Question

Why do energy drinks contain salt?

Answer 1

Adding Salt in an energy drink, especially a sport drink, serves an important function. Salt helps in preventing dehydration, it stimulates thirst and facilitates fluid retention.

While engaging in activities that require intensive physical stamina and muscular action, for example sports,atheletes, working out in a gym,participating in a race etc; a lot of body fluid is lost on account of sweating. The energy drinks with salts or electrolytes maintain body fluid and electrolyte balance. This in turn helps the body to maintain appropriate action potentials across membranes to transmit messages and carry out the required body function. Most energy drinks have sodium that serves this role.

Thus adding salt helps maintain appropriate electrolyte balance allowing the cells to carry out their required functions, for example; passing of information via change in action potentials.