How and when to replenish electrolytes as UK weather heats up

Kate Ng
·Trending Lifestyle Reporter
·4-min read
Keeping your electrolytes in balance is important if you are sweating a lot. (Getty Images)
Keeping your electrolytes in balance is important if you are sweating a lot. (Getty Images)

Summer has finally arrived for most of the UK, with the Met Office predicting temperatures will reach over 30C this week.

The very warm weather comes after a rather dreary start to the summer, with areas of the southwest, southeast and northeast of England having already received more than their average rainfall for the whole month of July, according to the Met Office.

But the temperature has risen rapidly this week and areas in the southeast are expected to reach above 30C on Friday 19 July. The Met Office also predicts that a ‘tropical night’, where temperatures do not fall below 20C overnight, may be on the cards on Friday night into Saturday.

We tend to sweat and become more easily dehydrated in hot weather. Medical advice states that we should drink more fluids during these conditions to stay hydrated.

But you don’t just lose water when you sweat, you also lose electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential for our bodies to maintain normal function, and losing too much can lead to an imbalance.

Sweaty female soccer player in the field
In hot weather, we will sweat more, which makes us more easily dehydrated. (Getty Images)

Electrolytes are salts and minerals, such as sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate, which are found in the blood, according to the NHS.

The body keeps electrolytes in balance in order to maintain fluid balance and to help muscles and nerves work properly. The kidneys play an important role in keeping electrolytes in check - however, levels can sometimes become too high or too low.

Health insurance provider Bupa explains that your electrolyte levels may change because of underlying health conditions, including kidney disease, heart failure and diabetes. Certain medications can also cause an imbalance.

Sweating can also lead to an imbalance, because you lose electrolytes when you sweat, causing levels to drop too low if you are sweating more than usual. This can happen during intense exercises, during which the body can lose as much as a litre or two in an hour.

What happens when your body is low on electrolytes?

When the level of electrolytes in your body is too high or too low, you may experience a number of symptoms.

These include:

  • Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)

  • Feeling fatigued or lethargic

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Feeling irritated or confused

  • Headaches

  • Seizures

  • Constipation or diarrhoea

  • Abdominal cramps

  • Muscle cramps

  • Muscle weakness

  • Numbness and tingling

If left untreated, electrolyte imbalances can become severe and lead to life-threatening complications. You should seek medical help immediately if you think you may have an electrolyte disorder.

The pink electrolyte tablet dissolves in water. The woman's hand holds a glass of fizzy water with vitamin C�
You can replenish electrolytes by taking electrolyte supplements, like dissolvable powders and tablets. (Getty Images)

You get all the electrolytes you need from eating a healthy and varied diet. Health and Fitness Education (HFE), a leading training provider in the UK, recommends eating certain foods to ensure you have the right minerals and vitamins that make up electrolytes, such as:

  • Salted nuts for sodium

  • Bananas, citrus fruits and dark leafy greens for potassium

  • Spinach, cashew nuts and peanut butter for magnesium

  • Milk, almonds and broccoli for calcium

  • Tomatoes and celery for chloride

However, you can also get additional electrolytes from other sources, including sports drinks that contain electrolytes or electrolyte supplements. If you need to seek medical help, your doctor or pharmacist may advise you to have oral rehydration therapy.

Electrolyte supplements can come as a powder to be dissolved in water and drunk, such as Dioralyte and Liquid IV, or as an effervescent tablet you also add to water and drink, like Phizz or ORS Hydration Tablets.

Bupa adds: "Remember, most of the time, our bodies keep our electrolyte levels tightly controlled and there’s no need to supplement them.

"But it helps to be aware of what can happen when your electrolytes are too low. You can then give your body a helping hand to restore your electrolytes balance."

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