What Are Electrolytes, Exactly? RDs Break It Down

There are certain words that are thrown around so often and for so long that it's possible to get into adulthood without knowing exactly what they mean. Electrolytes are one of them. While these essential minerals are touted in energy drinks, bars, and supplement drops, it's easy to be hazy on what they are.

But electrolytes are more than a marketing buzzword: They can influence how well your body works and how you ultimately feel, says Jessica Cording, MS, RD, author of "The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety."

With that in mind, we're breaking down the ins and outs of electrolytes with help from registered dietitians. Ahead, here's everything you need to know about electrolytes, including what they are in your body, in food, and in sports drinks; why electrolytes are good for you; what happens when you're low on electrolytes; and how to get more when you're depleted.

Jessica Cording, MS, RD, is a dietitian, health coach, and author of "The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety."

Beth Warren, RDN, is a registered dietitian and founder of Nourished By Beth.

Electrolytes are minerals in the body that carry an electric charge — they're either naturally positive or naturally negative, explains Beth Warren, RD, founder of Nourished By Beth. "Electrolytes in the body are essential for proper nerve and muscle function," Warren says.

Your body is about 60 percent water and, as a result, nearly every cell in your body contains electrolytes, Cording says.

There are a lot of different electrolytes in your body, per Cording and the National Library of Medicine. Those include:

Electrolytes can be found in food, too. "Electrolytes in food are natural sources of these minerals found in fruits, vegetables, and nuts," Warren says. Of course, they can also be infused into things like energy drinks, supplements, and bars. Eating electrolytes through food helps continue to supply them in your body, Cording explains.

"The body does inherently work to correct electrolyte imbalances, but sometimes we need to supplement or be mindful of food sources that may be providing too much of certain electrolytes and not enough of others," Cording says.

Electrolytes are often put into sports drinks to try to help restore electrolyte levels and balance fluid levels after particularly hard workouts, Cording says. The exact electrolytes in each sports drink "varies from brand to brand," she says.

However, Cording says that "typically you'll find sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in there."

Electrolytes have a role in a wide range of processes in your body, Cording says. "They help our body regulate chemical reactions and play a role in fluid reactions," she says.

Cording also lists off these things that electrolytes do:

There are a few different things that can happen when your body doesn't have enough electrolytes. Experts say you might experience these symptoms if you're running low:

Your body relies on a range of electrolytes to function properly. With that, Warren recommends eating well to try to get in plenty of electrolytes. "The best source of electrolytes is a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds," she says.

Salt provides a good balance of electrolytes, too, Cording says. And some electrolyte-rich foods are better for handling certain symptoms than others. "If someone is having regular headaches, I'll recommend that they eat watermelon because they'll get electrolytes plus water," Cording says. But electrolyte-infused sports drinks can play a role in helping to replenish these, too, "especially if you sweat a lot during exercise," Cording says.

If you eat a varied diet, you're probably OK on electrolytes, Cording says. "A lot of people think they're automatically deficient in electrolytes and need to supplement," she says. "But there's a difference between having suboptimal levels of electrolytes and needing to supplement."

If you're concerned that your electrolyte levels are off, Cording recommends consulting with a doctor or registered dietitian about having your levels checked. (This can be done with a blood test.)

But if you just want to make sure your electrolyte levels are good after a particularly intense workout, Cording says it's "totally reasonable" to sip on a sports drink as needed.

Korin Miller is a writer specializing in general wellness, health, and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in Women's Health, Self, Health, Forbes, and more.