Ever had a strenuous workout, and no matter how much water you chugged, you just couldn’t seem to get hydrated, alleviate the muscle cramps, or overcome the irregular heartbeat? If so, chances are you need to replenish your electrolytes.

Electrolytes are ions essential for various physiological processes in the body. The purpose of electrolytes is to maintain proper fluid balance, nerve function, muscle contractions, and other critical cellular activities.

The major electrolytes in the body include:

Sodium (Na+): Sodium ions play a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance, nerve impulse transmission, and muscle function.
Potassium (K+): Potassium is essential for maintaining proper heart rhythm, muscle contraction, and nerve function. It also helps regulate fluid balance within cells.
Calcium (Ca2+): Calcium ions are important for bone health, blood clotting, muscle contraction (including the heart muscle), and cellular signaling.
Magnesium (Mg2+): Magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions within the body, including energy production, muscle and nerve function, and maintaining a stable heart rhythm.
Chloride (Cl-): Chloride ions are important for maintaining the body’s acid-base and fluid balance. They are often found with sodium ions.
Phosphate (HPO42-): Phosphate ions are critical for bone health, energy storage (in the form of ATP), and various cellular processes.

You can deplete your electrolytes through blood, sweat, and urine. If you’re looking to replenish electrolytes, especially after intense physical activity or sweating, consuming a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods and beverages rich in electrolytes is recommended.

There are several ready-to-drink sports beverages available on the market, and while they may be a good source of hydration and electrolytes, they are often loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients.

The solution—> do it yourself at home!

You can always use water as a base for your hydration drink, as electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphate, and bicarbonate easily dissolve in water. Water may also contain trace levels of some electrolytes.

But you can also use coconut water, which contains the following electrolytes: potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and chloride. Coconut water is often referred to as “Nature’s Gatorade.” For instance, Dr. Chhandashri Bhattacharya, a chemistry professor at Indiana University, stated:

“Coconut water is a natural drink that has everything your average sports drink has and more. It has five times more potassium than Gatorade or Powerade. Whenever you get cramps in your muscles, potassium will help you to get rid of the cramps. It’s a healthy drink that replenishes the nutrients that your body has lost during a moderate workout.”

I like to add a decent amount of salt—usually a Himalayan Sea Salt, which advocates claim contains a variety of minerals that may contribute to maintaining proper electrolyte balance in the body.

Adding citrus fruits, such as lemon, lime, and orange, as well as a dash of apple cider vinegar, which possesses a plethora of health benefits, can kick your electrolyte quotient up another notch.

The following BioTRUST Nutrition supplements are great add-ins to up the ante:

Ageless Muscle® to help:

• Combat age-related muscle loss and strength loss
• Increase, preserve, and support healthy muscle function—even WITHOUT exercising
• Maintain your independence and freedom of movement as you age
• Promote muscular endurance
• Improve athletic performance, including strength, endurance, and power
• Promote hydration of your body
• Reduce muscle soreness and promote post-exercise recovery
• Get and stay lean and fit as you age to look your amazing best!

Mojo H2O™:

A great-tasting natural healthy water enhancer with electrolytes and B vitamins to support proper hydration and healthy energy levels. Transform plain, boring water into AWESOME with Mojo H2O!

Made with no sugar, artificial sweeteners, or other junk, this naturally flavored and sweetened healthy water enhancer also delivers electrolytes and energizing B vitamins with each squeeze.

It’s packed in a travel-sized bottle you can take on the go, helping support proper hydration and healthy energy levels no matter where life takes you. Each bottle has enough mojo to put the swagger into 24 eight-ounce glasses of water—that’s a gallon-and-a-half!

This sugar-free healthy water enhancer doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and just one squeeze packs enough flavor for eight ounces. Whenever you’re craving something sweet or fruity, give your bottled water a quick and easy splash of refreshing flavor—anytime, anywhere.

My go-to hydrating sports drink recipes go a little something like this:

✔ Coconut water or plan ol’ H2O
✔ Squeeze of fresh lemon, lime, or orange
✔ A healthy sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt

Then, to adjust the flavor profile, I usually add one (or more) of the following:

✔ Raw honey
✔ Ginger
✔ Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
✔ Ageless Muscle
✔ Mojo H2O
✔ Berries

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