Types of Electrolytes
Sodium & PotassiumSodium and potassium are two of the most common electrolytes that your body needs. Sodium plays a significant role in the regulation of water in the body because it is normally found outside the cell. It also helps with sending electrical signals in the body, allowing for muscles and the brain to function properly. Potassium, on the other hand, is most concentrated inside the cell. This concentration gradient is essential in the formation of electrical impulses in the body that allow muscles and the brain to function. Sodium is half of the electrical pump at the cell level that keeps the potassium concentrated more heavily in the cell and sodium concentrated mostly outside of the cell (Wedro, 2008).
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Calcium & MagnesiumThere is more calcium in the body than any other mineral. A significant majority of calcium is stored in bones and teeth to make them strong. As an electrolyte, its function is to help muscles and blood vessels to contract and expand, as well as to send messages throughout the nervous system (NIH, n.d.). Magnesium is involved in metabolic activities in the body, such as the contraction of skeletal muscles, the relaxation of the smooth muscles in the lungs, and the excitation of neurons in the brain. Calcium metabolism levels are linked to magnesium levels; meaning that the body's magnesium status needs to rise before the calcium levels can be treated (Wedro, 2008).
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