Studies Related To The Importance Of Electrolytes For Sportsmen

Since 1965, athletes have been gulping electrolyte replenishers. The Florida Gators year when coach questioned doctors why his players loose quickly energy in the heat. Too many electrolytes losing in the players. The invention of the Gatorade was the solution. When electrolytes is in our body fluid and dissolves, it takes on into positive or negative charge. Electricity and move electrical charges or signals throughout your body are the effects of this. The functions that keep you alive, including the operation of your brain, nerves, and muscles, and the making of new tissue are the reason why these charges are vital (Olsen, 2018).

Sodium, potassium, calcium, chlorine, magnesium, and phosphates that are in our blood and other body fluids are minerals which is electrolytes components. They have electrical charges and work to run the electrical tissues of our bodies, including muscles and nerves. "Roughly, electrolytes keep our system functioning," Barry Popkin, Ph.D. (Novak, 2 017). People Lose water faster than they lose electrolytes, During shorter workouts or less than one hour it is not critical to replace lost minerals. During short and little workouts the body's electrolyte concentration in reality boosts, according to Joel Mitchell, chair of Texas Christian University's department of kinesiology. Mitchell says the kidneys then act to filter out any "extra" electrolytes to correct the imbalance.

However, longer workouts can empty your body of large amounts of sodium and other important electrolytes. Severe loss of neuromuscular function can incur along with increased blood acidity (fewer electrolytes are available to neutralize the lactic acid your muscles are producing) when electrolytes are too low. And because of this, your body starts to shut down. Replace fluids as well as electrolytes even if you don't feel thirsty is important, explains Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition for the University of Pennsylvania Center for Sports Medicine and a member of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute's Sports Nutrition Board.

This is true when you may not notice sweat or fluid depletion as quickly in colder weather.(Emma Williams,2018)As we exercise and get dehydrated we lose electrolytes, in fact, Thirst mechanism triggers when your body starts to get low on electrolytes. The best way to maintain electrolyte balance is a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables however, physically active individuals, the elderly, and those with dietary restrictions may require electrolyte supplementation. A lot of popular sports drinks say they replenish electrolytes, and that's true. Some of these sports drinks are chock full of unhealthy sugars, preservatives, and food dyes (Meddish, 2015).

It is important that a balanced level of electrolytes is achieved within the body to ensure that idyllic water levels and bloody acidity levels are maintained. This allows muscles to function optimally, ant this is vital for athletes. Fatigue, vomiting, sweating, nausea, Diarhea, muscle cramps, lack of coordination, lack of focus, dizziness, increased body temperature, and kidney issues are the effects of electrolyte imbalance. Electrolyte drinks can be consumed before, during and after exercise depending on the form of exercise. Electrolyte drinks must be consumed prior to exercise to ensure fluid and fuel stores are at a peak level are recommended.

During exercise, Physical activities longer than 90 minutes, the time were electrolyte drinks are most effective. Athletes are able to exercise for longer and at a higher level of performance by maintaining bodily fluids and delivering energy to the muscles and brain. Electrolyte drinks should also be used post-exercise for recovery to restore fluids and electrolytes lost in sweat (Staminade, 2017). The flow of positive and negative charges in the body, and water follows the electrolytes are controlled by cell membranes.

Electrolytes and water must be balance for cells to function properly. Without that balance, cells could either shrivel up and die or become too full and burst. Electrolytes also control nerve impulses in the body by sparking the constant electrical impulses that keep the body functioning. Your lungs, heart, and brain would stop working without them (Mcnulty, 2018). Sweat is the body's attempt to eliminate excess heat through evaporative cooling. When it is humid, sweat evaporation is less effective and the sweat just stays on you and drips off. So you feel sweaty.

When it is very dry outside (low humidity), the sweat evaporates quickly. People can get into trouble in a dry environment because they think they don't need to drink because they "are not sweating" but they really are they just don't feel it. The same can happen on the bike when the wind helps evaporate the sweat quickly (Bennett, 2018). Due to the amount of electrolytes that are in sweat, is why sweat tastes salty. Some athletes have saltier sweat than others due to simple genetic differences, diet, sweat rate, and heat acclimatization.

Athletes who feel dizzy, lightheaded, or experience muscular cramping post-workout may be salty sweaters experiencing an electrolyte imbalance. If athletes only drink water to rehydrate, they could be diluting their internal electrolyte concentration and throwing their body further off balance. While the human body is good at regulating itself, elite training is strenuous and long enough that athletes must actively pump electrolytes in to support the rehydration process. Electrolytes come in tablets, powders, gels, chews, blended sports drinks, table salt, food, and more.

For most elite athletes, sports drinks and powders mixed with water are common ways to ingest electrolytes. Endurance athletes may prefer electrolyte tablets or chews to maximize salt intake while minimizing liquid intake. Whichever desired method, athletes should be using electrolytes during and post-workout to see how it affects their training. Over time athletes can calibrate their electrolyte intake to customize it for your performance needs (Colbrie, 2017).

According to (Rocco, 2016) overstimulation and over-firing of the nervous system cause cramping. Sodium is the most abundant and perhaps the most important of the electrolytes. Na+ is found in higher concentrations outside of cells in our bodies. All cells depend on sodium and potassium to bring nutrients inside the cell and to remove waste. Potassium is the primary electrolyte found inside of cells. It works closely with Sodium and Chloride in maintaining fluid balance, cellular homeostasis, and conducting nerve impulses.

Many people think of bones when they think of calcium. Bones are the largest reservoir of Ca in the body. However, soluble calcium in body fluid is also necessary for neuromuscular conduction, muscular contraction, inter- and intracellular messaging, and plays a key regulatory role in glycogen metabolism. Magnesium is perhaps the most underappreciated electrolyte. Because many athletes recognize the importance of sodium and potassium supplementation, low Mg is often the reason for sub-optimal performance. Mg is important for proper transmission of nerve impulses, muscular contraction, and energy production associated with ATP.

All five of these electrolytes are lost in sweat and can be depleted with exercise. Endurance athletes need all five electrolytes before, during and after exercise. Nutrition strategies that ignore some of these electrolytes will fail in more extreme circumstances. Hotter temperatures, longer or more intense exercise results in greater electrolyte losses, which need to be replaced to train and race effectively (Rocco, 2016).

Symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or muscle spasms, then you already know all about electrolyte imbalances. These symptoms usually occur after we profusely sweat for more than 90 minutes, which causes our bodies to lose water and important electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and chloride. The best way to handle the loss of fluids and electrolytes during physical activity is to stay hydrated and use electrolyte replacements.

According to (Breda et., al 2014) with the worldwide consumption of energy drinks increasing in recent years, concerns have been raised both in the scientific community and among the general public about the health effects of these products. A review of the literature was conducted to identify published articles that examined the health risks, consequences, and policies related to energy drink consumption. The health risks associated with energy drink consumption are primarily related to their caffeine content, but more research is needed that evaluates the long-term effects of consuming common energy drink ingredients. The risks of heavy consumption of energy drinks among young people have largely gone unaddressed and are poised to become a significant public health problem in the future.

Energy drink consumption is a health issue primarily of the adolescent and young adult male population. It is linked to increased substance abuse and risk-taking behaviours. The most common adverse events affect the cardiovascular and neurological systems. The most common ingredient in energy drinks is caffeine, and it is believed that the adverse events are related to its effects, as well as potentiating effects of other stimulants in these drinks. Education, regulation, and further studies are required, Ali et., al (2014).

Energy drink usage is prevalent among students. The use is not excessive, but associated with high rates of adverse effects and occurs in potentially dangerous situations like during exercise and with alcohol. There is a need to educate students about the potential adverse effects of energy drinks, Reid et., al (2015). According to Visram et., al (2016) the scientific literature focuses mostly on the effects of energy drink use in adults, who may experience short term benefits such as boosted cognitive performance, enhanced mood, more physical energy and promotion of wakefulness. However, proof is emerging on the damaging physiological and psychological results of these drinks, and it is possible that extended use may affect physical and mental well-being.

Taste was consistently reported as the most important driver motivating the purchase and use of energy drinks, with energy-seeking emerging as an important but secondary driver. Participants involved in sports, especially boys, proclaim using energy drinks as stimulants to increase their sports performance. Advertising and brand loyalty appear as major influences on young people's use of energy drinks, with participants proclaiming seeing them advertised on TV, the internet, through games promotions, via sports sponsorship and in shops.

Parents also played a key role in influencing participants' use of energy drinks, either by rejecting and prohibiting or encouraging and recommending their use. It was generally agreed that energy drinks were easily attainable, from convenience stores or supermarkets, provided by parents, shared by siblings or friends, or obtained free at sponsored events. Energy drinks were recognized to confer various beneficial effects on young people's bodies and their sports performance. Participants in one study described short-term health benefits, prevention of illness, improved immunity and a desire to correct a poor diet.

Others described scenarios where adults used energy drinks to effectively reduced tiredness related to work, travel or family commitments, leading to suggest that these drinks were normalised and recognized as necessary to meet the demands of a busy lifestyle. However, factors such as taste, brand loyalty and perceived beneficial effects help to increase their popularity among young consumers.

Consideration of the patterns and reasons for energy drink consumption identified in this review may help future interventions to ensure suitable behaviours are targeted and are relevant to the population. Although health education pick out individuals is unlikely to achieve a considerable impact, definitive information about the safety of energy drink consumption should be provided by healthcare and other professionals.

18 March 2020
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