Sodium, Potassium, and Sweat: Tracking Electrolytes
Sodium and potassium daily value percentages and sweat rate calculation — three ways to track electrolyte intake and loss.
Electrolyte balance depends on both what you take in and what you lose through sweat — these three calculations cover both sides.
Sodium: tracking against a daily limit
An 800mg meal against a common 2,300mg daily sodium limit represents about 34.8% of that day's allowance — a useful check since excess sodium intake is associated with increased blood pressure in many people.
Potassium: tracking against a daily target
2,800mg of potassium against a 3,400mg adult daily value covers about 82.4% of the target — many people don't meet recommended potassium intake through diet alone, making this a worthwhile number to track alongside sodium.
Sweat rate: quantifying fluid loss during exercise
Sweat rate combines weight lost during exercise with fluid consumed during the session, divided by duration: (pre-weight − post-weight + fluid intake) / hours. Losing 0.7 kg over one hour of exercise while drinking 0.3 L works out to a sweat rate of roughly 1.0 L/hour — a number that helps plan how much fluid to replace during future sessions of similar intensity and conditions.
Balancing intake and loss
Sodium and potassium calculations track dietary intake against fixed targets; sweat rate tracks fluid loss that needs replacing separately. Try the sodium intake calculator, potassium intake calculator, and sweat rate calculator.