Electrolytes: More than a workout buzzword

Published January 26, 2026

Electrolytes are often associated with intense workouts and sports drinks. But they matter just as much in everyday life, when your body is simply doing what it’s designed to do. Electrolytes support the basic functions that keep everything moving, communicating, and in balance.

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals that carry a natural positive or negative electrical charge when dissolved in water. They’re found in your blood and in the fluid inside and around your cells. Electrolytes are constantly used by your body, lost through sweat and urine, and replaced through the foods and fluids you consume.

Some of the most common electrolytes are¹

• Calcium
• Chloride
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Sodium

Why does your body need electrolytes like calcium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, and sodium?

Electrolytes are essential to how your body functions. They allow cells to communicate, muscles to move, and fluids to stay properly balanced—each serving its own critical purpose.

• Calcium is best known for supporting healthy teeth and bones, but its role in the body extends far beyond that. It’s also vital for muscle and nerve function, blood clotting, regulating heart rhythm and blood pressure, and releasing certain hormones¹,²
• Chloride helps the body regulate fluid balance, blood volume, blood pressure, and acid–base (pH) balance. It also supports nerve and muscle function and is a key component of stomach acid, which is essential for digestion¹,³
• Magnesium supports more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. It's involved in muscle and nerve function, energy production, protein and DNA synthesis, and bone and tooth health. Magnesium also helps regulate heart rhythm, blood pressure, and blood glucose (sugar) levels⁴,⁵
• Potassium is essential to how cells, muscles, and nerves function and is especially critical for maintaining a steady heart rhythm. It also helps regulate fluid balance, pH levels, and blood pressure¹,³
• Sodium is carefully regulated by the kidneys and plays a key role in maintaining fluid balance. It’s also essential for muscle and nerve function and helps regulate blood volume, blood pressure, and heart rhythm⁵

Nearly every fluid and cell in your body contains electrolytes. But they don’t just need to be present, they need to be in balance. When electrolyte levels get too high or too low, the body can struggle to regulate the functions that depend on them.¹

What is an electrolyte imbalance? Does it cause symptoms?

An electrolyte imbalance is when the level of 1 or more electrolytes in your body is too high or too low. Symptoms can vary depending on which electrolyte is affected, the severity of the imbalance, and how quickly it develops.⁵

Signs and symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance

• Fatigue or low energy
• Confusion
• Irritability
• Headaches
• High or low blood pressure
• Muscle cramps or weakness
• Numbness or tingling in the arms, legs, fingers, or toes
• Dizziness
• Swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet (edema)
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation

Seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY if you experience

• Any symptoms listed above that don’t improve after electrolyte supplementation, worsen, or start to disrupt your daily activities
• Severe or prolonged vomiting or diarrhea
• Irregular or fast heartbeat
• Trouble breathing
• Fainting
• Seizures

What causes electrolyte imbalances?

More than half of the human body is made up of water. Most of this water is found in the blood and in the fluid inside and around cells. For the body to function properly, fluid levels in these areas must stay within a narrow range. Electrolytes help maintain this balance. To keep fluid levels steady, the body actively moves electrolytes into and out of cells. Fluid levels depend on how concentrated electrolytes are in a given area. When electrolyte concentration is higher, fluid moves toward that area. When concentration is lower, fluid moves away.

When this balance is disrupted, the amount of water in the body can shift, causing too little fluid (dehydration) or too much fluid (overhydration). Electrolyte imbalances can happen when certain factors or health conditions interfere with the body’s natural fluid balance.⁷

Causes of electrolyte imbalances⁵,⁸,⁹

• Dehydration (not drinking enough fluids; severe vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, or fever)
• Overhydration (drinking excessive amounts of water)
• Certain medications (such as diuretics, laxatives, or antibiotics)
• Burns
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Liver disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Cancer
• Substance use disorder
• Genetic kidney conditions (such as Bartter, Gitelman, and Liddle syndromes)

Are electrolyte drinks enough? When might you consider a lab test?

For many people, daily electrolyte needs are met through a balanced diet and regular fluid intake. Electrolyte drinks can be helpful in certain situations, such as excessive sweating, illness with vomiting or diarrhea, or intense physical activity—when electrolyte losses are higher than usual.³,⁵

However, electrolyte drinks can’t tell you whether your electrolyte levels are actually in balance. Symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance can be subtle, overlap with other conditions, or be absent altogether. In some cases, consuming electrolyte products may not address the underlying issue. In other cases, they may add more of an electrolyte that’s already too high or include added sugar, caffeine, or calories.¹⁰,¹¹ Avoid overconsumption of electrolyte products as too much can contribute to high sodium levels and other health conditions.

An electrolyte lab test can provide insight if you’re curious about your levels, experiencing symptoms that may be related to an electrolyte imbalance, have a condition that affects fluid or electrolyte balance (such as kidney disease or heart disease), take certain medications, or need levels monitored over time.³,⁵,⁸

No doctor visit is required to buy your own lab test at questhealth.com. PWNHealth and its affiliates review your purchase to ensure it is medically appropriate before submitting the test order for processing. PWNHealth also reviews your test results and will contact you directly if they require prompt attention. Included in each purchase is the ability to discuss your test results with an independent healthcare provider; however, you are also encouraged to speak with your primary healthcare provider.

References

1.   Cleveland Clinic. Electrolytes. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/21790-electrolytes

2. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Calcium. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium-healthprofessional

3. MedlinePlus. Fluid and electrolyte balance. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://medlineplus.gov/fluidandelectrolytebalance.html

4. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Magnesium. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium-healthprofessional

5. Cleveland Clinic. Electrolyte imbalance. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24019-electrolyte-imbalance

6. Pirahanchi Y, Jessu R, Aeddula NR. Physiology, sodium potassium pump. In: StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Updated March 13, 2023. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK537088

7. Lewis JL III. Overview of electrolytes. Merck Manual Consumer Version. Updated June 2025. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/electrolyte-balance/overview-of-electrolytes

8. Cleveland Clinic. Electrolyte panel. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22358-electrolyte-panel

9. Culver SA, Suleman N, Kavuru V, Siragy HM. Renal hypokalemia: an endocrine perspective. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2024;109(7):1694-1706. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgae201

10. Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source. Electrolyte drinks. Updated May 20, 2025. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/electrolyte-drinks

11. American Heart Association. Electrolytes can give the body a charge, but try not to overdo it. Published June 19, 2024. Accessed January 2, 2026. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/06/19/electrolytes-can-give-the-body-a-charge-but-try-not-to-overdo-it