TREVOR’S MINERAL PROJECT By Trevor Dunn

MY QUESTIONS  How do electrolytes affect sports play?  What are the positive and negative affects of electrolytes?  What drink helps replenish electrolytes the best?

BACKGROUND ON ELECTROLYTES  Electrolytes are salts that carry an electric charge.  Some Examples of electrolytes are Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Chlorine, Phosphate and Magnesium.  Electrolytes are in your blood, urine and body fluids.  The cells in your body rely on electrolytes to: 1. Control cell membrane stability 2. Carry the electric charges needed for muscle contractions caused by nerve impulses.

SODIUM  Sodium plays a key role in normal nerve and muscle functions.  You lose Sodium through urine and sweat.  The body continually monitors blood volume and sodium and other electrolytes.  When either becomes too high, sensors in your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys detect the increases and stimulate the kidneys to decrease sodium then returning blood volume to normal.  When blood volume or sodium concentration becomes too low the sensors trigger mechanisms to increase blood volume.

POTASSIUM  A great increase of Potassium can lead to Hyperkalemia which can lead to irregular heartbeat

HOW DO ELECTROLYTES AFFECT SPORTS PLAY?  Research shows that if you are doing high intensity physical training you should drink electrolyte drinks instead of water.  Electrolytes are important in sports because when you sweat you lose body fluids and when you drink something that has electrolytes, it helps replenish the body fluids you lose.  A sports drink that is easily metabolized will help with hydration, but electrolytes are the key.

WHAT ARE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECTS OF ELECTROLYTES?  Sometimes you can have too much or too little electrolytes that would be considered an imbalance of electrolytes.  An imbalance of electrolytes can lead to heart failure or death. Other problems can be kidney failure and loss of body fluids. Some symptoms that show you that you have a electrolyte imbalance are: Vomiting, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, sunken eyes, confusion or loss of consciousness. You would have an electrolyte imbalance if you had a altered amount of Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium and Sodium. When you have hyperkalemia and/or hypercalcemia it is when you might have too much Potassium and/ or Calcium  Positive affects of electrolytes are that they replenish minerals you would use if you are sweating.

WHAT DRINK HELPS REPLENISH ELECTROLYTES THE BEST?  I learned that a lot of different drinks that help replenish electrolytes better then Gatorade some of them are Cytomax, Accelerade and GU20.  I learned that Cytomax is the best drink when you want to replenish electrolytes and is most healthy.  In a 8oz can of Cytomax has 7.25 grams sugar when a 8oz can of Gatorade has 14 grams of sugar, finally Cytomax has grams of Potassium when Gatorade has only 30.  So overall Cytomax is better for you and replenishes more electrolytes.

THANKS FOR WATCHING  Goodbye