Electrolytes are salt minerals that conduct electricity and balance fluids your body requires for proper functioning. Electrolyte imbalances, such as through dehydration and excessive sweating, can have serious health consequences. Gatorade contains sodium, potassium and chloride to help replenish lost electrolytes and keep your body running smoothly and efficiently, especially during exercise and sport.
Sodium
Sodium is one of the major electrolytes found in Gatorade, as well as other sports drinks, and evidence suggests it may be the only electrolyte that needs to be added to sports drinks for exercise rehydration, according to an article in the November 2009 issue of Nutrition Bulletin. It is a positively charged electrolyte found primarily on the outside of cells. Sodium plays a large role in regulating fluid balances in your body, along with many other functions, such as electrical conductions of the nervous system. In relation to exercise, it stimulates sugar and water uptake in the small intestines, as well as the thirst mechanism to keep individuals hydrated. Hyponatremia, or low sodium levels, can cause nausea and vomiting, fatigue and muscle weakness, confusion and, in more severe cases, seizures and loss of consciousness.
Potassium
Potassium is a vital mineral and electrolyte needed for a variety of bodily functions. It is a positively charged electrolyte found primarily on the inside of cells and adequate amounts--not too high or low--are needed for cells to function properly. Heartbeat regulation and muscle contraction are two of the major functions of potassium. Hypokalemia, or low potassium levels, can be caused by excessive sweating, vomiting or diarrhea, and Gatorade is one way to replace lost potassium. Hypokalemia can cause weakness and fatigue, muscle cramps and possibly life-threatening heartbeat irregularities, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Chloride
Chloride is a negatively charged electrolyte found primarily on the outside of cells. Working with sodium, potassium and water, chloride primarily functions in regulating the balance of fluids in your body. It also is a major component of stomach acid--in the form of hydrochloric acid--and helps control acid and base balances in the digestive system, according to the website ChemoCare. Your body can lose chloride through excessive sweating, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms of low chloride, or hypochloremia, may include high levels of sodium in your blood and dehydration.
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