Sodium+in+Gatorade

Sodium Ion Selective Electrode Manual:

Sodium: Atomic #: 11

= Molar Mass of Sodium ion: 22.98977 g/mol = = Chemical Formula: =


 * = Sodium ion: Na+ =
 * = Salt: NaCl =

= CAS Number: 7440-23-5 =

Chemical Structure:

Sodium chloride (aka table salt) is an ionic compound composed of the ions Na+ and Cl- and a chemical formula of NaCl. Sodium holds a crystalline shape with a coordination number of 6. This basically means that there are 6 sodium ions and 6 chlorine ions.

Health Risks: Excessive amounts of sodium can increase blood pressure significantly and cause serious health issues. High blood pressure can put stress on the heart and is the reason for clogged arteries. Too much sodium can be a contributing factor in Heart disease and raise the risk of having a stroke. Sodium can cause kidney disease and cause stinky, dark coloured urine. 



Why so much sodium? - When you perspire, your body loses about 900 to 1400 milligrams of sodium per liter of sweat (**[|Shirreffs & Maughan, Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 28: 27-32, 2000] **). Sodium is an important component of blood; having sufficient sodium in the blood helps keep a sufficient volume of water in the blood. Ingestion of sodium during exercise should also help prevent hyponatremia, a condition in which the concentration of sodium in the blood becomes dangerously low (**[|Convertino et al., Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 28: i-vii, 1996] **; **[|Vrijens & Rehrer, Journal of Applied Physiology 86: 1847-51, 1999] **; **[|Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 32: 2130-45, 2000] **; **[|Speedy et al., Emergency Medicine 13: 17-27, 2001] **).

The sodium content of Gatorade is about 450 milligrams per liter; for Powerade, it is 225 mg/L. Thus Gatorade does a somewhat better job of replacing the sodium lost in sweat.
From: http://faculty.washington.edu/crowther/Misc/RBC/QandA3.shtml

Gatorade FAQ from Gatorade.com: Gatorade contains a small amount of sodium that encourages people to drink beyond the point at which mouth thirst is satisfied, which is an inaccurate predictor of our hydration status. Stimulating rapid fluid absorption. The unique formulation of Gatorade allows it to empty the stomach as fast as water. Once in the small intestine, Gatorade's combination of sodium and glucose stimulates rapid absorption across the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Maintaining important physiological responses. Drinking Gatorade helps people avoid dehydration and it can thereby help people to avoid other problems such as heat cramps, light-headedness or fainting (heat syncope), heat exhaustion, or heat stroke.