Electrolytes explained: Do you need supplements in UAE summer? Experts break down risks and myths

You can feel it everywhere this summer: Electrolytes persist in neon-coloured gym drinks, fizzy dissolvable tablets, influencer water bottles, and supermarket shelves lined with powders promising 'next-level hydration'.

Somewhere along the way, plain water has started to look almost insufficient.

But beneath the marketing frenzy lies a much simpler, more important question: what actually are electrolytes, and does your body really need extra help getting through a UAE summer?

The answer is yes, just not always in the heavily branded, expensive way social media makes it seem.

So what are electrolytes, in the first place?

Let’s dial it back to the basics first. They are minerals that carry an electric charge and help regulate some of the body’s most essential functions. These charged minerals come in several forms, and as Justine Dempt, a Dubai-based coach and nutritionist had early told us. Our bodies rely on include sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate.

Among these, our bodies naturally produce bicarbonate, and it’s easy to get enough phosphate and calcium through a balanced diet. Sodium chloride, better known as table salt, takes care of sodium and chloride. So, when it comes to electrolyte drinks and supplements, you will often find potassium, magnesium, and sodium making repeat appearances.

Melanie Dsouza, clinical dietician at Medcare Shaikh Saqr Al Qasimi Hospital, Sharjah breaks it down further: "Electrolytes help maintain fluid balance, muscle function and nerve activity. In hot weather, sweating increases electrolyte loss, so the body needs more replacement fuel."

And when those levels begin to drop, the body notices quickly. Muscles become more prone to cramping, nerves struggle to communicate efficiently, and hydration becomes harder to regulate, which is exactly why electrolyte balance matters so much during intense summer heat.

How do we lose electrolytes?

If electrolytes are essential for the body to function smoothly, the next question is how we actually lose them.

The most obvious route is through fluid loss. In everyday life, the body is usually well-equipped to keep things balanced. But in certain situations, illness being one of them, that balance can quickly be disrupted. Conditions that cause vomiting or diarrhoea can deplete fluids and minerals rapidly, while chronic digestive issues such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may interfere with the body’s ability to absorb key nutrients in the first place.

For most healthy people, though, the real electrolyte drain doesn’t come from illness, it comes from heat, movement, and sweat.

Step into a gym session, an outdoor run, or even a long walk in peak summer heat, and the body shifts into cooling mode. Sweating is its most effective defence against overheating, but it comes at a cost: Fluid loss is accompanied by essential minerals, particularly sodium, along with smaller amounts of potassium and magnesium. The harder and longer you push, the more you lose.

And so, replacing fluids alone isn’t always enough after intense activity.

Why summer heat changes everything

In extreme heat and humidity, that balance is pushed to its limits. As nutritionist and trainer Hannah Lucy Murphy explains, the body can lose two to three litres of sweat per hour simply trying to keep itself cool.

“And sweat isn’t just water,” she says. “It carries significant sodium with it, plus smaller amounts of potassium and magnesium.”

As these minerals are steadily depleted, the effects begin to show. Blood volume starts to drop, the heart works harder to circulate what’s left, and muscles gradually become less predictable in their response.

“That cramp that seizes your calf halfway through a beach football game, or locks up your hamstring during a run, it’s often your sodium and magnesium running low,” Murphy says.

Humidity only amplifies the strain. In dry heat, sweat evaporates quickly, helping the body cool efficiently. But in humid conditions, that evaporation slows down. Sweat lingers on the skin, cooling becomes less effective, and the body compensates by producing even more sweat, accelerating fluid and electrolyte loss in the process.

Can you be dehydrated even if you drink lots of water?

Surprisingly, yes. One of the biggest misconceptions around hydration is that drinking water alone is always enough.

If you're sweating heavily, drinking only water without replacing lost electrolytes may still lead to imbalance, as Dsouza explains. Electrolytes help the body retain and properly distribute fluids. Without them, the efficiency of hydration reduces particularly after prolonged sweating from outdoor workouts, walking in the heat, or even daily commuting during summer.

Murphy adds that many people wait until they feel thirsty before drinking fluids, but thirst often arrives late. “By the time you feel genuinely thirsty in Dubai heat, you’re already behind,” she says.

Furthermore, caffeine can also dehydrate the body, and it might even reduce your magnesium levels by blocking its reabsorption. Research suggests that stress can actually upset your electrolyte balance, causing your body to flush out more minerals through urine.

A 2020 review The Effects of Psychological and Environmental Stress on Micronutrient Concentrations in the Body: A Review of the Evidence, published in the National Library of Medicine also suggest that stress can throw your electrolyte levels off track, though more research is needed.

The early signs people ignore

Electrolyte imbalances rarely begin dramatically. Instead, the symptoms are often brushed off as tiredness, poor sleep or just 'the heat'.

According to Dsouza, common warning signs include:

• Muscle cramps

• Fatigue

• Dizziness

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Difficulty concentrating

Murphy adds that disproportionate fatigue, headaches behind the eyes, dark urine, and nausea during exercise can also indicate electrolyte depletion.

Moreover, cramps in the calves, feet or hamstrings are especially common during long runs, football matches, padel sessions or extended activity are a recurring feature too.

Who is most vulnerable?

While anyone who sweats heavily can experience electrolyte loss, some groups are more susceptible than others. “Children, older adults, people with diabetes, and those with chronic illnesses are more vulnerable due to higher fluid loss or reduced hydration awareness,” says Dsouza.

Furthermore, athletes and outdoor workers are also at higher risk because of prolonged exposure to heat and continuous sweating.

Are electrolyte drinks being overused?

Just like every other trending fitness drink believed to be a miracle cure, yes.

Most people can stay well-hydrated with water and a balanced diet alone, explains Dsouza. “Electrolyte drinks are mainly useful during prolonged heat exposure, intense exercise or excessive sweating.”

Murphy agrees, adding that for most standard gym sessions, especially those under an hour, electrolyte supplementation is usually unnecessary. “Your body is good at holding onto electrolytes during shorter efforts, and whatever you lose is easily replaced by your next meal,” she says. “A piece of toast with butter has more sodium than most people sweat out in 45 minutes on the treadmill.”

However, the equation changes in specific situations: outdoor workouts during UAE summers, endurance training, long-distance running, cycling, football matches, or any activity stretching beyond 90 minutes.

Those who sweat heavily may also benefit from more intentional replacement. One simple indicator is visible salt residue on skin or clothing after exercise, the white marks that signal sodium loss is higher than average.

Can food provide enough electrolytes?

Fortunately, many of the electrolytes your body needs are already hiding in everyday foods. Bananas, avocados and sweet potatoes are packed with potassium, while nuts and seeds help boost magnesium levels. Dairy products, eggs and fish provide calcium, and sodium is naturally present in a wide variety of foods that most people already consume regularly.

The bigger issue, however, may not be electrolyte intake itself, but the lack of variety in modern diets. “The problem is that many people are eating a fairly narrow range of foods,” says Murphy. “The same meal delivery orders, ultra-processed snacks and repetitive diets can create quiet deficiencies over time.”

During cooler months, those gaps may go unnoticed. But once summer arrives and the body begins losing more minerals through sweat, those underlying deficiencies can become far more apparent, leaving people feeling fatigued, cramp-prone and constantly dehydrated despite drinking plenty of water.

The risks of overdoing electrolyte supplements

As with most things in nutrition, too much of a good thing can quickly turn sour. Electrolytes are essential for health, but overdoing supplementation can disrupt the body’s balance rather than support it.

Excess sodium, for instance, can contribute to high blood pressure and water retention, increasing blood volume and putting added strain on the cardiovascular system. Too much potassium, although less common, can affect heart rhythm and in severe cases lead to irregular heartbeats. Overconsumption of magnesium may cause digestive upset, particularly diarrhoea, while excessive calcium intake has been linked to kidney stones. For this reason, experts stress the importance of sticking to recommended doses and using supplements only when genuinely needed.

Murphy also highlights another overlooked issue: many commercial electrolyte drinks contain significant amounts of added sugar. “Regular overconsumption contributes to weight gain, blood sugar spikes and, over time, increases the risk of metabolic issues,” she says.

There is also a more subtle risk. Ironically, taking in high amounts of electrolytes without sufficient water can worsen dehydration by disrupting fluid balance within cells rather than restoring it.

Apart from physical effects, experts warn that over-reliance on supplements can mask the real issue, whether that’s an unbalanced diet, inadequate recovery, or pushing the body too hard in extreme heat.

When you should actually take supplements

Explaining whether electrolyte supplements improve hydration more than water, Rahaf Mohammed Altowairqi, a Dubai-based clinical dietician, had earlier told us: They can be beneficial in specific situations. “Yes, especially when the body loses significant amounts of fluids and minerals, such as through sweating during exercise or illness. The sodium, potassium and magnesium help maintain fluid balance by regulating how water moves in and out of cells, which promotes better hydration,” she explains.

However, she emphasises that supplements are mainly useful for high-performance athletes or individuals engaged in prolonged or intense physical activity, where sweat losses are substantial.

In practical terms, if a workout lasts more than an hour, particularly in hot or humid conditions, even casual exercisers may lose enough electrolytes to justify replenishment. In these cases, water alone may not fully restore sodium and other minerals needed for optimal recovery and hydration.

Still, experts caution that balance is key. While electrolyte supplements have a clear role in certain situations, overuse can be counterproductive and, in some cases, may even negatively affect overall health.

The bottom line...

As specialists reassure, if you’re maintaining a balanced diet and not sweating excessively, there’s generally no need to overthink electrolyte intake. For most people, a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, dairy and high-quality proteins provides more than enough of these essential minerals.

In fact, many electrolyte-rich foods are already part of everyday meals without people realising it. Yoghurt, for example, is a good source of potassium and magnesium, while leafy greens, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate and whole grains contribute additional magnesium. Bananas, avocados and coconut water are also well-known for helping replenish potassium levels.

Apart from individual nutrients, whole foods offer a broader nutritional advantage. Ingredients like spinach and kale, for instance, naturally contain magnesium, calcium and potassium, while also delivering fibre, folate and antioxidants. Together, these compounds support digestion, immune function and long-term overall health, benefits that go far beyond hydration alone.