When many of us hear the word “electrolytes,” we envision an athlete knocking back a bottle of fluorescent green liquid, while beads of sweat trickle down their face. This has been the image of electrolyte drinks, or “sports drinks,” for decades.
And it’s a fallacy. Yes, athletes need more electrolytes than non-athletes. And yes, when you exert physical energy, you need more electrolytes than when you don’t. BUT, you still need electrolytes even when you’re not active. Here’s why...*
Electrolytes are energy… literally.
Let’s start with what electrolytes are, and why they’re important. Electrolytes are charged particles that live within your bodily fluids that send electrical impulses to allow proper functioning of your heart, muscles and nerves. Poor hydration and electrolyte imbalances add unnecessary stress to vital organs like your heart and kidneys.*
There are 5 electrolytes:
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Chloride.
Some Electrolyte powders, like Jigsaw Electrolyte Supreme™, will also include essential nutrients like Vitamin C, those important B complex vitamins, Zinc, and Selenium.
Electrolytes are vital to keeping you balanced, so your body is strong and energized, and can help boost immunity. Your body requires this balance even when you’re not working out because everyday factors deplete your hydration. These include: stress, heat, and illness.*
So you need electrolytes every day. But you need them even more during times of elevated stress.*
Why not just drink water?
You might be taking in the recommended 8-10 cups of water a day and still not be properly replenished. That’s because most water has been stripped of important electrolytes - especially Magnesium and Potassium - during the process of eliminating contaminants.*
This means that plain drinking water, even bottled "mineral water," doesn’t deliver the necessary quantity or balance of the essential electrolytes that your body requires, even on non-active days. In fact, too much filtered water can cause a serious electrolyte imbalance (it's called hyponatremia).*
But all that sugar. Bleh.
Yeah, we agree. The good news is, you don’t need all of the sugar found in most electrolyte powders in order to get the vital nutrients. Most people don’t want to consume the amount of sugar found in sports drinks (around 72 grams -- that’s 19 teaspoons!) and they certainly don’t want to give that to their kids. Even electrolyte drinks marketed for kids still have added sugar.
Jigsaw Electrolyte Supreme™ has ZERO sugar, and provides a balanced combination of all the electrolytes -- magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride -- plus supporting minerals such as zinc and selenium, as well as important B Complex vitamins in their active, bioavailable form to replenish and rehydrate your body.*
