An electrolyte imbalance is the primary contributor to muscle cramping and fatigue during exercise or activity, such as backpacking or hiking. Loss of water through sweat or elimination is what causes an electrolyte imbalance. You can prevent dehydration by staying hydrated, but water alone is not enough to regain electrolyte balance. You also need to consume foods high in electrolytes.
What are electrolytes? Electrolytes are ions, or salts. They consist of more than just standard sodium chloride (table salt). Specifically, electrolytes are positive ions of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and negative ions of chloride, bicarbonate, sulfate, and phosphate. The ion charge provides the voltage for the blood cells to move around the body and perform their functions.
Sodium and Potassium are the primary electrolytes lost through exercise. Follow these steps to replenish sodium and potassium requirements in your diet -
Do not restrict salt intake in your food.
The guideline for healthy adults is to consume about 1 tsp per day, which is about 2300 mg to replace the amount lost daily through sweat.
Incorporate foods containing potassium in your diet.
Potassium rich food sources include -
- Dried fruits such as bananas, dates, raisins, papaya, coconut, and apricots;
- Plant sources such as potatoes, spinach, lentils, beans (soybean, pinto, white, kidney, lima), and avocados;
- Dehydrated potato based meals or meals containing dried spinach can be found easily;
- Beans add a lot of protein, fiber, flavor and substance to dishes; look for dehydrated beans or bean flakes instead of dried beans (uncooked);
- Dried soybeans (edamame) is difficult to find; soy is more commonly found in energy bars and drinks, or can be purchased dried in the form of TVP (textured vegetable protein); we are not fans of TVP since it is highly processed, but does produce a meat-like flavor; less processed soy includes tofu and tempeh, however dehydrated tofu and tempeh is difficult to find.
- Avocado. You won’t find dried avocados due to their high oil content, but packing fresh can be done successfully. They are a little heavy, but will keep for several days in your pack if packed well (keep cushioned toward the bottle-middle part of your pack). Avocados are not only a nice treat, but are excellent because they provide healthy (high calorie) fat. They taste fantastic when paired with sprouts & olive oil in a tortilla sandwich.
Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, regardless of your thirst.
The clothing typically worn for outdoor activity is designed to wick away moisture from the skin allowing it to dry fast. This is great for comfort, but does make it difficult to gauge how much sweat we’ve lost. The burning sensation of saline sweat dripping into your eyes, or the taste of salt on your lips is a sure signal that you are losing liquids and salts when it is hot outside. However, you probably don’t notice the amount of sweat lost when the temperature drops or it is windy. No matter what the temperature outside, keep drinking throughout the day to stay hydrated — even if you don’t feel thirsty. Your body works more efficiently (including heating and cooling) when properly hydrated.
Outdoor Herbivore’s high potassium meals:
- Toasted Sunburst Muesli – mixed grain cereal with instant soy milk, dates and raisins
- Lickety-Split Lentils – contains lentils and spinach
- Savory Lentil Simmer – high calorie soup with lentils and spinach
- Naked Pinto Burrito – instant pinto bean filling for tortilla.
- Coconut Chia Peel – powdered banana, coconut and dates
- Denver Veggie Scramble – scrambled egg with diced potato
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