💧 Water vs Electrolytes: What Your Body Actually Needs

Frank Sinclair
2 days ago
4 min read

Yeh I know, discussing water is dull as dishwater, and attempting to keep your attention for the length of this blog is likely the toughest challenge of my 20+ year career in fitness BUT...

Hydration effects everything from your energy, mood, digestion, and performance. So it's crucial that we give it the attention it deserves.

💧 Why Hydration Actually Matters

Your body is roughly 60% water, which means every single process, from brain function to fat burning, depends on it. Here’s what hydration helps with:

Energy: Even mild dehydration can make you feel tired, foggy, and “meh.”
Performance: Muscles are made up of about 75% water. If you’re low, you’ll feel weaker and slower.
Digestion: Keeps everything moving (if you know what I mean 💩).
Skin: Hydration helps your skin look plumper and healthier — no £60 serum required.
Mood: Studies show dehydration can increase anxiety and irritability. So before snapping at someone, maybe grab a glass first.

Water is literally life, baby 👶

🧮 How Much Should You Drink?

There’s no one-size-fits-all rule, but a good simple formula is:

👉 Water (litres) = 0.03 x Your Bodyweight (kg)

So if you weigh 70 kg: 0.03 x 70 = 2.1 litres per day

If you exercise, sweat buckets, or drink lots of caffeine, you’ll likely need more.

Hate water? Try these quick 'hydration hacks'...

Start your day with a glass: before coffee, before emails, before chaos.
Flavour it up: add lemon, cucumber, berries, mint, or a splash of squash.
Invest in a decent water bottle: if it looks cool, you’ll likely use it more.
Drink with habits: every meal, every pee break, every Netflix episode.
Make it competitive: track it, challenge a mate, or aim to “beat yesterday.”

Some estimates suggest only 1 in 4 of us drink enough water daily, so if in doubt, start drinking more!

⚡ What About Electrolytes?

You’ve seen them everywhere, fizzy sachets, fancy powders, glowing bottles that promise “instant hydration" but what are electrolytes, and do you actually need them? Let’s unpack the facts...

Electrolytes are minerals - mainly sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium - that help your body balance fluids, contract muscles, and keep your nerves firing. You lose them every time you sweat, so topping them up can be useful… sometimes.

The Real Benefits:

Research shows electrolytes can help with:

Endurance performance: Studies in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2022) found that balanced electrolyte intake during prolonged exercise (90+ mins) helps maintain performance and prevent cramping.
Hydration efficiency: Sodium helps your body retain water instead of flushing it straight through you. so you stay hydrated for longer.
Cramp prevention: A few studies suggest magnesium and potassium can reduce exercise-related cramps, especially in hot, sweaty conditions.
Recovery: Electrolytes support muscle and nerve recovery post-workout, helping you bounce back faster.

Who Might Benefit from Electrolytes

Endurance athletes: Runners, cyclists, triathletes training over 90 minutes.
Heavy sweaters: If your T-shirt could water a plant after every session 🌧️.
Hot climates: Working or training outdoors in high heat or humidity.
Low-carb or keto dieters: These diets cause faster fluid and mineral loss, so adding electrolytes can prevent fatigue and dizziness.
Those prone to cramping: Especially if your diet is low in potassium (bananas, spuds, leafy greens).

But Here’s the Catch...

For most of us doing everyday workouts, desk jobs, or short training sessions, electrolyte drinks are a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have.

A balanced diet already provides the minerals your body needs, so unless you’re training for the Olympics (good luck!) or doing activities that involve a lot of heavy sweating (ie: marathon running, hot yoga, football training in July) plain water and good nutrition will do the job perfectly.

Some Easy, And Cheap Alternatives

If you’re still keen to boost your hydration here are a few simple, cost-effective ways to keep your electrolytes topped up, without spunking all your wages on overpriced sachets:

Add a pinch of sea salt: to your water on long, sweaty days.
Eat real food: Bananas, yogurt, nuts, avocados, potatoes, and leafy greens cover most bases.
DIY electrolyte drink: 500ml water + pinch of salt + splash of orange juice or coconut water

💡 The Takeaway

Electrolytes are genuinely useful for some, but unnecessary for most. If you’re training hard, sweating buckets, or feeling dizzy after exercise, an electrolyte boost might help. If not..

Focus on consistent water intake and a nutrient-rich diet for optimal hydration

Your body’s built to handle hydration beautifully without needing to spend £30 a month on neon drink sachets, and as boring as water may be..., being tired, grumpy, and constipated is much worse, so don’t overthink it, aim for your daily target, drink a bit more when you’re active, and find a way to make it enjoyable.

Your mind and body will thank you for it :)

🎧 Wanna Dive Deeper?

Listen to this week’s episode of The Voice of Fitness Reason Podcast, where we play "Hydriversity Challenge" - the newest, hottest fitness quiz of 2025.

Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all half decent podcast players!

☕️ BUY US A COFFEE: https://buymeacoffee.com/voiceoffitnessreason

📧 EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS: thevoiceoffitnessreasonpodcast@gmail.com