Electrolytes don’t contain energy themselves. They have zero calories. But they’re essential for your body to produce and use energy. Here’s how it works: 🔋 Your cells generate energy through adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which requires an electrical gradient across cell membranes. Sodium and potassium create this gradient through the sodium-potassium pump. When you’re low on electrolytes, this pump can’t work efficiently, your cells struggle to produce ATP, and you feel sluggish and tired. 🔋 Magnesium is required for over 300 enzymatic reactions, including every step of ATP production in your mitochondria. Without adequate magnesium, your body literally cannot complete the reactions that turn food into ATP. 🔋 During exercise, muscle contractions require rapid ATP turnover and depend on sodium-potassium balance for nerve signals. When you sweat, you lose sodium (plus smaller amounts of potassium and magnesium). That’s why electrolyte depletion during endurance activities causes cramping, fatigue, and performance decline — even if you’re consuming plenty of calories. Bottom line: Electrolytes help your body efficiently produce and use the energy from the food you eat. Stay Salty ⚡