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| Photo credit: elete.com |
I read an interesting article about electrolyte loss and how
it affects a person’s physiological function. Anyone can lose electrolytes when
exercising heavily, but apparently the results can be more severe than I ever
thought. Usually when people play sports like volleyball, football, and
basketball, their electrolyte levels are fine because the games aren’t that
long. However, people that run marathons or exercise to the point where they
lose several liters of sweat are at risk.
I have learned that
if someone loses enough electrolytes, their sodium concentration levels can get
dangerously low (under 135 mmol/L) and this could lead to a condition called
hyponatraemia. As a result of this condition, someone could lose consciousness,
experience hallucinations and go into a coma, experience brain herniation or
even death.
It is so important to keep yourself hydrated when exercising
or playing sports. Keeping electrolytes in your body is key because it keeps
you energized and strong and this can be done by ingesting food or beverages. This
article taught me a lot about how to properly keep myself hydrated when I exercise,
hopefully it can be helpful to you, too. This was a good source of information
and hopefully more people can use it to their advantage.
"UCJC Study
Reveals Excessive Electrolyte Loss May Lead to Hyponatraemia."
News-Medical.net. News Medical, 31 Mar. 2016. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
The pivotal role that electrolytes play within our bodies is fascinating, however, I am also curious as to the specific mechanisms by which they are utilized by the body. You said that lacking electrolytes can negatively affect the body, but how would a possible overabundance influence it? The post gave valuable insight into a factor that retains aspects of the field whilst also describing a certain topic with nice personal input. Something that I was curious about after reading this post was what types of foods/drinks contain electrolytes as they are commonly advertised on sports drinks.
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