Electrolytes, Cramps and the Hierarchy Most People Get Backwards

It's mid-winter, you're indoors all day, the gym is dark when you arrive and dark when you leave — and you're cramping at 2am or dragging by mid-afternoon. Before you blame your training or your age: when did you last think about your electrolytes?

Sodium, potassium and magnesium run every muscle contraction and nerve signal in your body. South Africans tend to think of electrolytes as a summer-marathon thing — but winter training, heated offices, endless coffee and low-carb eating all drain them quietly. Here's how we'd think it through at the counter.

The short version

• Cramping at night or during training? Sodium first, then potassium, then magnesium — in that order, not the reverse.
• On a low-carb or keto eating plan? You're flushing sodium daily. An electrolyte mix isn't optional.
• Training over an hour, or sweating heavily? 500–700mg sodium per hour of activity.
• Drinking 2L+ of plain water a day? You may be diluting your electrolytes — add a pinch of quality salt or a sugar-free electrolyte sachet.

The cramp hierarchy most people get backwards

The reflex when cramping starts is to buy magnesium. Magnesium helps — but in our experience the more common driver is sodium, especially in anyone training hard, eating low-carb, or sweating through a Gauteng summer. The practical order: fix sodium first (an electrolyte mix with real sodium content), then potassium (mostly through food — bananas, potatoes, oranges), then a daily evening magnesium if cramps persist.

Who actually needs an electrolyte supplement

Low-carb and keto eaters — when insulin drops, your kidneys excrete sodium aggressively. The "keto flu" is mostly an electrolyte deficit. Endurance and CrossFit athletes — anything over an hour of real sweat. Heavy coffee drinkers — caffeine is a mild diuretic. Anyone on diuretic blood-pressure medication — but talk to your doctor before supplementing sodium or potassium; this one genuinely needs medical sign-off.

What to look for on the label

Real sodium content (300–700mg per serve — not the token 50mg in sports drinks), potassium alongside it, magnesium in an absorbable form, and no sugar unless you're using it as in-race fuel. Sugar-free sachets in a water bottle are the cleanest daily format.

What we'd skip

Sugary sports drinks as a daily habit (you're buying sugar water with trace minerals), and "hydration" products that don't declare their sodium content — if the label hides the number, it's usually because the number is embarrassing.

Your One Life shortcut

Browse our electrolyte collection — from sugar-free daily sachets to endurance formulas — or pair an electrolyte mix with an evening magnesium from the magnesium collection if cramps are your main complaint. Not sure which fits your training and eating pattern? WhatsApp me — tell me how you train and eat, and I'll narrow it down. Free, no pressure.

This article is for information only and is not medical advice. On blood-pressure or kidney medication? Check with your doctor before supplementing sodium or potassium.

Common questions

Are cramps always a magnesium problem?

No. Magnesium matters, but sodium, hydration, training load and medication can sit higher in the hierarchy. Fix the basics before chasing a stronger tablet.

Do I need electrolytes if I do not train?

Not daily for everyone. They make more sense with heavy sweating, low-carb eating, long outdoor shifts, frequent coffee or a winter routine that leaves you under-hydrated.

A quick check is the afternoon pattern: headache, flat energy, cravings and very pale urine can point to fluid without enough minerals.

When should I be careful with sodium or potassium?

If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart medication or water tablets, check with your doctor before adding electrolyte powders.

Bring the label with you; the sodium and potassium numbers matter more than the front-of-pack hydration promise.

That is the difference between a useful product and flavoured water.

References

• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Sodium
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Potassium
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium

From the apothecary shelf

A few products we'd hand a customer asking for a starting point. Not a paid placement — these are what we actually take, recommend, or keep at the front of the shelf.