Electrolyte | Average amount per 2 lbs of sweat, about 1-quart | Food reference |
Sodium | 800 mg (range 200-1,600) | nearly any packaged food |
Potassium | 200 mg (range 120-600) | 2 tbsp sunflower seed = 240 mg |
Calcium | 20 mg (range 6-40) | 1 tbsp chia seed = 170 mg |
Magnesium | 10 mg (range 2-18) | 1 tbsp peanut butter = 25 mg |
Most muscle cramps are caused by sodium losses rather than magnesium and potassium because we lose more sodium in sweat than the other electrolytes