Why do you need electrolytes?
The science Electrolytes are minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium that carry an electric charge. Sodium lives mostly outside your cells and controls how much water moves in and out of them. Potassium does the…
Do electrolytes actually help with hangovers?
The science Do electrolytes actually help with hangovers? Alcohol makes you pee out more fluid than the same volume of water would. A study that had healthy men drink beer instead of water tracked urine output and blood…
How much sodium do you actually need?
The science How much sodium do you actually need? The US Adequate Intake for sodium sits at 1,500mg a day for adults, according to the National Academies' dietary reference intake report. That number assumes you're at a…
Why does mild dehydration make you feel tired?
The science In one study, men who lost about 1 to 2% of their body weight in fluid, a level you could hit without ever feeling properly "thirsty," showed measurably higher fatigue and tension, plus worse working memory,…
When is the best time to take electrolytes?
The science A randomized trial comparing different rehydration drinks found that electrolyte content, especially sodium, was the single biggest factor in how much fluid your body actually holds onto. Drinks with sodium…