Electrolytes

[Beefcheeks7]

Does anyone have a good full electrolyte sup and does anyone know the ideal amounts you're supposed to ingest daily if each electrolyte?

[almostgone]

You can look up the RDA of electrolytes, but you may require more if you sweat a lot or your body processes them quickly.

Honestly, with a good diet you can cover your electrolytes unless there's an underlying medical condition. Too much electrolytes, particularly potassium, can be as bad/ worse than too little

Eat white potatoes with skin on, eat the skin and all. Sweet potatoes, avocadoes, yogurt, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, yogurt.....the be list is extensive.

Make sure you include all 5 electrolytes. Most people simply think sodium and stop there.

So look for foods containing:

Calcium.
Chloride.
Magnesium.
Phosphorus.
Potassium.
Sodium.

[FiLL1]

I've been digging into this lately too, as I live in Australia and sweat buckets during summer from the heat and humidity, it's one of those topics that gets overcomplicated fast. Every brand throws around hydration claims, but what actually matters are the four big ones: sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

From what the research says, here's a solid starting point:

Sodium: Most people sit fine around 2-3g per day (that's sodium, not salt). If you're training hard or sweating heavily - bumping that up to 4-5g helps replace losses and maintain performance.

Potassium: Aim for roughly 3-4g per day, mainly from food potatoes, avo, greens, yoghurt. You don't need a dedicated supplement unless your diet's terrible.

Magnesium: 300-400mg per day is the sweet spot. Magnesium glycinate or citrate absorb best; oxide is cheap but mostly goes straight through you.

Calcium: Around 1g a day covers most adults. Easy if you eat dairy, but plant milks or fortified foods work fine too.

In terms of products, I've used Bulk Nutrients Hydration Salts (only available in Australia I believe) It has a good balance of sodium and potassium without a heap of sugar.

A DIY mix can also do the job: pinch of salt, some Lite Salt (for potassium), squeeze of lemon, and water. Cheap and works just as well for most people.

Unless you're doing long endurance sessions or cutting water weight, the main goal is just replacing what you sweat out. Overdoing it, especially with potassium, can actually be risky, so stick to reasonable ranges.

TL;DR ? focus on sodium and magnesium first, get potassium and calcium mostly from food, and don't fall for fancy labels. Hydration doesn't need to cost $60 a tub.