Take sports drink advice with a pinch of salt Magnesium expert Jeroen de Baaij gives advice about drinks with elektrolytes

Influencers recommend all sorts of drinks and powders with a hefty dose of electrolytes, which are supposedly needed for an hour of exercise or even right when you get out of bed. Are such sports drinks necessary? In everyday life, almost never, says magnesium expert Jeroen de Baaij.

‘When salts are dissolved in water, they are called electrolytes. These are found in sports drinks, especially sodium and potassium, and usually a bit of magnesium and calcium too. The idea behind such drinks filled with salts and sugars is that when you sweat a lot, you lose both fluids and salts through your skin, and you need to replenish them. The intestines absorb fluids faster when they contain salts and sugars. This is also how ORS (oral rehydration solutions) work, which are given to people who are extremely dehydrated.’

Listen to your body

‘But such sports drinks are rarely needed. A healthy body can regulate its fluid and salt balance very well on its own. If you have a fluid deficiency, you get thirsty, and if you have a salt deficiency, you crave something salty. The latter will be particularly recognized by endurance athletes. You can drink water and eat something salty. So, listen to your body. Sports drinks contain unnecessarily high amounts of sugar, and you are better off getting that energy from healthy foods.’

Risk

‘Moreover, you are unlikely to develop a salt deficiency quickly. The recommended daily amount of salt is five grams per day. The average Dutch person consumes almost twice that amount, a significant excess. If you exercise intensively in hot weather, you can lose a gram of salt per hour. Therefore, you need to exercise intensely for hours to develop a deficiency. For top athletes, a sports drink can thus be useful. And for amateur athletes who cycle for hours, run marathons, or walk multi-day events.

However, be cautious with these drinks: they sometimes contain as much as a gram of table salt per serving. And too much salt increases the risk of high blood pressure. Large studies in Japan have shown that people have fewer cardiovascular diseases when they consume less salt.’

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