Making sure you get the right amount of water and electrolytes is only the beginning. When you’re born, your body is primarily made up of around 75% of water. By the time you hit adulthood, that number drops to around 60%. That being said, as you grow older, that number continues to decrease. But what does water have to do with electrolytes? Well, water contains a multitude of things from glucose to proteins. It just so happens that they are also included on that list. But it’s not only water than they can come from. The foods you eat can also contain a certain level of these charges you need as well.
What Are Electrolytes?
Electrolytes tend to take on a positive or negative charge once the body breaks them down. By getting broken down by your body’s fluid, they are then able to move electrical signals throughout your body. No, this doesn’t mean you’ll get electrocuted. These substances are essential for the body to function the way it needs to everyday. They help keep your brain, muscles, and nerves working on a daily basis. So, when you end up deficient in electrolytes, it can get complicated.
Signs of an Electrolyte Imbalance
In a general sense, liquids can be commonly found around and inside of cells of your body. The levels of the liquid should stay relatively consistent throughout. To give you a better sense of the ratio of fluid, about forty percent of your body weight is from the fluids within your cells. Then the remaining twenty percent is from outside of the cells. How do electrolytes help? They work to balance these percentages for you. However, it is important to note that these levels do tend to fluctuate.
Here are a few common things that can be an indication of an imbalance of electrolytes. The number one way you lose them and the most commonly known is through exercise. This is why so many athletes can be seen with a sports drink in hand. Those drinks are infused so that you get back what you lost during your workout. However, they also tend to have more sugar in them as well. This is why water is a good alternative.
On the more serious side of electrolyte imbalance is several medical conditions. Some conditions that can cause imbalance include alcoholism, heart failure, diabetes, and kidney disease.
Steps to Take
The good thing is that there are steps you can take to prevent electrolyte imbalance. The first is on a more personal note. Have you ever looked at your urine and it’s a dark golden color? If you answered yes, then this is a good indication that you’re extremely dehydrated. You actually want your urine to be clear or at least a very pale yellow.
A second step you could take is actually drinking one of the sports drinks that are on the market. Just be sure that the sugar levels are not outrageous, or you may end up with a sugar high too. This is typically if your workout is longer than thirty minutes. Otherwise, water should suffice enough. Another thing to note is that you don’t necessarily want to drink both water and a sports drink at the same time. This is because the water can actually work as a dilutant to the sports drink meaning less electrolytes.
Examples of Electrolytes & Where to Find Them
Bicarbonate
works to regulate your heart function and maintain a healthy pH balance for your body. Two of the best foods to get your fill of this electrolyte include potatoes and spinach.
Calcium
is the one of the electrolytes that helps in the process of clotting blood, is a key element of teeth and bones, and helps with nerve impulses and muscle movement. The most commonly available food that contains calcium is milk. Whether it is whole, 2%, or even 1% there is a certain level of calcium you get from it.
Chloride
is a key player in balancing acidity and alkalinity, what does that mean? It essentially helps with your body’s pH much like bicarbonate. Believe it or not, chloride can be found in things like lettuce, tomatoes, or even seaweed.
Magnesium
does several things including boosting your immune system, regulation of your blood glucose levels, producing DNA and RNA, and even maintaining your heart beats. When it comes to availability in foods, magnesium can more commonly be found in nuts like soy nuts, cashews, and almonds.
Phosphate
much like calcium is another one of our electrolytes that aids with bones and teeth. However, it also creates the energy that is needed when repairing tissue and growing new tissue. Phosphate can usually be found in things that are high in proteins so fish, nuts, and beans.
Potassium
tends to take care of muscle contractions, bones, and blood pressure. The food most commonly associated with potassium is actually bananas. However, other fruits like oranges, cantaloupes, and apricots also have good levels of potassium.
Sodium
is last on the list but not nearly the least. It is what helps to regulate the liquids in your body and does impact your blood pressure. However, that’s not always a bad things as it also helps muscle and nerve functions. Most of the time, you can get your sodium by simply eating foods with salts. On the more extreme level foods that are salted, cured, or smoked are also good examples.
Now, if you’ve got all of your electrolytes in order and are ready to get to the gym you may want to take a look at some compounds called peptides. These compounds typically are created naturally within the body. However, like most things they don’t tend to last very long. As we age they start to deplete much like electrolytes when we don’t replenish them. Of course, this can be easily taken care of with the help of synthetic peptides. But where can you get them? That’s easy. Have you heard of Paradigm Peptides?
Peptides at Paradigm Peptides
Let’s get right to the point, when you look for peptides on google, dozens of sites pop up. The list goes on and on and you have no idea where to start. This can get overwhelming pretty fast. Let us change that dynamic for you and make it simple. When you choose Paradigm Peptides, you’re choosing high quality products manufactured right here in the United States. In fact, we have labs located in Tennessee with our main manufacturing in the Midwest. Not only that, all of our compounds are pharmaceutical grade and tested to the highest standards. That way we can ensure high purity, efficacy, and potency so you get the best of the best. Still have questions? You can reach out to us here or check out our blog pages to learn more about the many products we manufacture and sell now.