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Why are electrolytes so important for sporting performance?

Every time muscles move, electrical impulses facilitate these functions. Each time your heart beats, electrical impulses make it happen. Every nerve impulse is dependent on a tiny electrical charge. A number of minerals in electrolyte form are essential for all of these essential functions including magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride.

The charge that electrolytes carry is essential to regulate fluid balance (hydration) and pH balance. Also if electrolyte levels are low or out of balance, one of the results can be that muscles can go into cramps or spasms.

When playing or participating in sports there is an increased need for electrolytes, so deficiencies of electrolytes are more common when involved in such activity. "The competitive athlete is predestined to evolve a magnesium deficiency due to increased sweat and urine excretion. During strenuous activity magnesium is required by the organs (including muscle) and a situation is created whereby there is an increased difficulty to supply magnesium to the athletes by natural sources in sufficient amounts.

Continuous magnesium supplementation to the athlete must be considered as a supportive and beneficial measure during periods of long physical stress." Golf S. Magnesium and physical exercise. Journal of Trace Elements and Electrolytes, 2008; 25(4): 231.

What is an electrolyte?

Electrolytes are charged minerals (ions) that are balanced with a positively charged mineral (such as sodium, magnesium and potassium) and a negatively charged mineral complex (such as chloride, sulphate and carbonate), in such a way that they will dissolve and split in water making the liquid electrically conductive. Electrolytes are therefore known as being ionically charged.

Minerals that are known as electrolytes in common parlance, such as magnesium, are in fact only electrolytes when in ionically charged form (eg: Magnesium Chloride), but are frequently found in non-electrolyte form (eg: Magnesium Chelate).

Unless the mineral is ionically charged (attached to a negatively charged mineral complex) it is not an electrolyte and does not have the properties associated with electrolytes, such as enabling effective hydration and preventing cramping.