Electrolytes are essential for our most basic bodily functions – without them, no electrical signals can be passed on. Neither at the smallest, mitochondrial level for energy production, nor at the multicellular level of nerve signals.

Therefore, it is enormously important to provide your body with enough minerals. As we will see, we have 4 minerals in the body, which are mainly used as electrolytes, plus 3 less important substances. So a total of 7.

Over the post, we’ll look at the function of electrolytes before moving on to practical protocols. The main ones we will look at are: Sports, Sauna & Fasting. Last, we’ll talk about supplementation and why the form matters, as this is enormously important, before I’ll introduce you to my favorite electrolyte powder from German production: the Salzmische*.

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What are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are molecules that our body uses to:

maintain a slightly negative electrical voltage around the cells.
this basic voltage can be manipulated to generate signals, as it happens in the nerve cells.

We will look at how this works in more detail in the next but one chapter.¹

LadyofHats, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Except for one less important electrolyte, bicarbonate (HCO³-), all electrolytes are minerals.

They exist as ions and thus always carry a charge, either positive or negative. This makes them attractive for generating voltage differences. These voltages are then isolated from each other by the cell membrane and the force of EZ Water. Where there is a different voltage, an electronic current can flow by definition.
As a side note: interestingly, where there is a voltage and a current flows, there also exists an electromagnetic field – an essential assumption of quantum health.

Their concentrations are regulated by the kidneys. Because of their importance, electrolytes are monitored extremely closely and slight deviations have serious consequences. Fortunately, this happens rarely and only in cases of serious illness, because the body knows very well how important well-functioning electrolyte balance is.²

Welche Elektrolyte gibt es?

Chloride

Chloride (Cl-) is negatively charged and is always found outside the cell in the so-called extracellular fluid, which fills the spaces between cells.
In addition to electrolytes, it also consists of structured, hexagonal cell water, which has fundamentally different properties than normal water. More about this in this article.

Potassium

Potassium (K+) is positively charged and one of the most important electrolytes within the cell.

A pump has been postulated to regulate potassium & sodium by monitoring the balance of both. According to the work of electrophysiologist Gilbert Ling³, however, leaves this pump (called Na+/K+-ATPase) in strong doubt.

Potassium is special because it moves around to generate signals. While other electrolytes are concentrated mainly stationary to maintain the base voltage, it moves in & out of the cell.

Calcium

Calcium (Ca2+) occurs as a positive electrolyte outside the cells in the cell fluid.

It is extremely important to trigger signals, especially a muscle contraction or as a ‘second messenger’⁴within nervous systems. Its regulation is far more complex and not only dependent on the kidney, but things like hormone D, the parathyroid hormone PTH, calcitonin, and vitamin K2 play into this as well.

Magnesium

Magnesium (Mg2+) is again found within the cells.

Among many other functions in the body, it is also an important electrolyte. Inside the cell it is present to maintain the voltage, it is less pumped around, such as potassium to generate electrical signals.

Sodium

Salt: hugely important for health & we can manage it well.

Sodium (Na+), together with potassium, is one of the ‘mobile’ electrolytes.

While potassium is concentrated inside and moves predominantly outside, sodium does the opposite: it is concentrated outside and flows inside. Supposedly, the previously described Na+/K+-ATPase is responsible for this, which can be doubted.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is a less important electrolyte found in cellular fluid. Like calcium, it is complexly controlled by some other hormonal systems.

Bicarbonate

Bicarbonate (HCO³-) is the only inorganic compound on this list.

In the body it is essential for acid-base balance and respiration. It acts largely as a holder of balance against acidic substances.

What is the Use of Electrolytes in the Body?

Preservation of a Negative Electronic Base Voltage

Every cell is electrically charged and thus generates a current, as well as an electromagnetic field. This has far-reaching consequences. Approximately, the quiescent voltage of the cells is -80mV to -70mV. ⁵

Wie immer: Energiegewinnung ist zentral für Gesundheit. Klaus Hoffmeier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Recent research shows that mitochondria have their own cell potential, which is far more negative. It is generated in the course of energy production, since protons, which are obtained from food, are channeled through the five complexes from the inside to the outside. The potential here is beyond -150mV, and should optimally fall somewhere near -180mV to -200mV.

The membrane potential is an indicator of well-tuned energy production.⁶

Stimulus generation & transmission

A signal is generated by changing the electrolyte balance of a cell. A cell normally depolarizes, meaning it becomes more negative, going from -60mV to -80mV, for example. This occurs by channeling the electrolytes from inside to outside the membrane or vice versa. It’s a pretty ingenious, albeit complicated, system that biology has come up with here.

Other cells then react to this noticeably more negative signal and pass it on or perform a predetermined action. Without getting too deep into the world of electrophysiology, let this suffice.

Does it make sense to supplement with Electrolytes?

Diet always outcompetes Supplements

Nutrients from the complete food matrix are always superior.

First and foremost, electrolytes from the diet always trump isolated and artificial forms.

Therefore, you should meet your basic mineral needs through a nutrient-dense, seasonal nose-to-tail diet. The 3 scenarios below for supplemental electrolytes relate to targeted endpoints:

the improvement of sports performance
rebalancing your electrolyte status after the sauna
and supporting fasting with electrolytes.

These electrolytes are seen ‘on-top’ of a nutrient-dense diet. Healthy people can get many benefits from these and contrary to many opinions, there are few expected problems. If you are ill, especially with things like cardiovascular and kidney disease, as always check any supplementation with your doctor.

Improve electrolyte balance before exercise

Optimizing Sodium & Chloride

You should take electrolytes before sports. Let’s start with sodium & chloride, i.e. simple salt:

I recommend here pure rock salt about 10g (=4g sodium + 6g chloride) circa 30min before the sport.
For each additional hour of sport then again 5g salt.
If you sweat a lot, as when running in the summer, gladly more.

You may think “Fuck me, 15g of salt, Kevin?!” Yes, that goes against all recommendations and your cardiologist is probably thinking – high blood pressure(!!!!@!). But that is bullshit if you are healthy. Your body is extremely well adapted to salt, as a former sea dweller. A great book for this topic is ‘The Salt Fallacy*’ by Dr. James DiNicolantonio, who has researched the topic for decades.
The salt is there to stop the natural fluid loss during exercise and keep your nerves supplied with enough sodium & chloride. Personally, the hack has done a lot for me!

Magnesium & Kalium optimieren

Magnesium & potassium come next:

Take these with the 10g of salt, so also 30 minutes before exercise.
I recommend 300-400mg magnesium malate & 1-2g potassium citrate.

The forms are important. Do not take cheap magnesium oxide. It is not absorbed and stays in the intestines. Malate, on the other hand, goes primarily to the muscles, where you want it during exercise. Similarly, malate is a component of the citrate cycle and contributes to energy production. The same is true for potassium citrate. The citrate (=citrate), is also part of the citrate cycle and is well absorbed.

So – long story, short: 10g untreated rock salt, 300-400mg magnesium malate & 1-2g potassium citrate – 30min before workout.

Balancing electrolyte balance after sauna

You will need to rebalance your electrolyte balance. Electrolyte powders can help here.

After Sauna, it is about restoring lost electrolytes and thus balancing your electrolyte status. During Sauna, you should not drink anything – to detoxify well. The only thing to recommend here is a mixture of supplements to detox via methylation⁸ if this is something you would want to push.

I recommend after the sauna session:

1l mineral water: such as: Steinsieker or Epsteiner.
5g rock salt + 300mg magnesium malate + 1g potassium citrate.
Alternatively, of course: 1l mineral water + a large, nutrient-rich meal.

Electrolytes during Fasting

Fasting is logically characterized by the fact that no nutrients and therefore no electrolytes enter the body. It is enormously beneficial and something to which people are enormously well adapted – even modern people, once they are keto-adapted.

In addition, fasting is extremely safe. No healthy person who does 24h or interval fasting will have to fear a true electrolyte deficiency. Even multi-day fasting beyond 24h will not encounter this, even with added exercise. This problem really only occurs from longer durations, beyond several days without food. And to avoid this, even a good mineral water can help a lot.

Nevertheless, electrolytes help enormously, especially if the duration goes beyond 24h or you are (athletically) active during the fast:

A basic should be in good mineral water rich in calcium, magnesium & Co.
Additional salt helps enormously to minimize electrolyte losses: about 5-10g per day, more during training.
Additional magnesium malate helps as well.

My favorite Elextrolyte Powder – the Salzmische

My favorite is the Salzmische*, from German production. Here is why:

As already briefly mentioned, the form of the minerals is crucial. Many supplements from drugstores or supplement companies often contain the wrong forms. They are cheap, poorly absorbed and thus simply remain in the intestines where they can also create digestive problems. A good example of this is magnesium oxide – look at the effervescent tablets with magnesium on them or the mineral pills from various supplement companies. It’s a common choice.

The respective ratios are a bit tricky and depend on the application, as well as you individually. Salt mix has two mixtures, a standard mixture and one for fasting with higher potassium content. Of course, there is nothing wrong with mixing it yourself, but the pre-made mix makes it easier for you and comes at a similar price.

Fußnoten & Quellen

1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541123/
2
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1472029906000063#:~:text=The%20kidneys%20match%20renal%20excretion,by%20increases%20in%20urinary%20excretion.
3
More here on his website. Recommended is his free book ‘Life at and below the Cell Level’, it is hard to read even if you are inside the subject matter, yet immensely valuable as he provides many points that strongly challenge this fundamental-scholar pump. He briefly postulates a quantum mechanical, ‘passive’ mechanism around the hexagonal, EZ-water postulated by Gerald Pollack.
4
second messenger = a second signal, in our case the release of calcium from special storage bladders, which is given after a first signal substance, such as a hormone docks at a receptor
5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Membrane_potential
6
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28711444/ + https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1474-9728.2003.00079.x⁶ External influences such as human generated EMF radiation manage to lower this potential, presumably by widening the distance of the mitochondrial enzymes – a few Ångström (1 Ångström = 0.1 nanometer) more in width, noticeably reduce the efficiency of the quantum tunnel here. ⁷https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-11212-x + https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7927033/
7
8
5g creatine, 15g collagen, 400-800mg methylfolate, cobalamin mixture: hydroxo-, adenosyl- & methylcobalamin, binders like 15g zeolite -> in the sauna post there are the detailed instructions

Ancestrally Healthy Ancestrally Healthy

Electrolytes – everything you need to know!