The team identified that the players were losing critical minerals in their sweat and created a formula comprised primarily of water, sodium and sugar. However, this does not mean the body has excess sodium, as total body sodium is still reduced. However, whether sodium supplementation can improve exercise performance is up for debate. “The electrolytes themselves don’t boost performance, but being able to sustain your total body water does,” he told NI. “Electrolytes are more likely to help sustain recovery and performance rather than boost it.”Who really needs electrolytes?