A good rule of thumb is if you’re exercising at an intense level for over an hour or exercising in the heat, you should replenish electrolytes. Any time you’re sweating a lot, you are losing both fluids and electrolytes — and it’s important to replace both. Electrolyte imbalance can also be caused by illnesses that cause vomiting, diarrhea, or sweating. I usually advise those patients to drink fruit juice and chicken soup to restore their fluids and electrolytes. If you’ve been sweating a lot, eat a salty snack. Elite level athletes may require electrolyte drinks and supplements to restore their electrolyte balance, but for the average person, it’s probably not necessary. Sports drinks that contain electrolytes can sometimes help, but since most of them are loaded with sugar and don’t contain much sodium, eating something salty is probably a better way to replenish those lost electrolytes. You can also get your electrolytes naturally through whole foods, such as avocado, cheese, bananas, salmon and coconut water. Electrolytes are most commonly depleted during strenuous exercise, when both water and sodium, as well as a bit of potassium, are lost through sweat.