Heart Rate Recovery After Exercise & Electrolytes

Exercise places great demands on the body to provide fuel and oxygen for maximum performance. While the body attempts to control its internal temperature, you may find that you are losing electrolytes like salt in your perspiration. Electrolytes support nervous system function, making their loss a matter of concern in regards to recovery. In addition, your heart rate will likely remain elevated for some time after exercise. Several factors influence recovery including your state of fitness and the chemical balance within your body.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are essential for proper body function. One primary role is control of water balance in the body. They include chemicals such as sodium, calcium and phosphate. Electrolytes will dissolve in water to become charged particles or ions. Ions are capable of conducting electricity. In the human body, electric current drives nerve impulses. With electrolyte depletion comes nervous system function impairment.

Electrolyte Sources

When you exercise, your perspiration will help cool you and also excrete electrolytes. For optimal performance and recovery, you will need to replenish these chemicals. Sports drinks are one possible source of electrolytes. A 2010 study by the Creighton University Health Sciences Center in Nebraska compared three sports drinks and their effects on recovery. While heart rate was unaffected, recovery significantly improved when participants consumed a sports drink containing a cocktail of sodium, potassium, calcium and amino acids.

Post-Exercise Heart Rate

The benefits of electrolyte-containing sports drinks lie in their ability to improve performance which can subsequently improve cardiovascular fitness. Improved heart rate recovery is more likely to occur with high intense training, explains a 2011 study by the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil. Consumption of electrolytes did not directly affect heart rate, yet the performance improvements can initiate adaptations in the body which will increase the fitness of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Other Factors

You may find some electrolyte-containing sports drinks with caffeine. Since caffeine is a stimulant, it may take longer for your heart rate to recover after exercise. Its effects can last up to three and a half hours after consumption. It can also increase the excretion rate of sodium, chloride and potassium. The inclusion of alcohol in energy drinks may also affect recovery.

A 2009 study by Umeå University in Sweden concluded that consumption of energy drinks with alcohol slowed heart rate recovery. A risk of cardiac arrhythmia also was detected, especially harmful for individuals with cardiovascular risk factors. Arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. To maximize performance, you should stick with an electrolyte product without caffeine or other additives.