{"id":35258,"date":"2023-02-17T15:28:02","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T14:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/?p=35258"},"modified":"2026-11-03T17:29:52","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T16:29:52","slug":"mineral-salts-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/mineral-salts-athletes\/","title":{"rendered":"Mineral salts: everything you should know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Athletes are familiar with <\/span>mineral salts<\/b> in gels, tablets and powders. Why do they matter for a good <\/span>strategy for <\/b>sports hydration<\/b><\/a>?<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on!<\/span><\/p>\n

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What Are Mineral Salts?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The compounds <\/span>mineral salts<\/b> perform many tightly regulated functions. As <\/span>mineral salts<\/b> used in <\/span>replacement supplements<\/b>, they come in tablets, capsules and powders to replace <\/span>lost electrolytes<\/b>, particularly in <\/span>endurance sports<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mineral Salt Functions<\/span><\/h2>\n

What do <\/span>mineral salts<\/b> do in the body?<\/span><\/p>\n

The category <\/span>mineral salts<\/b> includes<\/span> calcium<\/b>,<\/span> phosphorus<\/b>,<\/span> zinc<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>plus<\/span> iodine<\/b>,<\/span> magnesium<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>and<\/span> iron<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>plus<\/span> sodium<\/b>,<\/span> potassium<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>and <\/span>chloride<\/b>,<\/span> sulphur<\/b>,<\/span> copper<\/b>,<\/span> fluoride<\/b>,<\/span> chromium and<\/b> selenium<\/span> <\/b>. For <\/span>sports performance<\/b>, we focus particularly on <\/span>potassium and sodium<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The minerals<\/span> sodium<\/b> and <\/span>potassium<\/b>, alongside <\/span>chloride<\/b> and <\/span>phosphorus<\/b>, regulate <\/span>fluid and acid-base balance<\/b> and <\/span>osmotic pressure<\/b>. Both also support <\/span>nerve impulse transmission<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, <\/span>calcium and magnesium<\/b> support proper <\/span>muscle contraction<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How Should Mineral Salts Be Consumed?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Adequate quantities of each are needed. Here is how to obtain them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mineral Salt Supplements<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The option <\/span>mineral supplementation<\/b> includes <\/span>tablets, capsules, liquid ampoules and powders<\/b>. Choose according to needs, preferences and convenience at home, cycling or running.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Suggested Daily Quantities<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Requirements vary between athletes, but these <\/span>general amounts<\/b> provide a guide.<\/span><\/p>\n

Calcium:<\/b> 900-1000 mg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Chloride:<\/b> 2300 mg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Iron:<\/b> 9-19 mg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Fluoride:<\/b> 3-4 mg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Phosphorus:<\/b> 700-800 mg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Iodine:<\/b> 150 mcg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Magnesium:<\/b> 300-350 mg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Potassium:<\/b> 3500 mg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Sodium:<\/b> 1500 mg daily<\/span><\/p>\n

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A <\/span>professional<\/b> can assess your <\/span>specific needs<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mineral Salts and Performance<\/span><\/h2>\n

Their <\/span>performance importance<\/b> includes maintaining <\/span>fluid balance<\/b> so cells preserve homeostasis and function optimally.<\/span><\/p>\n

During <\/span>exercise<\/b>, we lose <\/span>water<\/b> and <\/span>sodium and potassium<\/b>. In <\/span>short activities<\/b> (< 1 h), <\/span>electrolyte supplements<\/b> are generally unnecessary: existing stores suffice and <\/span>losses<\/b> can be replaced through <\/span>food<\/b>. During <\/span>longer activities<\/b> or conditions favouring <\/span>sweating and dehydration<\/b>, <\/span>electrolyte replacement<\/b> matters more. During <\/span>exercise<\/b>, replacing <\/span>fluid losses<\/b> without appropriate <\/span>electrolytes<\/b> may contribute to <\/span>cramps or hyponatraemia<\/b> and associated risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also<\/span> consider minerals<\/b> during post-exercise <\/span>rehydration<\/b> when <\/span>electrolyte losses<\/b> and <\/span>dehydration<\/b> occurred. <\/span>Replacement drinks<\/b> can hydrate and <\/span>restore electrolytes<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mineral Salts in Recovery<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

A <\/span>recovery drink<\/i><\/b> after dehydrating activity may benefit from <\/span>mineral salts<\/b> to <\/span>replace losses<\/b> alongside fluid.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Must Athletes Consume Mineral Salts?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For <\/span>endurance athletes<\/b> doing<\/span> prolonged exercise<\/b>, adequate replacement matters: fluid alone can contribute to cramps or hyponatraemia. Mild <\/span>cramps or hyponatraemia<\/b> impair performance, while <\/span>severe hyponatraemia<\/b> can cause <\/span>brain swelling<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

If planning <\/span>prolonged exercise<\/b> and unsure about <\/span>hydration and electrolyte replacement<\/b>, explore our subscriptions. Our sports nutritionists<\/a><\/span> can help plan <\/span>your strategy and <\/b>during-exercise fuelling<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why are mineral salts so important for athletes? Rub\u00e9n Ballesteros, sports nutritionist at INDYA, explains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":18412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35258"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35823,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35258\/revisions\/35823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getindya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}