Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge when dissolved in your bodily fluids - blood, urine and sweat. They are found in two locations within the body:  

Outside your cells within the extracellular fluid (ECF).

·       Sodium

·       Chloride

Inside of the cell, the major electrolytes are:

·       Potassium

·       Phosphate

On top of these dominant electrolytes, magnesium, calcium, and bicarbonate also play important roles. While electrolytes may seem like a minor part of the bodily function, they are crucial moment to moment.

The Role Of Electrolytes

Electrolytes play a major role in the body, and low or imbalanced levels can harm the body. Appropriate electrolyte balance is important for:

Nervous System Function

The nervous system functions on a system of electrical signals between the brain and the rest of the body. These signals are electrical impulses generated when the electrical charge of a nerve cell membrane changes due to the cellular inflow and outflow of electrolytes.

In order for an impulse to be transmitted, an exchange of sodium and potassium between the ECF and ICF must take place; sodium moves through the membrane to the inside, while potassium moves to the outside. This exchange between the inner and outer region of the cell causes the nerve impulse along the axon to fire.

Muscle Function

In order for nerve impulses for muscle contraction to be transmitted, it is crucial that sodium and potassium e balanced. These minerals participate in creating the necessary action potential required for muscle contraction by moving in and out through the cell membrane. This happens by gaining a positive charge (depolarizing), reaching a maximum, losing that positive charge (repolarizing), and finally settling back to the baseline charge.

Ultimately, it is the electrolyte calcium that floods the muscle cells, resulting in a cascade of interactions leading to muscular contraction. Magnesium and chloride also play roles; at rest, magnesium binds with motor proteins in the cell and helps to maintain the relaxed state of muscles. Chloride also plays a role in maintenance of a muscle cell’s resting state.

Hydration

Electrolytes are critically important during bouts of high intensity or prolonged physical activity. Electrolyte balance, however, refers to the balance between water and electrolytes. Electrolytes, especially sodium, help to maintain normal fluid levels within the body.

The amount of fluid in a specific body compartment is regulated by the concentration of electrolytes present within it. When electrolyte concentration is high, fluid moves into that compartment, whereas if electrolyte concentration is low, fluid moves out.

As the body continually moves electrolytes in or out of cells, fluid levels fluctuate. Therefore, maintaining appropriate concentrations of electrolytes is critical to maintaining fluid balance within body compartments.

pH Balance

Several organs are involved in maintaining proper pH within the body:

·       Lungs

·       Heart

·       Pituitary

·       Adrenals

·       Kidneys

·       Blood vessels

·       Parathyroid

The body maintains a pH within a very narrow range of 7.35 – 7.45 by keeping the ratio of bicarbonate and carbonic acid around 20:1. If carbonic acid concentration increases (i.e. pH decreases), the body goes into acidosis, whereas if the bicarbonate concentration increases (pH increases), the body goes into alkalosis — both conditions can be associated with severe health consequences.

While the aforementioned systems all play a role in pH maintenance, the lungs and kidneys do the vast majority of work.

·       The kidneys function to retain or excrete sodium bicarbonate, as well as excrete overly acidic or alkaline urine. They also help to reabsorb sodium bicarbonate and secrete free hydrogen atoms (ions).

·       The lungs function to retain carbonic acid in the form of carbon dioxide, or rapidly excrete it by increases respiration rate.

When either of these buffer systems fail to maintain homeostasis, there is a resulting imbalance and pH changes.

Electrolyte Regulation

Electrolytes are regulated through a few different mechanisms:

·       The kidneys: The kidneys help maintain proper electrolyte concentrations by filtering electrolytes and water from the blood. They return some to the blood and excrete any excess into the urine for elimination.

·       The endocrine system: Antidiuretic hormone, ADH, is secreted by the endocrine system, which functions to maintain normal water balance within the body and keep sodium and potassium within normal limits.

·       The vascular system: The heart transports electrolytes in the blood to the rest of the body with every pump

·       The gastrointestinal system: The stomach secretes gastric juices, which are rich in chloride ions.

Together, the electrolytes work to keep your body functioning optimally and all systems working as they should. Individually, however, each electrolyte has its own unique function:

Sodium — As the main ion present in the extracellular fluid, sodium has a critical role in maintaining the osmotic pressure gradient between the inside of cells and their surrounding environment. Sodium comprises about 90% of extracellular positively charged minerals and therefore plays a very important role in electrical impulse transmission in nerve and muscle fibers. Sodium also plays a role in pH regulation, as well as some involvement in regulating cell membrane permeability.

Potassium — As the main intracellular mineral present in the body, potassium plays a major role in regulating muscle contraction and maintaining proper function of the heart muscle, ensuring it contracts and relaxes properly. Potassium also plays a minor role in maintaining proper pH.

Chloride — Chloride is another major extracellular mineral that, like sodium, plays a role in maintaining proper extracellular fluid volume and osmotic pressure between the ICF and ECF.

Calcium — The majority of calcium in the body is contained in bones and teeth. It is largely what makes bones hard and serves as a mineral reserve for the rest of the body. Calcium ions are necessary for muscle contraction, enzyme activity, blood coagulation, as well as stabilizing cell membranes and for the release of neurotransmitters.

Bicarbonate — Bicarbonate is a negatively charged molecule and a by-product of your metabolism. It is a major component of your blood and serves to buffer your system (bicarb/carbonic acid) working to maintain your body’s pH balance.

Phosphate — Most of phosphate in the body is bound in bone and teeth as part of calcium-phosphate salts. Phosphate plays an important role as a component of phospholipids, which make up cell membranes, ATP, crucial molecules called nucleotides, and participate in crucial buffering activities like those mentioned previously.

Electrolyte Imbalances With Low/Zero Carbohydrate Diets

Many people experience the ‘low carb flu’ when embarking on their keto journey. This is not actually the flu at all but rather a result of carbohydrate withdrawal and electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes are found dissolved in fluids within the body. When transitioning from a standard high-carb diet to a ketogenic one, water coming from the glycogen stores that are being emptied, is lost.

For every 1g of glycogen stored in the muscles and liver, 3-4g of water is stored with it. As the body is deprived of carbohydrates, you will use up the glycogen stores and the water and electrolytes along with it, resulting in electrolyte loss. This explains the drastic weight loss that can happen in the first few weeks of a low/zero carb diet.

When you lose water you also lose electrolytes because they naturally dissolve in water. The main electrolytes lost when lowering carbohydrates are sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium. It is important to replace them according to your need.

By eliminating processed foods from the diet and restricting your total carbohydrate intake, we also may also be unwittingly lowering your salt (or sodium) intake. Many nutrient poor, low quality processed foods are extremely high in sodium. (Just to clarify, the sodium is not the problem per se here; it is the processed food).

Replacing Water

It is advisable to follow both of your instincts to ‘salt to taste’ and ‘drink to thirst’ when trying to get the right balance of electrolytes as you lower and remove carbohydrates from your diet. Granted, this may be harder for some than others but it will likely be harder if you hydrate with flavored beverages or sugary drinks.

Ditching the sugars and flours that causes excessive fluid retention will help normalize your electrolyte balance but be mindful of the transition phase.

You may choose to temporarily supplement with a few grams of salt a day and 100 mg of potassium when first adapting to this new way of eating. 

Drink when you are thirsty but there is no need to nurse a bottle all day long.

One of the great things about reducing or eliminating your carbohydrates is the results you feel, both physically and mentally. Improved energy, clearer thinking, greater focus, improved metabolic response, and so much more. When lacking adequate hydration due to not habitually applying smart and simple rules like ‘drink water’, you potentially impair your body’s ability to function properly.

Studies have shown that improper hydration after exercising resulted in an increased number of headaches, as well as impaired concentration and mood Dehydration can also result in cognitive impairments such as fatigue, impaired memory, and perception discrimination.

According to the United States National Library of Medicine, the average individual should be consuming anywhere from 2.7-3.7 liters of water per day. These are a very vague estimates, so, as with anything, use common sense and drink to thirst as opposed to adhering to a rigid schedule (unless it is a bare minimum).

Restoring Electrolyte Balance

Ensuring proper electrolyte levels is key to optimal body function, and in doing so, there’s less of a risk of experiencing the negative side effects of carbohydrate withdrawal.

Potassium

As potassium is critical to many functions within the body, general guidelines recommend a minimum of 1600 to 2000 mg of potassium daily, but amounts can range depending on the diet followed. On a low carb or keto-carnivore plan specifically, potassium can be obtained mainly through food sources. However, sodium loss is accompanied by potassium loss resulting in need possibly increasing. Around 2-3g (2,000-3,000 mg) per day is generally a good target to maintain adequate circulatory reserves.

Sodium

During the first few weeks of your reduced carbohydrate eating plan, the body eliminates excess sodium and water, which forces it to adapt to a new balance of sodium intake versus excretion to maintain normal blood circulating volume. Once the body becomes fat-adapted, dietary sodium is restricted (from the elimination of processed foods, carbohydrates etc.), so your brain and kidneys send signals to increase aldosterone and cortisol output. Essentially, the state of being in ketosis and restricting salt intake can lead to increased stress on the adrenals.

It is thus incredibly important to maintain adequate salt intake to reduce this excess stress on the body and maintain optimal functioning.

Leading researchers recommend approximately 3–5g (3,000-5,000mg) of sodium per day (one tsp. of salt is roughly 2g of sodium). These values have been found to effectively maintain optimal circulatory sodium reserves. Even this may be a conservative estimate, and some people find symptom relief even above 7g of salt a day, especially whilst adapting or going carnivore.

Magnesium

Magnesium intake is just as important as sodium and potassium intake, as it’s also involved in many biochemical processes within the body. General guidelines for magnesium intake are as follows:

·       Males 14 to 18 years old: 410 mg

·       Females 14 to 18 years old: 360 mg

·       Males 19 to 30 years old: 400 mg

·       Females 19 to 30 years: 310 mg

·       Males 31 to 50 years old: 420 mg

·       Females 31 to 50 years old: 320 mg

·       Males aged 51 and up: 420 mg

·       Females aged 51 and up: 320 mg

Due to the fact that magnesium is involved in blood sugar regulation, it becomes important to ensure your levels are sufficient. Muscle cramps are often an indicator of low magnesium levels but not necessarily low dietary intake – how your body uses magnesium matters a great deal too. If you experience cramps, you might try supplementing it or increasing your red meat consumption.

Conclusion

Whether it’s firing muscle contractions, maintaining the delicate pH balance, sustaining the activity of enzymes, or supporting acid-base buffer systems, electrolytes are crucial to fundamental bodily functions. When transitioning to a low or zero carbohydrate diet, water loss and other mechanisms, may leave you more susceptible to initially experiencing electrolyte imbalance. Pay attention to your intake during your adaptation phase. There are many animal-based foods that provide you with adequate amounts of electrolytes, but this does not imply that mean supplements could not be of help.