How to test electrolyte status (and tips to correct deficiencies)

<p>Testing electrolyte status can be confusing. Why? While blood tests are commonly used to assess electrolyte status, they don’t actually reflect total body hydration or mineral sufficiency. Blood levels are tightly regulated by your body, meaning it will pull electrolytes from tissues like bone or muscle to keep blood levels within a normal range — even if the rest of the body is depleted. So, “normal” blood electrolyte levels can be misleading; they don’t necessarily indicate optimal hydration or electrolyte balance at the cellular level, and can’t always identify moderate nutrient deficiencies.</p><p>On the other hand, if blood electrolyte results <em>are</em> out of range, it’s typically an indicator of a larger issue and can’t necessarily be remedied by diet alone.</p><p>In this article, I’ll help clear up confusion about electrolyte panels, and share tips to assess your electrolyte status properly with your doctor. But the main takeaway if you read no further is that normal blood electrolyte levels don’t always mean you’re consuming enough electrolytes, and other important data points to consider are:</p><ol><li>Symptoms. Electrolyte deficiencies can often present as tiredness, headaches, muscle cramps, and brain fog.</li><li>Diet. Healthy diets are typically low in sodium in particular, and you may not be getting enough through diet alone.</li></ol><p>I’ll start by talking through what defines an electrolyte deficiency, then speak to assessing your sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, and wrap up with four tips to improve your electrolyte intake.</p><h2>Electrolyte Imbalance vs. Electrolyte Deficiency</h2><p>Let’s begin getting clear about <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/how-to-prevent-an-electrolyte-imbalance-and-what-causes-them" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">electrolyte <em>imbalances</em></a> versus electrolyte <em>deficiencies</em>, because they’re not the same.</p><p>An <strong>electrolyte <em>imbalance</em></strong> is when blood levels of an electrolyte are too low or too high (again, likely an indicator of something else going on, like an illness). An <strong>electrolyte <em>deficiency</em></strong> is an inadequate dietary intake of an electrolyte, and may or may not affect how you feel on the daily.</p><h3>Electrolyte imbalances</h3><p>The primary causes of electrolyte imbalance include:</p><ul><li>Kidney or heart failure</li><li>Vomiting or diarrhea from illness (can cause potassium imbalance)</li><li>Diuretic medications</li><li>Consuming excess alcohol</li><li><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/can-you-drink-too-much-water" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Overhydration</a> with plain water (may cause sodium imbalance)</li></ul><p>Why doesn’t an inadequate consumption of electrolytes cause an imbalance? That’s because your body works hard to prevent low blood electrolyte levels, even when dietary intakes are low or high. Maintaining normal blood electrolyte levels allows for crucial functions like <a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/what-are-electrolytes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cellular communication and fluid balance</a>.</p><p>For one example of how your body maintains blood electrolyte levels, we can look at the kidneys. If sodium or potassium levels get too high, your kidneys excrete more electrolytes through urine. When they’re too low, it slows down excretion, keeping more of these electrolytes in your body.</p><p>It’s not just the kidneys, though. Your body has another way of maintaining serum electrolytes when they fall too low: tapping into the human skeleton.</p><p>Yes, your body breaks<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24840297/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> down bone</a> (yikes!) to keep minerals like sodium, calcium, and magnesium within normal ranges in your blood. That’s how important these elements are to normal physiologic function.</p><h3>What about electrolyte deficiency?</h3><p>While electrolyte <em>deficiency</em> won’t show up on a blood test, you may still feel it in your energy levels or elsewhere.</p><p>The symptoms of electrolyte deficiency are often subtle. Depending on the electrolyte, folks may have low energy, <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-muscle-cramps" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">muscle cramps</a>, <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-keto-headaches" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">headaches</a>, poor sleep, irritability, <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-keto-brain-fog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brain fog</a>, dizziness, or weakness.</p><p>Of course, many other conditions can also drive these signs and symptoms. It’s important to address any electrolyte deficiencies in conjunction with other aspects of health — sunlight, movement, eating healthy foods, and addressing underlying conditions (just to name a few) can all significantly impact our health, too, and electrolytes are often just one piece of a larger puzzle.</p><h2>Testing Electrolyte Status</h2><p>Let’s talk about how to address <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/is-sodium-good-or-bad-for-you" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sodium</a>, <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/potassium-benefits-and-best-sources" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">potassium</a>, <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/magnesium-benefits-and-best-sources" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">magnesium</a>, and <a href="http://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/calcium" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">calcium</a> status holistically.</p><h3>Assessing Sodium Status</h3><p>A normal sodium blood test doesn’t indicate you’re getting enough sodium. I’ve hammered that point already.</p><p>So, how do you know if you need more sodium? Look at these areas:</p><ul><li>Symptoms. Monitor how you feel. Sodium deficiency often presents as tiredness, <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-keto-headaches" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">headaches</a>, <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-muscle-cramps" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">muscle cramps</a>, <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-keto-brain-fog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brain fog</a>, and <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-carb-cravings-and-5-ways-to-control-them" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">carb cravings</a>. You’ll feel the difference when you get your sodium intake right.</li><li>Diet. Whole food diets are naturally low in sodium, plus low-carb and keto diets <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858534/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increase urinary sodium loss</a>.</li><li>Sweat loss. Sodium is the primary electrolyte lost in sweat, and the more you sweat, the more sodium you’ll need. Athletes exercising in the heat can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22150427/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lose</a> up to 7 grams of sodium per day.</li></ul><p>To go deeper, read our article on <a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/electrolyte-imbalance-or-deficiency/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">factors that increase electrolyte needs</a>. You can also check out our <a href="https://quiz.drinklmnt.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sodium Intake Calculator</a> for an estimation of how much sodium you may need on a daily basis.</p><h3>Assessing Potassium Status</h3><p>Potassium deficiency can be a little harder to nail down, and only about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545438/#:~:text=The%2075th%20percentile%20of%20usual%20potassium%20intake%20exceeds%20the%20potassium%20AI%20for%20most%20adult%20DRI%20age%2C%20sex%2C%20and%20life%2Dstage%20groups%2C%20indicating%20that%20between%20one%2Dquarter%20and%20one%2Dhalf%20of%20U.S.%20and%20Canadian%20adults%20exceed%20the%20AI%20(see%20Table%207%2D4)." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">25%</a> of American adults hit the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK587683/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">adequate intake</a> of 3.4 g/day for men and 2.6 g/day for women (and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6181280/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">optimal intakes</a> may be higher, in the range of 3.5–5 grams per day).</p><p>Here are areas to consider when assessing if you’re consuming enough potassium.</p><ul><li>Blood pressure. Research <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">links</a> potassium deficiency with <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">elevated blood pressure, </a>a heart disease risk factor — though t<a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">o be clear, </a>low dietary potassium is only one possible contributor to high blood pressure, and blood pressure is affected by a wide variety of diet and lifestyle choices.</li><li><a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/potassium-deficiency/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Potassium deficiency symptoms</a>, including muscle cramps, constipation, tiredness, constipation, malaise, and weakness. Though in general, potassium symptoms might not be as obvious as sodium deficiency symptoms, so you won’t want to fully rely on these.</li><li>Consider what <a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/electrolyte-rich-foods/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">potassium-rich foods</a> you’re eating, or can add in.</li></ul><p>You can watch these symptoms and your diet to calibrate your potassium intake.</p><h3>Assessing Magnesium Status</h3><p>As with potassium and sodium, you can’t rely on blood testing to know if you’re getting enough magnesium. Only <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5926493/#!po=11.8421" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">0.3% of total body magnesium</a> is present in the blood, so it’s hard to get an accurate reading there.</p><p><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5786912/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Signs of magnesium deficiency</a> may include:</p><ul><li>Muscle cramps</li><li>Fatigue or weakness</li><li>High blood pressure (hypertension)</li><li>Increased inflammation</li><li>Kidney stones</li><li>Osteoporosis (brittle bones)</li><li>Cardiac arrhythmias</li><li>Heart palpitations</li></ul><p>Again, though, these symptoms can stem from many other causes. So, a smart strategy is to watch for these symptoms while eating <a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/electrolyte-rich-foods/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">magnesium-rich foods</a>. Our ancestors ate about <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5786912/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">600 mg of magnesium daily</a>, and you’ll unlikely to overshoot this mark with a magnesium-rich diet.&nbsp;</p><h3>Assessing Calcium Status</h3><p>If you’re low on dietary calcium, your body will pull it from bone to maintain blood serum levels — keeping blood levels stable even though you may not be consuming enough for the rest of your body.</p><p>Most adults can benefit from around <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">1 gram of daily calcium</a> to support bone health, muscle health, and other vital functions. Diet is the best place to consume calcium, since some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5620030/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">evidence</a> suggests calcium supplements may <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5620030/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increase heart disease risk</a>. <a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/electrolyte-rich-foods/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Calcium-rich foods</a> include dairy, leafy greens, and tofu.</p><h2>4 Tips for Improving Electrolyte Status</h2><p>Here are three tips to help you make sure you’re consuming enough electrolytes.</p><h3>#1: Use the salt shaker liberally</h3><p>Most people need more salt. Active folks <a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/did-you-know/hydrate-for-endurance-sports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lose extra sodium</a> through sweat, low-carb folks lose extra sodium through urine, and many folks are afraid of the salt shaker.</p><p>Check out our <a href="https://quiz.drinklmnt.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sodium calculator</a> for more guidance on getting enough salt. You might be surprised at how much you actually need — and the salt shaker is an easy way to start increasing your daily intake.</p><h3>#2: Eat electrolyte-rich foods</h3><p>The salt shaker is a start, but the foods you’re salting and eating matter, too — especially when it comes to the electrolytes you can’t get through the salt shaker. Here are foods to focus on for each electrolyte:</p><ul><li>Sodium: salt, pickles, and cured meats/cheeses.</li><li>Potassium: dark leafy greens, meat, potatoes, and fruit.</li><li>Magnesium: dark leafy greens, chocolate, and nuts.</li><li>Calcium: dairy, soybeans, and cruciferous vegetables.</li></ul><p>To learn more, check out this <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/electrolyte-rich-foods-and-when-to-supplement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">guide to electrolyte-rich foods</a>.</p><h3>#3: Drink electrolytes</h3><p>Have you befriended the salt shaker and stocked your diet with electrolyte-rich foods, but still aren’t getting enough electrolytes? Electrolyte drinks can help fill in any gaps. We formulated <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-recharge-electrolyte-drink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LMNT</a> to complement folks’ electrolyte intake from their diets, and you can also make <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/the-best-homemade-electrolyte-drink-for-dehydration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">electrolyte drinks at home</a>.</p><h3>#4: Listen to how you feel</h3><p>Our bodies need electrolytes to function — and when you get the right amount, you can feel the difference. For some folks, it may look like improved energy and fewer cravings; for others, they may experience better performance in the gym or recovery after. Tinker with the salt shaker, your foods, and electrolyte drinks, and listen to your body — you’ll see the signals when you find the intake that’s right for you.</p>