Do You Need Electrolytes If You're Working Out at the Gym?

Imagine this. You wish to purchase a brand new car. You pick a date to go check out the latest model that has arrived at the dealership near you. You walk into the showroom & your dream car is standing right there, looking pristine under the lights in that chilly air-conditioned showroom.

Now, as all car enthusiasts do, you head to the salesman and ask them to turn on the car and give it a few revs so you can hear what your future vehicle sounds like. The salesman wants to make a sale and starts the car up immediately. The car sounds like magic to your ears.

But why are we telling you this story when we are supposed to be answering the prime question:

Do you need electrolytes if you’re working out at the gym?

The simple and straightforward answer is YES! You need electrolytes during and after working out at the gym.

Your Body is like a Car

See…your body is a bit like that brand new shiny car and the car dealership is the gym.

Although the car wasn’t outdoors and being used on the road, the moment the car was turned on, even in the chilly air conditioned showroom, it began consuming fuel AND began utilising coolant or fluids to keep the car temperature in a safe range.

The same thing happens to your body while working out at the gym. Every time you flex those lats, puff up those muscles after a chest press or even run on a treadmill, your body is:

• generating energy

• utilising that energy to produce movement

Now a byproduct of generating energy is heat. That’s why your body temperature rises while working out. 

Sweating it out

Now the body needs to ensure its temperature stays within limit and uses the sweat or perspiration mechanism to do that. That’s the primary role of sweating.

But when you lose sweat, even in controlled air conditioned settings, you are not just losing plain water but electrolytes as well…which are nothing but the salts in sweat. These salts primarily are sodium and potassium.

If you do not replenish these electrolytes adequately, it could cause electrolyte imbalances that could lead to muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness, confusion and even heart palpitations.

The easiest way to avoid this? Calculate the amount of fluid your losing through sweat and keep sipping on that amount or more of electrolyte water before, during and even after your workout.

The cold environment problem

While this advice applies to everyone working out irrespective of the location, this is especially important to those exercising at gyms or in cold environments. Studies show that your thirst mechanism is subdued at colder temperatures even though you are losing sweat at a normal rate. You won’t feel as sweaty as you do on a hot day but you are losing fluids.

This could be a silent assassin as there are no tell-tale signs and upping your hydration game is crucial in such conditions.

Our suggestion?

It is recommended that consuming 1/2 - 1 stick of Ascend electrolytes mixed in 250-500 ml of water per hour while working out in the gym would help replenish essential salts and prevent cramps or muscle fatigue.