiber as well as
magnesium. So you can make sure to try to
(15:22):
include real plant focused foods.
So yes, your fruits and vegetables, but also things like
nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, your seeds and seed butters like
sunflower seeds and tahini and pumpkin seeds are very high.
Legumes like lentils and chickpeas, dark leafy grains,
your kale, collard, spinach, as well as tofu and tempeh and my
(15:45):
personal favorite, dark chocolate.
And the same goes for potassium.So most North Americans get
roughly 50% of their potassium needs each day.
Potassium is a really important electrolyte for fluid balance
and also regulating blood pressure.
So it also helps us to be more resilient to stress and maintain
good blood pressure levels. Foods like potatoes, even low
(16:08):
fat dairy like Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, avocados are
great. Bananas, lentils, blueberries
are all excellent sources of potassium and a lot of fruits
and vegetables here. So even just aiming to get 10
servings of your fruit and veggies per day is a great way
to get enough potassium. So these foods really can cover
your baseline needs. And then you can layer
(16:29):
supplements on top if you're training hard and you need to
replenish more losses conveniently.
So what's the bottom line? So electrolyte supplements can
be really helpful for endurance athletes, heavy sweaters or
those training hard in the heat.But for most people, you can
meet your needs through food andregular hydration.
(16:50):
That $2.00 electrolyte stick probably isn't going to
supercharge your health if you're doing these things as
well. When you do take in a supplement
during your long runs and hard workouts, make sure to focus on
sodium and that it is in the form of sodium citrate for
optimal absorption and to prevent gastrointestinal
distress. And always remember, too, your
(17:10):
needs are unique. While your favorite influencer
might share what works best for them, it's a good reminder that
it's probably not always based on good quality science, and
there's probably some profit that they're making by pushing a
certain product as well. So thanks so much for tuning in
today. If you have any questions about
electrolytes or the supplement forms of them, feel free to send
(17:33):
me a message over on Instagram at Lee Morado under Score ID or
you can also drop a comment below.
I always love hearing from listeners and hearing what your
questions are and even what yourtakeaways are from these
episodes. It means so much to me to get
your feedback and hear what really stands out to you and
what also you want to hear more of.
(17:55):
So love to hear from you if you do have any questions or
comments and if you're ready forhigh touch support to break free
from gut symptoms and fuel performance, I'd love to support
you. You can apply for coaching
through the link in the show notes.
That's it for today. Stay hydrated, take care of your
gut, and I'll see you in the next episode.
That's a wrap for today's episode.
(18:17):
Thank you so much for listening and being a part of our
community here. If the Gut Fit Nutrition podcast
is giving you value, helped yourdigestion and fitness, made you
rethink how you approach your gut health, consider leaving a
review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you're getting your
podcasts. If you have questions for my
listener Q&A episodes, you can submit them as a comment on this
(18:38):
episode or send me an e-mail at lee@leemorado.com.
For more digestible IBS gut health and fitness tips, be sure
to follow me on Instagram at LeeMorado under score Rd. and to
apply for coaching, shop the resource suite or grab a
freebie, visit gutfitnutrition.com.
Thanks for tuning in. We'll be in touch soon.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.