Required Milligrams of Sodium & Potassium While Exercising

Potassium and sodium, found in certain foods and sports drinks, are important for your body's basic functions. During physical activity, having enough of these electrolytes -- and balancing all your electrolyte levels --is essential for your performance and safety. As electrolytes are lost through sweat, you may need to replenish them during your workout to maintain optimal performance. The amount of sodium and potassium you need generally depends on how much you sweat and how much salt you lose in your sweat.

  1. Potassium

    • Potassium plays a vital role in your heart's function and skeletal and muscle contraction. According to the American Council on Exercise, the recommended daily potassium intake for adults under 50 is 4,700 mg. Deficient potassium levels cause muscle weakness, muscle confusion and even muscle paralysis. Make sure you're getting enough potassium in your daily diet by eating potassium-rich foods like bananas, avocados, plain yogurt and beans.

    Sodium

    • The recommended sodium intake is 1,500 mg daily. Sodium is lost in higher concentrations in sweat than other electrolytes. In a long, sweaty workout, you can lose as much as 3,000 mg of sodium in one hour. According to Bob Seebohar, R.D., sodium regulates your fluid levels, helping you retain liquids. If you lose too much sodium during exercise and don't replace it, you can put yourself at risk of dehydration. Sodium deficiency can also cause muscle cramps. If you get salt residue on your skin and clothes during or after exercise, it's a sign that you lose salt in high concentrations and need to replenish your sodium levels.

    Proper Balance

    • Even if you lose a lot of sodium when you sweat, everyone still needs to make sure their salt intake isn't too high. You flush out excess sodium in your urine, also flushing out potassium in the process. That means if you consume excess sodium, you're likely to be potassium-deficient during exercise. Try to get just enough sodium to meet the daily requirement and more only when you sweat heavily during a workout. Potassium balance also depends on having an adequate amount of magnesium -- another electrolyte found in foods and sports drinks.

    Considerations

    • If you exercise lightly and don't perspire, you probably don't need to replenish your electrolytes as long as you get enough in your daily diet. It's generally easy to get enough -- or more than enough -- sodium in your diet because processed foods and beverages, and many home-cooked meals, contain salt for flavoring. If you expect to sweat, bring a sports drink, gel or tablet containing potassium and other electrolytes to your workout to maintain hydration and optimal performance. If you lose a lot of salt in your sweat, you may want an electrolyte replacement product that contains a higher concentration of sodium.