electrolytes consist of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate,phosphate, and sulfate.
"No discussion of dehydration would be complete without an explanation of electrolytes and their respective functions. Most people, when asked, aren’t sure what electrolytes are or why they’re so important in preventing
dehydration. Electrolytes are certain minerals (i.e., calcium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, sodium ions) essential to
human health. As an essential mineral, an electrolyte cannot be substituted by any other nutrient in the diet. That means that your body will only accept that particular mineral or electrolyte. Without electrolytes, you could not move, think, or live. Within the body, electrolytes are dissolved in body
fluids. In terms of hydration, electrolytes are responsible for directing water (and nutrients) to the areas of the body where its needed most and maintaining optimal fluid balance inside the cells. Besides maintaining fluid
balance, electrolytes help your muscles to contract and relax and assist in the transmission of nerve impulses from your nervous system to different body parts."
for info on why electrolytes are important, check out
http://eletewater.co.uk/pdf/electrol...ehydration.pdf