Electrolyte Water: Benefits and How to Make It at Home

Consuming enough water each day helps maintain important bodily functions and reduce the negative effects of dehydration.

It is common knowledge that having an ample amount of water every day is essential for a variety of health reasons. Water helps regulate your body’s temperature, maintains healthy blood pressure, improves digestion, and the list goes on.

But what happens when you fortify it with electrolytes? What is electrolyte water? Let’s find out.

What are Electrolytes?

Simply put, electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge. Our body produces electrolytes like bicarbonate. We get other electrolytes like sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, and magnesium from the food we eat.

Just like other essential nutrients and minerals, electrolytes are an important part of our body as they perform a lot of functions. They play a significant role in regulating chemical reactions in our body, maintaining muscle and nerve function, balancing our body’s pH level, rebuilding damaged tissues, and preventing dehydration.

Normal drinking water also contains trace amounts of electrolytes. But it can be further enhanced by infusing extra electrolytes.

Why Do I Need Electrolyte Water?

One of the major functions of our body is to maintain a strict balance of electrolytes. However, lifestyle changes, internal and external factors can cause an electrolyte imbalance.

We naturally lose electrolytes and fluids from our bodies daily due to sweating or urinating. Under normal circumstances, this loss is balanced by having a varied, mineral-rich diet and drinking enough fluids.

But there are times when we lose more electrolytes than we would normally. This happens when we work out, play a sport, or take part in any kind of strenuous physical activity that makes us sweat a lot. We can also lose a lot of electrolytes when it is hot outside, or when we have a fever, are vomiting continuously, or suffer from diarrhea.

When the level of electrolytes in our body falls, we may feel very weak, and our blood pressure can drop. Some other symptoms include:

• Irregular heartbeat or palpitations
• Numbness
• Tingling sensations
• Muscle weakness
• Headaches
• Convulsions (only in the most serious cases)

During such times, it is important to replenish the lost electrolytes with something like electrolyte water.

So what is electrolyte water? The name is quite self-explanatory — it is nothing but regular water that has been infused with electrolyte-rich substances. There is natural as well as artificial types of electrolyte water.

Electrolyte water is pretty much a necessity for athletes, sportspersons, and anyone who engages in strenuous physical activities.

How Can I have Electrolyte Water at Home?

Electrolyte water, or any kind of electrolyte beverage, can easily be prepared at home. These beverages usually contain certain electrolytes like sodium and potassium, as well as sugar — but the main ingredient is, of course, water.

Here are some of the electrolyte drinks that you can have at home:

1. Lemonade

Lemon is a great source of vitamin C and electrolytes. Add a squeeze of lemon to a glass of water, along with a pinch of salt, and you have your homemade electrolyte water ready.

Lemon contains a trace amount of electrolytes like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. It also acts as an antioxidant and balances the pH level of your body.

2. Fruit juices

Fruits are some of the richest sources of electrolytes. Fruits like strawberries, cherries, oranges, bananas, watermelons, mangoes, and more are rich in a variety of different electrolytes. And making fruit juice at home is super easy.

Just cut up some fresh fruit and add to a pitcher of water and allow the mixture to sit for about 30 mins in the refrigerator to infuse the water with flavor and minerals.

3. Ultima Electrolyte Powder Water-enhancer

Electrolyte powders are one of the most efficient ways of getting electrolytes into your system. Electrolyte-infused water can help you replenish your lost electrolytes in an instant.

A lot of such beverages, however, contain quite high levels of sugar or artificial sweeteners which can be a cause for concern, especially if you’re consuming them every day. So, often, they’re not a healthy option.

The Ultima Replenisher electrolyte powder water-enhancer solves this problem with ease. The powder can easily be mixed with water to give you a refreshing and tasty glass of electrolyte water. Because it contains no added sugar, calories, artificial sweeteners, or any other junk, Ultima is the ideal solution for hydrating with electrolytes.

What are the Benefits of Electrolyte Water?

Electrolyte water can come in handy when you need that quick, boost of electrolytes. While it is especially necessary for people undertaking strenuous physical activities, you also need to boost your electrolyte levels if you’re sick or feeling sluggish. It’s also helpful to replenish electrolytes when it is hot out and you are sweating more than usual.

Electrolyte water can:

1. Improve your performance: During exercising or any physical activity, you lose electrolytes at a high rate through sweat. Electrolyte water gives you a much-needed boost that also positively affects your physical performance.
2. Support the nervous system: A drop in our electrolyte levels can adversely affect our mood, productivity, and concentration — this is because electrolytes affect our cognitive abilities as well. Electrolyte water helps replenish lost minerals and gets us back to normal.
3. Help prevent heat stroke: It is important to stay hydrated during summers to prevent heat strokes, and electrolyte-infused water can help provide that kind of hydration.

Wrapping It Up

Electrolytes are an important part of your body that need to be replenished daily, as a range of different bodily functions depends on them.

Although a balanced diet can provide you with the recommended amount of electrolytes required in a day, knowing what electrolyte water is can help a lot for people who undertake strenuous activities during the day. It is also important for people who are required to stay out in the sun for too long.

The Ultima Electrolyte Powder Water-enhancer can provide a quick and dose of electrolytes, whenever you need it.

Want to know what other kinds of beverages you can have for electrolytes? What to Drink for Electrolytes: 5 Drinks for Healthy Electrolyte Replenishment has got you covered.