Electrolytes for training in Bangkok: do you need them?

Do you need electrolytes for a normal gym session?

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position stand sets the goal of drinking during exercise as preventing excessive dehydration, more than 2 percent of body weight lost as water, and excessive changes in electrolyte balance. It says drinks containing electrolytes and carbohydrate can provide benefits over water alone under certain circumstances. It does not say everyone needs them every session.

How do you measure your own sweat loss?

Both the ACSM and a 2017 review by Baker say sweat rate and sweat sodium vary considerably between individuals, and the ACSM recommends customized plans. The simplest accurate method is to weigh yourself before and after a session: the weight lost, together with what you drank, shows how much fluid you lost.

A loss above 2 percent of bodyweight is the ACSM's marker for excessive dehydration. Test it in a long, hot session, not a short one.

When do electrolytes make sense in Bangkok?

The ACSM leaves "certain circumstances" open, so this is our reading rather than a rule from the paper:

• Long sessions or back to back classes where you sweat heavily.
• Outdoor training or a run in the heat.
• Days you notice a large weight drop on the scale after training.
• If you want something to drink after training that replaces both fluid and salt, and plain water has not been enough for you.

How do we compare electrolyte products?

We compare cost per serving and the sodium per serving, and only for products whose sodium is listed in our catalog, because we will not guess a number. The table below shows what is on our shelf today, and it is empty when nothing that qualifies is on the shelf. Delivery is free within Bangkok only.

Amino drinks that include electrolytes, and creatine blends that include electrolytes, are a different job. Read the aminos guide before treating one as a sports drink.