this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2023
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Explain Like I'm Five

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What are electrolytes? (self.explainlikeimfive)
submitted 1 year ago by Artisian to c/explainlikeimfive
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I know gator-aid and its like advertise that they have lots of them. And I know sometimes I feel bad if I sweat a lot and just drink water. But are they just advertising... salt? Are there different kinds of electrolytes, and if so are they interchangable?

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

When you sweat, you lose more than just water. You also lose salt and some other minerals. Basically that's what electrolytes are and what's replaced with sports drinks.

What's not been mentioned yet is a real electrolyte drink is noticeably salty and does not taste very good. Gatorade and other sports drinks you find in the convenience store jack up the sugar to make it more palatable and saleable to the masses.