Electrolyte Balance

Keeping your electrolytes balanced during high intensity workouts are very important. Electrolytes such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium are charged particles found in the body fluids and are excreted in sweat during high intensity workouts/constant sweating or even when you become ill your body's fluids are changed due to diarrhea or vomiting. A balance of electrolytes is crucial for normal functioning of cells in the body. An imbalance in electrolytes can become very dangerous and lead to paralysis, seizures, and/or respiratory arrest. An imbalance occurs when the right foods, high in these minerals, or depleted from your diet. You can find magnesium and calcium in your multivitamin, however potassium and sodium aren't found in your daily multivitamins and are essentially needed from your diet. A restricted diet with intense workouts can become dangerous and cause an electrolyte imbalance. For example, the ATP pump in our cells, generates energy
constantly throughout the day and increases with increased exercise. The sodium potassium pump then regulates the cell and uses ATP (our body's main energy source) to balance osmosis in our cells; it other words, it regulates our body's fluids and helps shuttle water into our cells. The sodium/potassium pump moves sodium and potassium ions across the cell membrane while hydrolyzing ATP (a process where the breaking down of ATP using water occurs). This process keeps sodium outside of the cell and potassium inside of the cell which is essential for proper muscle and nerve function. This pump is responsible for 1/5 of our energy expenditure in our cells and 2/3's of our energy expenditure from neurons (central nervous system cells).

Foods high in potassium:
Bananas (helps lower blood pressure)
Potatoes with skin
Beans
Apricots
Leafy greens such as spinach
Salmon
Yogurt (plan/nonfat)
Avocados
White mushrooms

Sodium foods:
Table salt
Fish and Chicken (most meats have a decent amount of sodium)
Broccoli
Carrots
Brown rice
Egg whites