Everybody and every body is different.
Everybody and every body is different, so it depends. How much you exercise, the climate you live in, if you have health issues that cause vomiting or diarrhea, if you're pregnant or nursing, and a variety of other factors will all influence whether your electrolyte needs fall on the higher or lower end of that spectrum.
The National Institute of Health has created this super helpful tool that calculates your daily nutrient recommendations. Give it a try to see what nutrient intake you should be aiming for every day and how much is too much for your body type and lifestyle.
But you may still be wondering: If Re-Lyte's so healthy, why do I have to limit how much I take?
Well, it is possible to get too many electrolytes, and we prefer to err on the side of caution since our products contain a generous dose of them, especially sodium.
At this point, there is no Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) set for sodium because there's very little evidence that sodium causes toxicity in healthy people, even at very high doses.
But regardless of any electrolyte recommendations we or anyone else gives you, you should pay attention to the signs your body gives you. If you're not getting enough electrolytes, you may experience things like headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. If you're getting too many, you may develop a stomach ache and/or diarrhea.
The color of your urine can be a sign that you need more electrolytes, too. If your urine is completely clear, it may mean that you're drinking too much water without enough electrolytes to balance it out. Salt cravings could also be a sign that you're low in sodium. Your body has a finely tuned salt thermostat that's developed over years and years of evolution to make you crave salt when you need it and be turned off by salt when you don't.
The truth is, electrolyte intake—and hydration in general—aren't things you can issue one-size-fits-all guidelines for. Everybody and every body is different. Here are some helpful resources that can help you get your electrolyte intake just right:
- Blog Post: How Much Water Do You Really Need?
- Blog Post: What Is the Ideal Electrolyte Balance for Exercise Recovery?
- Blog Post: 4 Hydration Mistakes Even Health Nuts Make