For Students
Electrolytes explained: sodium, potassium, and magnesium
"Electrolytes" gets used as sports-drink marketing shorthand — the actual minerals involved have specific, individual jobs and targets.
What each one actually does
Sodium regulates fluid balance and blood volume; potassium supports muscle contraction (including your heart) and helps counteract sodium's effect on blood pressure; magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions including energy production and muscle function. Americans on average get far more sodium than recommended and far less potassium and magnesium than recommended — the opposite imbalance of what most electrolyte marketing implies.[2]
The actual daily targets
| Electrolyte | AHA recommendation |
|---|---|
| Sodium | Under 2,300mg/day (ideally under 1,500mg for most adults) |
| Potassium | ~4,700mg/day (varies by DRI: 3,400mg men / 2,600mg women) |
| Magnesium | 400-420mg (men) / 310-320mg (women) |
For most people eating a varied diet, these targets are best met through food — fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy — rather than supplements, since most people are already over on sodium and under on the other two.[2]