How to maintain moisture balance

Body fluids

Since 1965 athletes use electrolyte supplements. This was the year they found that athletes were getting exhausted pretty quickly in the heat. The main reason for this is that athletes lose too many electrolytes. So what are electrolytes and why are they important? Water and electrolytes are essential for health. At birth, your body is about 75-80 percent water. By the time you are an adult, the percentage of water in your body gradually decreases to about 60 percent in men and 55 percent in women. The amount of water in the body continues to decrease steadily. Body water is made up of things like cells, proteins, glucose and electrolytes. Electrolytes come from the food and fluids you consume. Salt, potassium, calcium, and chloride are examples of electrolytes. More about electrolytes and their importance can be found in the category Electrolytes

Electricity and the body

When electrolytes dissolve in the body, they acquire a positive or negative charge. This allows them to transmit electrical charges or signals throughout the body. These exercises are critical to many functions that keep the body functioning, including the functioning of your brain, nerves, and muscles, and the creation of new tissue. Each electrolyte plays a role in your body. Below are some of the most important electrolytes and their main functions:

Sodium:

• helps control fluids in the body, affects blood pressure
• essential for muscle and nerve function

When is there an imbalance of body moisture

  Fluids are inside and outside the cells of your body. The level of these fluids should be fairly constant. On average, about 40 percent of your body weight comes from fluid inside your cells, and 20 percent of your body weight comes from fluid outside your cells. Electrolytes help your body fluctuate to maintain a healthy balance inside and outside of your cells. Several things can cause electrolyte and fluid imbalances:

• Dehydration due to heavy exercise or physical activity
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Medicines such as diuretics, antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs
• Alcoholism and cirrhosis
• Heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Diabetes

How to maintain body moisture balance

The International Association of Marathon Medicine offers the following guidelines for maintaining good hydration and electrolyte balance:

• If your urine is clear enough, light yellow, then the body has enough moisture.
• If your workout lasts longer than 30 minutes, you should drink a drink that contains electrolytes and carbohydrates.
• Replenish the body with minerals.
• Drink when you feel thirsty. Don't feel like you have to drink fluids all the time.
• Although each body's needs are different, a general rule of thumb when exercising is to limit fluids to 200ml every 20 minutes.

How to know if you are lacking electrolytes

Electrolyte imbalance symptoms vary depending on which electrolytes are most deficient. Common symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Lethargy
• Fluid retention

How find out which vitamins, minerals or other supplements the most appropriate at the moment? Try a free test "Your Day", find out the body's needs and get personal recommendation!