{"id":447014,"date":"2025-09-23T23:30:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T23:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/447014\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T23:30:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T23:30:14","slug":"you-probably-dont-need-electrolytes-just-drink-some-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/447014\/","title":{"rendered":"You probably don\u2019t need electrolytes, just drink some water"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ten years ago, electrolytes were largely the reserve of athletes and marathon runners (and people recovering from stomach bugs). But fast forward to today, and more and more of us are spiking our water with sweet and salty powders in a bid to boost our hydration. They\u2019ve become a mainstay on \u201cfestival essentials\u201d<\/a> roundups, marketed as a silver bullet for hangovers. But that\u2019s not all: wellness influencers on TikTok are swapping their morning coffees for electrolyte-infused water<\/a>, with sachets from brands like Liquid IV and SULT becoming an increasingly common fixture in morning routine<\/a> or \u2018what\u2019s in my bag\u2019<\/a> videos.<\/p>\n

The numbers speak for themselves: in 2022, global demand for \u201cflavoured and functional water\u201d<\/a> was valued at $50.3 billion and is expected to balloon to $112.6 billion by 2030. But what actually are electrolytes? What are the benefits of taking them? And should we really be integrating them into our daily routines?<\/p>\n

\u201cElectrolytes are essential minerals in the blood that help with your body\u2019s everyday function \u2013 such as sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium and phosphate,\u201d explains doctor and marathon runner Dr Miranda Layton<\/a>. \u201cThey help to regulate key functions like muscle contractions, heart rhythm, blood pressure, and hydration.\u201d In other words, they\u2019re essential for our bodies to work properly \u2013 and it\u2019s a cause for concern if you\u2019re losing too many.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lose electrolytes through sweat, urine and other fluids,\u201d Dr Layton explains. Usually, we replace them naturally through the food and drink we consume, but sometimes our bodies can use a little extra help. Electrolytes, Dr Layton says, can be useful \u201cin situations where you are losing large volumes of bodily fluids and, subsequently, salts\u201d \u2013 for example, when doing intensive exercising (especially in hot weather or at high altitude) or if you\u2019ve been having diarrhoea and\/or vomiting. And while they\u2019re not exactly a \u2018miracle\u2019 cure for hangovers, they can help<\/a> if you\u2019re dehydrated after a night of heavy drinking.<\/p>\n

Outside of these circumstances, is there any benefit to taking electrolyte supplements every day? In short: no. \u201cIf you are eating a varied, balanced diet and are not sweating regularly for long periods of time, you probably don\u2019t need to be taking electrolytes every day,\u201d says Dr Layton. You probably don\u2019t even need them if you regularly exercise. \u201cMost regular exercisers are not working out for long enough or in warm enough conditions to warrant additional electrolytes over what they would obtain from their usual food intake,\u201d adds Dr Stuart Galloway<\/a>, Professor of Exercise Physiology and Sport Nutrition at the University of Stirling.<\/p>\n

Plus, there are risks to overconsuming electrolytes. \u201cThe amounts of electrolytes in many commercial products are quite low, as they can impact palatability, and so these should not pose a risk,\u201d Dr Galloway notes. But, as Dr Layton says, it\u2019s not ideal to be taking electrolytes needlessly. \u201cMost people will be getting sufficient electrolytes through the food they consume,\u201d she stresses. \u201cIf you\u2019re then adding supplements on top, especially without a clear reason, you could push your salt intake too high, which can lead to issues like high blood pressure or, in the short term, irregular heart rhythms.\u201d She warns that \u201cpeople with kidney disease, high blood pressure, or those who are pregnant\u201d should be especially cautious and seek medical advice before using electrolyte supplements regularly.<\/p>\n

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The wellness industry is concerned with self-optimisation. Hydration is a crucial part of well-being, so electrolytes are largely perceived as a way of maximising that<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Evidently, taking an electrolyte supplement is only necessary in very specific circumstances. But it\u2019s easy to see why so many people have been led to believe that they ought to drink electrolytes daily. In recent years, interest in wellness has exploded, with many of us now conspicuously consuming products and services which promise to make us into \u2018better\u2019 versions of ourselves. Electrolytes are just the latest in a long line of such products. \u201cThe wellness industry is concerned with self-optimisation,\u201d says Dr Stephanie Baker<\/a>, reader in sociology at City, University of London. \u201cHydration is a crucial part of well-being, so electrolytes are largely perceived as a way of maximising that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

And electrolytes are not only touted as a means of staying hydrated \u2013 they\u2019re also increasingly being marketed as having the power to make your skin glow<\/a>, improve your cognitive function<\/a>, and even combat low libido<\/a>. But many of these claims can be misleading: for example, while it is true that hydration is key to maintaining your cognitive function<\/a> and alleviating dry skin<\/a>, electrolytes won\u2019t do much to \u2018improve\u2019 these areas unless you\u2019re dehydrated to begin with. Dr Layton is also extremely sceptical about one advert\u2019s implication that taking electrolytes can make women \u2018wetter\u2019<\/a>. \u201cThis is a huge reach,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing well hydrated won’t make you \u2018wetter\u2019 during sex. Being dehydrated can worsen vaginal dryness if you are prone to this \u2013 but drinking enough water throughout the day is usually sufficient for promoting good health down there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The electrolyte boom is also happening in tandem with our culture\u2019s mounting obsession with hydration. \u201cHydration has been a hot topic in the wellness space for decades, but since 2022 there has been growing interest in the topic,\u201d adds Dr Baker. Take the Stanley cups<\/a> craze, where a 100-year-old US vacuum flask brand went viral on social media, prompting revenue to surge from $70 million in 2019 to over $750 million in 2023. Or the concordant growth of WaterTok<\/a>, where TikTok creators fill said Stanleys with water mixed with zero-calorie, zero-sugar syrups and powders. While most electrolytes aren\u2019t high in artificial ingredients like these sorts of products (which are only really popular in the US), it\u2019s easy to see how they tap into this new taste for \u2018elevated\u2019 water.<\/p>\n

The electrolytes trend arrived on the scene in almost exactly the same way as most other wellness trends: the industry manufactured an anxiety (\u201cwe\u2019re all dehydrated!\u201d), and is now selling the supposed \u2018solution\u2019 back to us (\u201cbuy electrolytes!\u201d). But the electrolytes trend in particular speaks volumes about the state of our hyperconsumerist society: we\u2019ve got to a stage where we\u2019ve allowed ourselves to be convinced that a resource as simple and fundamental as water is no longer \u2018good enough\u2019. But plain old water has been good enough for millennia, just as it\u2019s good enough for us now \u2013 and we\u2019d all do well to remember that. The NHS recommends between six to eight glasses of fluid a day<\/a> \u2013 tea, coffee, and sugar-free drinks all count too \u2013 so strive for that, instead of worrying about buying expensive tablets and powders. \u201cIf you\u2019re in situations where you\u2019re losing a lot of fluids, then yes, electrolytes can help,\u201d Dr Layton surmises. \u201cBut more doesn\u2019t always mean better \u2013 and it\u2019s always worth questioning health claims that sound too good to be true.\u201d<\/p>\n