Electrically charged atoms that exist in your body in solution are called electrolytes. Electrolytes play a vital role in fluid balance, nerve function, heart beat and oxygen content. Also known as ions, electrolytes are divided into two groups, anions and cations. Anions are negatively charged and include chloride, phosphate, bicarbonate and sulphate. Cations are positively charged and include sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Potassium and Sodium
The primary cation found in your body is potassium, with a small amount of magnesium. Found within the fluid that bathes your cells, called extracellular fluid, is the primary cation sodium, with a small amount of calcium. Because all of these ions move freely across, between and around your cell membranes, the preservation of potassium inside and the sodium outside the cells, requires energy. You get energy from the foods you eat, and the beverages you drink.
Balance
Maintaining an electrolyte balance is essential to safeguard the correct volume of water inside and outside your cells. An imbalance can lead to dehydration, meaning not enough water in your body and ultimately your cells, or edema, meaning water retention, or too much water in your body, and ultimately in your cells. Excessive sweating, diuretics, diarrhea, laxatives and vomiting can temporarily affect your water and electrolyte balance. All of these conditions cause your body to expel more fluid than normal.
Out of Balance
Your nerves, or specifically your motor nerves, stimulate your muscle contractions. This process depends on the correct electrolyte balance in your blood. When you have too little calcium or potassium, your nerves get twitchy as they over-react to stimuli. This is called tetany and can cause muscle spasms. A severe imbalance can lead to much more serious conditions, such as cardiac arrhythmias. Constant abnormal electrolyte levels can be a sign of kidney disease, liver disease, heart failure, hypertension and various other disorders.
Goal
The goal for homeostasis, meaning a stable and consistent environment within the body, is to have all positively charged cations neutralized by an equal number of negatively charged anions so that the acidity of the fluid in your body cells are in balance or near neutral.
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