Electrolyte Imbalance Is A Condition You Must Avoid

Electrolyte imbalance is a condition you must avoid. The body's Electrolyte content can become dangerously high causing your body to collapse from exhaustion and shock. The following guide will help you maintain an Electrolyte balanced diet.

Mixing with the Elements

The Electrolyte balance is maintained by a balance of the three electrolytes, Sodium, Potassium, and Calcium. The Electrolytes are released by the muscles, kidneys, adrenals, and central nervous system. There is a natural order to the way these electrolytes are used in the body.

Sodium and Potassium are two of the most abundant minerals in the body. They work together in the body to control the body's fluid balance. Potassium is the building block for training potassium which helps to keep the body's fluids even. The body's regulating mechanism will pull Potassium from the battery, if the quantity of water in the body is greater than the required level Potassium is released to keep the balance.

Both sodium and potassium also help in the balance of acid to base levels in the body. This is done by the kidneys and the adrenals, by the way. The rate of pH in one's body is a scale-dependent upon the amount of acid or alkali present in the body's system.

When one finds that the body's internal environment is overly acidic, the secretion of Potassium is increased to regulate its acidity. When the alkalinity of the internal environment is lost, Potassium levels are reduced to inhibit the acidity. Sodium is then accidentally drawn out of cells to neutralize the acid. This is how the body maintains a proper acidity level of the internal environment.

Electrolyte Imbalance

Another cause of electrolyte imbalance can be the weakness of the muscles that allow the electrolyte imbalance to happen. The outer muscles of the kidneys and the outer layer of the lungs are responsible for regulating the electrolyte balance in the body.

If these outer layers of the body are weakened due to illness, prolonged stress, or drugs; their ability to work properly is compromised. The result is a system that is overly acid or alkaline, even though the internal environment has not changed.

Other minerals have the ability to affect electrolyte balance in the body such as magnesium, sodium, manganese, iron, copper, and zinc. Any of these minerals can combine with sodium to inhibit the absorption of potassium. Without Potassium, the body is less able to utilize and remove Potassium. The result is an electrolyte imbalance in the body.

Stress and Intense Exercise

Besides the normal "fight or flight" reactions (action against the sun's heat) that are normal for everyday life, athletes are often more sensitive to extreme heat. Extreme exercise creates several physiological complications and requires extra energy and stamina to perform. Consistent high-intensity resistance training creates magnetism in the body that enhances the attraction of minerals and chemicals and reduces the number of fluids shed by the body. When a person is under stress, the minerals calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium are all drawn from the skeletal bones to assist in regaining proportion. When a person is engaged in intense mental activity and exercises, these same minerals are needed to help in the absorption of simple sugars.

The average person should consume at least four to six grams of basic minerals per day, but athletes in training need even more. The amount recopies daily so it's impossible to get this much from diet alone. Also, a sports nutritionist or personal trainer is likely the best way to get this amount without promoting over-training.

As far as how much of the different minerals one should consume, the best rule of thumb is to look at one's level of activity and adjust dietary mineral intake accordingly. One could try and consume a food-based "sports diet" that has minimally processed sugars and moderate to high protein content. A diet consisting of a thousand calories a day is simply not enough for intense physical activity. Also, do not neglect the importance of taking a complete multivitamin and mineral providing daily replenishment as well as eliminating junk food and empty calories.