What are electrolytes and where are they found?
Short answer: Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge when they are dissolved in water or body fluids: sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, phosphate and bicarbonate. Your body uses them, among other things, to distribute fluid. They are in ordinary food and drink, and most people get enough of them. A sodium shortage from a normal diet is very unlikely: for salt, the advice is actually about a maximum.
Last updated: 6 November 2026 · Written by Florian Fermin
You come across electrolytes on sports drinks, effervescent tablets and powders, often with big promises. At GOYU we sell electrolyte powder ourselves. That is exactly why we first explain what electrolytes are, where they are found and how much you need. Only then: when you might want a bit extra, and when you don't.
What exactly are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals that have an electric charge when they are dissolved in water or body fluids, such as blood. That is the definition used by MedlinePlus, the health information service of the US National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus).
An example: salt is sodium chloride. When you dissolve salt in water, it splits into sodium with a positive charge and chloride with a negative charge. Those charged particles are the electrolytes. That is why people say salt "is an electrolyte", although it is really two electrolytes in one.
Which electrolytes are there?
MedlinePlus lists seven: sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, phosphate and bicarbonate. Five of them are the ones you see most in dietary advice and on labels.
| Electrolyte | Mainly found in | Advice per day (adults) |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | Salt, and therefore bread, meat and cheese | No more than 6 g of salt, equal to 2.4 g of sodium (Health Council of the Netherlands); EFSA: 2.0 g of sodium is safe and adequate |
| Chloride | Mainly salt | 3.1 g is safe and adequate (EFSA) |
| Potassium | Potatoes, vegetables, fruit, milk, meat, bread | 3,500 mg (adequate intake) |
| Magnesium | Wholegrain products, vegetables, nuts, milk, meat | 350 mg (men), 300 mg (women) |
| Calcium | Milk, cheese, fortified dairy alternatives, wholemeal bread, green vegetables | 950 to 1,200 mg, depending on age |
Sources for the table: Netherlands Nutrition Centre, Voedingscentrum (salt and sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium), EFSA 2019 (sodium) and EFSA 2019 (chloride). Phosphate and bicarbonate are not in the table, because you rarely see them on the labels of electrolyte products.
What do electrolytes do in your body?
Electrolytes play a part in how much water there is in your body and where that water is. According to MedlinePlus, they are also involved in the acidity of your body fluids, moving nutrients into cells and waste out of cells, and in how nerves and muscles work.
Sodium attracts water and so affects the amount of fluid in your body, writes the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Potassium regulates fluid balance together with sodium and chloride (Netherlands Nutrition Centre).
Good to know: more is not better. With healthy kidneys you simply pass any excess in your urine. Most of the sodium from your food leaves your body in your urine, and too much potassium from food is almost impossible according to the Nutrition Centre, because your kidneys get rid of the excess.
Where are electrolytes found?
In ordinary food. Sodium and chloride mainly come from salt: about 80 percent of the salt you eat is already in products such as bread, meat and cheese, and you add the rest yourself (Netherlands Nutrition Centre). You get potassium, magnesium and calcium mainly from vegetables, fruit, potatoes, wholegrain products, nuts and dairy.
A few examples per portion, with figures from the Netherlands Nutrition Centre:
| Portion | Potassium | Magnesium |
|---|---|---|
| Banana (100 g) | 374 mg | - |
| Potato (70 g) | 240 mg | - |
| Semi-skimmed milk (150 ml) | 240 mg | - |
| Cooked broccoli (50 g) | 200 mg | - |
| Unsalted peanuts (25 g) | 190 mg | - |
| Unsalted nuts (25 g) | - | About 54 mg |
| Cooked spinach (1 tablespoon) | - | About 39 mg |
| Wholemeal bread (1 slice) | 88 mg | About 19 mg |
A dash means the Nutrition Centre gives no figure for that portion, not that there is none in it. And water? Dutch tap water contains little sodium, about 0.02 grams per litre. If you want water with more electrolytes, read homemade electrolyte water with powder, sea salt or lemon.
How many electrolytes do you need per day?
That depends on the electrolyte, see the table above. For sodium the advice is mainly a maximum: no more than 6 grams of salt a day. For potassium, magnesium and calcium it is an amount you want to reach at least, and a varied diet usually gets you there.
For some electrolytes there is also an upper limit, especially if you take supplements:
- Magnesium: no more than 250 mg a day from supplements. Magnesium from ordinary food does not count towards that (Netherlands Nutrition Centre, EFSA). More in magnesium supplements: which form and how much per day?
- Calcium: EFSA sets an upper limit of 2,500 mg a day for adults, from food and supplements combined (Netherlands Nutrition Centre).
- Potassium: no upper limit has been set, but the Nutrition Centre warns that high doses from supplements can be harmful and that you should only take potassium tablets in consultation with a doctor.
When do you lose electrolytes?
Every day, through your urine and sweat, and you top them up again with food and drink. You lose more when you sweat heavily, with severe vomiting or diarrhoea, and with some medicines, such as diuretics. MedlinePlus also lists not drinking enough, especially during intense exercise or very hot weather, and drinking too much water as causes of an imbalance.
How much sodium there is in sweat varies a lot between people: from 10 to 100 mmol per litre, about 230 to 2,300 mg of sodium per litre of sweat (McDermott et al., 2017). That is why there is no fixed amount that is right for everyone.
If you have severe vomiting or diarrhoea, or think something is wrong with your electrolytes, see your GP. Only a doctor can determine whether you have a deficiency, for example with a blood test.
Do you need extra electrolytes?
For most people, no. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, you don't need to eat extra salt in warm weather or when you exercise intensively, because your food already gives you enough. Drinking water matters most then: on a very hot day at least 2 litres, but no more than 3 litres.
During long or hard exercise, especially in the heat, athletes often choose a drink with salt and sometimes carbohydrates. Sports organisations recommend deciding this personally, based on how much and how salty you sweat (McDermott et al., 2017). What to use when is covered in natural sports nutrition: what to use when?
If you want a fixed, measured amount, a powder is handy. Our electrolyte powder contains 137 mg of sodium and 56.3 mg of magnesium per 6 gram scoop. According to the label, you dissolve 1 scoop in 200 ml of water once a day. For the magnesium in it: Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance**
**Approved health claim (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012) or nutrition claim (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006).
| Ordinary food | Water with salt | Electrolyte powder | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which electrolytes | All of them, in varying amounts | Mainly sodium and chloride | Whatever is on the label, in ours sodium, magnesium and potassium |
| Dose | Not exact | Weigh it yourself | Fixed per scoop |
| When handy | Always the basis | Long or hard exercise | On the go, around exercise, when you want a fixed amount |
Do you need to watch your salt, do your kidneys not work well, or do you take medicines such as blood pressure medication or diuretics? Then talk to your GP first before using electrolyte powder or salt substitutes with potassium. And if you already take magnesium, add it all up. What is in our powder and when you'd better not use it is explained in electrolyte powder: what's in it and when to use it.
Summary in 3 points
- Electrolytes are minerals with an electric charge in body fluids: sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, phosphate and bicarbonate.
- They are found in ordinary food: sodium and chloride mainly in salt, potassium, magnesium and calcium in vegetables, fruit, potatoes, wholegrain products, nuts and dairy.
- Most people get enough, and for salt the advice is about a maximum. Extra electrolytes are mainly for long or hard exercise with a lot of sweating.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between electrolytes and minerals?
Electrolytes are minerals, but not all minerals are electrolytes. A mineral is called an electrolyte when it has an electric charge in body fluids, like sodium, potassium and magnesium. Iron and zinc are minerals too, but are usually not counted as electrolytes.
Is salt an electrolyte?
Salt is sodium chloride. Dissolved in water, it gives two electrolytes: sodium and chloride. That is why water with a little salt is the simplest form of electrolyte water.
Does water contain electrolytes?
A little. Dutch tap water contains about 0.02 grams of sodium per litre and small amounts of other minerals. Mineral water can contain more; check the label for that.
How do you know if you are low on electrolytes?
You can't determine that yourself. A deficiency mainly occurs with severe vomiting, severe diarrhoea or certain medicines. If in doubt, see your GP, who can have your blood tested if needed.
Are electrolytes only for athletes?
No, everyone needs electrolytes, and you simply get them from your food. Extra electrolytes in a drink are mainly for long or hard exercise, hot days with a lot of sweating, or when you want a fixed amount on the go.
Sources
- MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Fluid and Electrolyte Balance (definition, list of electrolytes, functions, causes of an imbalance), accessed 6 November 2026. medlineplus.gov
- Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Centre). Zout en natrium (Health Council advice, conversion, sources, warm weather and sport, tap water), accessed 6 November 2026. voedingscentrum.nl
- Voedingscentrum. Kalium (function, adequate intake, potassium per portion, deficiency and excess), accessed 6 November 2026. voedingscentrum.nl
- Voedingscentrum. Magnesium (recommended amount, sources, upper limit for supplements), accessed 6 November 2026. voedingscentrum.nl
- Voedingscentrum. Calcium (recommended amount by age, sources, upper limit), accessed 6 November 2026. voedingscentrum.nl
- EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens. Dietary reference values for sodium. EFSA Journal. 2019;17(9):e05778. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5778. PubMed 32626425
- EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens. Dietary reference values for chloride. EFSA Journal. 2019;17(9):e05779. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5779. PubMed 32626426
- McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al. National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: fluid replacement for the physically active. J Athl Train. 2017;52(9):877-895. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-52.9.02. PubMed 28985128
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims. EUR-Lex
- GOYU, label Elektrolytes powder (lemon flavour, 500 g): directions and amounts per 6 g, 2026 version.
You'll find our electrolyte powder and magnesium under buy natural sports nutrition, our salts under buy natural salt and all products with a claim for sport and exercise under supplements for sport and muscles.
This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you have symptoms, your kidneys don't work well, you are pregnant or you take medication, talk to your GP or pharmacist.
Electrolytes and minerals from GOYU
Electrolyte powder with lemon flavour (137 mg sodium and 56.3 mg magnesium per 6 grams), Magnesium complex with three forms of magnesium, and coarse Celtic sea salt from Brittany.
