Whether you’re out on the field, court, or track, you want to give your all, and reach your full potential. A regimen of regular exercise is essential to overall health and well-being. But there is a downside to all of this sweat and exertion.

As we sweat, we risk losing vital nutrients, known as electrolytes. These minerals are found in your blood and other bodily fluids in various forms, including acids, bases, and salts. They can be measured by laboratory studies of the blood serum. Electrolytes carry an electrical charge, which allows them to conduct electrical current in water. This is an important benefit, as it enables electrolytes to regulate how and where the fluids are distributed throughout the body. In addition, this current can keep water from floating freely across cell membranes.

These electrical currents allow cells -- especially nerve, heart, muscle cells -- to carry certain electrical impulses across themselves and to other cells. These impulses enable such vital tasks as nerve impulses and muscle contractions. Therefore, it is possible that by drinking a sports drink, you may provide crucial benefits for heart attacks (and cardiovascular health, in general), as well as other health concerns.

Electrolytes are responsible for an important selection of health processes, including providing and maintaining the body’s amounts of water, blood pH, and muscle action. But the more we exercise and sweat, the more electrolytes we lose, especially that of potassium and sodium. And if electrolyte replenishment is not addressed, you may become at risk for a potentially harmful fluid electrolytes imbalance, along with other health risks.

Diabetics, in particular, need to be attentive of their body’s electrolyte content. It is common in diabetes to experience a dangerous increase in the levels of blood sugar (glucose), which is known as hyperglycemia. This condition -- considered to be a medical emergency -- forces the body to increase urination in an effort to flush the excess glucose from the blood. However, there are two unfortunate side effect of this increased urination: dehydration and a fluid electrolytes imbalance, as sodium and potassium are lost in the urine.

Therefore, there may be a beneficial relationship between diabetics and sports drink varieties. Ideally, you should pick one that is not electrolyte free (sugar levels should also be low, of course). However, when it comes to fitness and recovery and sports drink habits, diabetics and/or those with any sugar-related health concerns, need to be careful.

You see, various electrolyte replacement beverages may contain a lot of sugar, which can cause or even worsen such health concerns as diarrhea. (However, for infants and children, water should not be the only source of replacement fluids – an electrolyte replacing sports drink can provide vital nutrients for these circumstances).

When it comes to selecting a diabetic sports drink, there are options available, and flavor and taste don’t have to be sacrificed. Indeed, when it comes to the category of “drink, sports,” “sugar free” doesn’t mean that you have to limit your choices. Many of the leading brands -- including POWERade®, Gatorade®, and Cytomax™ sports drink – offer a variety of flavors and benefits, including many sugar free options.

But whether you have diabetes, or just want to maintain your intake of sugar, you could certainly consume a diabetic sports drink or sugar free sports drink. Or, you may want to try electrolyte solutions or freezer pops, which are available at pharmacies. And one last bit of advice: for dehydration, drinking beverages with caffeine is not advisable. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning that it causes more frequent urination.