Health professionals urge electrolyte supplementation in moderation in the midst of a heat wave

With Raleigh bracing for soaring temperatures this weekend, health professionals are reminding North Carolinians to stay hydrated.

Registered dietitian Addie Claire Jones said the goal to prevent dehydration is to drink enough fluids before dehydration statistics set in.

She said the best way to combat dehydration is by meeting your body’s basic water needs.

“Our body’s basic need for hydration is half our body weight in pounds – in ounces,” she said. “For a 150-pound person, 75 ounces is their baseline.”

Jones further explained that additional hydration is needed based on activity level.

“Let’s say a 150 lb person is going to exercise for an hour, we want another thirty ounces, so now we’re looking at 105 ounces,” she said.

Jones said the need for more hydration can be exacerbated by extreme heat.

For those who are exercising heavily, Jones said an electrolyte supplement can be helpful to help replenish your body after heavy sweating.

“Measure it by your activity level. Are you a mother who chases her child around the backyard? Are you training for a marathon? Where do you fall on that spectrum and do we really need any kind of supplement?” Jones explained.

The dietician said she often recommends a meal-first approach and said combating dehydration is no different.

For a mother preparing to spend the day outside with her children, Jones recommended adding a small amount of salt to watermelon during breakfast.

“This is a great source of sodium, potassium, magnesium without having to add any kind of powder to it,” Jones said. “If fruit is not your thing, cucumber is also very high in water. There are many foods that are high in water and high in electrolytes.”

She also urges shoppers to pay attention to nutrition labels before adding items to their carts.

“With something like Gatorlyte, which is another Gatorade product that has more sodium in it, or another popular one in marketing now is LMNT; it has 1,000 mg of sodium,” Jones warned. “The recommendation is 2,300 mg for a person who does not sweat and is not athletic. So if you have that and then eat one thing from a can a day, you’ve already exceeded that need.”

Jones said most types of sports drinks, like regular Gatorade, likely won’t cause a major health problem if you don’t consume them often and in place of regular water intake.

As a rule of thumb, she recommends limiting electrolyte supplements to just one per day.