Electrolytes, Why are they important and what the heck do they have to do with yoga?

When you hear electrolytes you probably think of a Gatorade commercial. You may even think it is something extra that makes you jump higher and run faster. Well actually thats only half true. 

In a nutshell electrolytes are the thing in your blood that makes your body conduct electricity. Thats right, you run on electricity! And without these conductors in balance you may feel sick sluggish and probably can't jump high or run fast. When you are dehydrated, it's because you don't have enough water and electrolytes... aka, your internal batterpack isnt charged or running efficiently. An electrolyte balance is just proper hydration, nothing more. 

Simple right? Actually no. Theres still A lot more to it. 

When I tell my clients they have an 'electrolyte imbalance', Without fail, they hear  "I don't have enough electrolytes", Which is not exactly the case. Imbalance simply means the levels of your little electricity conductors aren't balanced. You sweat them out in hot yoga class and you might not be replenishing all of them at the same rate. Or you might have too much potassium that reacts badly when combined with having too little sodium and chloride. Its a delicate balance, and sweating a lot can upset this balance in a way that downing a few coconut waters won't solve. None of the electrolytes act in a independently, they are a symphony; getting the right balance between is critically important to overall health. 

This brings me to my section on water. Not all water is created equal. 

Drinking water without minerals does little for you electrolytes aside from providing them a sufficient pool to wade around in. Minerals aka, Electrolytes are important because they are literally what makes your body and blood conduct electricity, which is needed for all functions of the body. So if you're drinking water from reverse osmosis or other purification systems that don't contain minerals, its not really hydrating you, its actually diluting your blood and can lead to low blood pressure if you go long enough without getting electrolytes. 

Coconut water is the best replenisher and my go-to after class drink because it has 4 electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and 4 bananas worth of potassium) instead of just 2 measly electrolytes found in most sports drinks. But it doesn't have all the electrolytes you need, and if you are low on magnesium or another mineral before sweating rigorously, you are only further depleting yourself, so its important to keep that in mind... especially if you experience mysterious aches, chills or tiredness after yoga or workouts. 

So what are the electrolytes then?

sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), chloride (Cl−), hydrogen phosphate (HPO42−), and hydrogen (bi)carbonate(HCO3−)
fancy huh?

So what happens when I have an electrolyte imbalance? And what do I do about it?

Muscle contraction and locomotion, requires calcium, potassium and sodium, not having enough can makes muscles weak, cause cramping and low blood pressure. Too much sodium, on the other hand, can cause high blood pressure, swelling and increased risk of heart disease.

luckily, electrolyte levels are mostly determined by food and water consumption so keeping the right balance simply comes down to proper nutrition and drinking coconut or mineral waters for better hydration. 

The best thing you can so is be mindful. If you experience symptoms, don't ignore them. Rigorous sweaty workouts and super heated yoga are very popular now but can actually lead to imbalances, illness and make the body more prone to injury. Be very in tune with the messages your body is sending you: it us Crucially important for vegans, vegetarians and post menopausal women taking hot yoga to get enough calcium. If you're having anxiety or paranoia following class, you probably need more magnesium. 

Ok, but thats it right? Actually no. 

Medications are also a factor in electrolyte balance. Young practitioners may struggle if they take certain antidepressants or mood stabilizers, over the counter diuretics or even coffee. older practitioners taking medications have a harder time reaching balance in body because of drugs like ace inhibitors or diuretics commonly prescribed for high blood pressure to reduce sodium and potassium levels. Most imbalances, however, are not noticeable as the body is really good at sorting itself out, so if you have no symptoms, don't even worry about it. 

If you do have symptoms, keep a journal, switch to mineral water and consider getting a good quality plant based multivitamin. 

And as always, Be kind and patient with yourself, don't skip the fruit and veg (before and) after yoga! A balanced diet is just as important as chugging all that water before and after class! 

Thank you for your time and attention yogis! Have fun out there!

Namaste 🙏