NoordCode’s Performance Electrolytes formula explained

When do you need electrolytes? | Sodium in NoordCode’s Performance Electrolytes | How much sodium do you need? | Why the sodium-potassium pump matters | Potassium in NoordCode’s Performance Electrolytes | The relationship between sodium, chloride, and potassium | Performance Electrolytes vs. Daily Electrolytes | Magnesium in NoordCode’s Performance Electrolytes | Why didn’t we include other minerals? | Other electrolytes | Trace elements | Conclusion

You eat healthily, cook with fresh ingredients, and avoid ready-made meals, sauces, and processed food. In short: you’re doing everything ‘right’. Yet sometimes you feel tired, experience muscle cramps or brain fog — especially on warm days, during fasting, or after working out. How is that possible?

In this blog, we explain why NoordCode’s Performance Electrolytes is specifically designed for people who live a healthy and active lifestyle — and therefore need more electrolytes. Performance Electrolytes contains 1060 mg of sodium and 1500 mg of chloride from unrefined sea salt, 408 mg of potassium from potassium citrate, 100 mg of magnesium citrate from sea minerals, and a mix of trace elements. We’ll guide you through the science behind this carefully formulated blend and why electrolytes are essential for health-conscious individuals like you.

When do you need electrolytes?

People with a healthy lifestyle actually need more salt. Salt is an ingredient found in many processed products, which they tend to avoid.

The average Dutch person’s diet includes a lot of processed food like breakfast cereals, cookies, bread, snacks, and ready-made meals. Altogether, processed food accounts for 70 % of the average Dutch person’s salt intake. If processed foods are the main component of your diet, you don’t need to add extra salt. In fact, adding extra salt could be too much.

However, once you adopt a healthy lifestyle without processed food, this can lead to a salt deficiency. Sometimes it’s important to replenish that deficiency, for example when:

• Low-carb/ketogenic diet: you lose more fluids. Carbohydrates help your body retain water.

• Whole food diet: whether you eat plant-based, animal-based, or a mix, when you eat unprocessed and mostly cook at home (not from packages), you get less salt.

• Heavy sweating: sweat contains salt. You sweat more during intense physical activity, in saunas, or in hot weather. Enough salt is especially important in summer and for athletes or those doing heavy physical labour.

• Fasting: if you drink only water, tea, or coffee, you’re not getting salt. In fact, if you fast with black coffee, you need even more salt. The caffeine in coffee causes fluids (and minerals) to leave your body faster.

Sodium in NoordCode’s Performance Electrolytes

Salt is a controversial topic. Many studies show that excessive salt consumption can cause health issues. However, recent research shows that avoiding salt altogether can also be harmful. Sodium — the main mineral in salt — is essential for our body to function. Extremely low sodium levels can lead to headaches, nausea, fatigue, confusion, and muscle cramps. So how do you find the right balance?

Performance Electrolytes contains 1060 mg of sodium from unrefined sea salt. This amount is partly based on the healthy lifestyle of NoordCode fans and partly on scientific insights. Let’s look at what science says about how much sodium you need daily

How much sodium do you need?

The Dutch Nutrition Center advises 1.5 grams of sodium per day for adults, with a maximum of 2.4 grams. This equals 3.25 grams of salt as a recommended amount and 6 grams as the maximum. However, individual needs vary. According to the Nutrition Center, the exact amount of sodium you need depends on factors such as an active lifestyle and how much salt you lose through sweat.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also advises limiting sodium to 2 grams per day, equivalent to 5 grams of salt. This is said to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, while still providing enough sodium for proper body function.

Why the sodium-potassium pump matters

Recent insights from Dr. Rhonda Patrick explain that it’s not just the amount of sodium that matters, but especially the ratio between sodium and potassium. New research shows that a higher potassium intake can offset sodium’s negative effects on blood pressure. In fact, if potassium intake is high enough, it actually lowers blood pressure — even with higher sodium intake.

To understand why the sodium-potassium balance is so important, we need to look at the sodium-potassium pump. This is a system in our cells that acts as a kind of “gatekeeper.” It regulates the balance between sodium and potassium inside and outside the cell. This pump is essential for proper nerve, muscle, and heart function. It also regulates the amount of water in our cells.

There’s no single “perfect” ratio for everyone. However, most health organizations recommend a 1:1 to 1:2 ratio (sodium:potassium). This means that for every gram of sodium, you should get about 1 to 2 grams of potassium.

Unfortunately, fewer than 2 % of adults currently meet the recommended daily potassium intake. So, the focus shouldn’t just be on limiting sodium, but especially on increasing potassium intake.

Potassium in NoordCode’s Performance Electrolytes

Each serving of Performance Electrolytes contains 408 mg of potassium from potassium citrate. As mentioned earlier, a daily intake of 4 grams is recommended. Independent nutrition scientist Chris Masterjohn even advises between 4.7 and 11 grams per day for optimal effect.

Although we could have chosen a higher potassium dosage in our Electrolytes formula, we believe food remains the best strategy to get enough potassium. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables easily provides the required amounts. You can achieve optimal levels by eating 5–9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

For those who find this difficult, potassium citrate is an excellent alternative. Potassium supplements are safe for healthy individuals as long as total intake stays under 15 grams per day, spread over several moments. In Europe, a maximum of 1,000 mg of potassium per day is recommended from supplements.

Potassium content per serving (examples):

• Salmon: ~414 mg per 100 g

• Yogurt (unsweetened): ~255 mg per 100 g

• White beans (cooked): ~561 mg per 100 g

• Sweet potato (cooked): ~337 mg per 100 g

• Potatoes (cooked): ~429 mg per 150 g

• Spinach (cooked): ~466 mg per 100 g

• Kale (cooked): ~491 mg per 100 g

• Rosemary (dried): ~955 mg per 100 g

• Tomatoes: ~237 mg per 123 g

• Dried apricots: ~1162 mg per 100 g

• Raisins: ~749 mg per 100 g

• Bananas: ~358 mg per 118 g

• Avocado: ~485 mg per 100 g

• Oranges: ~181 mg per 130 g

• Melon (e.g., cantaloupe): ~267 mg per 100 g

In summary, fruit generally provides 100–500 mg of potassium per 100 grams and vegetables usually offer 200–1000 mg per 100 grams. These figures are estimates to give you an idea of relative amounts. Actual potassium content varies based on soil fertility, fruit or vegetable size, and ripeness.

The relationship between sodium, chloride, and potassium

The relationship between sodium and potassium isn’t complete without mentioning the mineral chloride. Sodium and chloride are naturally closely connected: together, they form sodium chloride. Almost every type of salt, whether refined or natural, contains both sodium and chloride.

That’s why Performance Electrolytes includes not just sodium, but also 1,500 mg of chloride per serving — from unrefined sea salt. As previously explained, it’s important to keep sodium and potassium balanced. Chloride also plays a supporting role in this balance.

Because the balance between sodium, potassium, and chloride is so important, we’ve developed two formulas tailored to different needs.

Performance Electrolytes vs. Daily Electrolytes

Do you notice that your blood pressure remains high, you sweat little, or are you looking for a mineral formula for less active days? Then NoordCode Daily Electrolytes is a better fit. This formula is similar to Performance Electrolytes but contains less salt — so less sodium and chloride. The sodium:potassium ratio is adjusted to the natural balance in coconut water. With Daily Electrolytes, you still get the same amount of magnesium as in the Performance version. Magnesium is generously included in both formulas to support your body broadly.

Magnesium in NoordCode’s Performance Electrolytes

Magnesium is also known as the master mineral. It’s needed for no less than 300 processes in the body. It supports bones and teeth and ensures your nerves function properly. Magnesium is also good for your mood, learning, concentration, and memory. If you suffer from headaches, muscle cramps, or lack of energy, you might have a magnesium deficiency.

You need about 300 to 350 mg of magnesium per day. That’s found in pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and dark chocolate. But you’d need to eat a lot of those to get enough — almost impossible to achieve.

Performance Electrolytes contains 100 mg of magnesium per serving. That still keeps you under the recommended 300–350 mg per day, and the rest can come from food or a magnesium supplement.

The magnesium in Performance Electrolytes comes from Aquamin® Mg Soluble: natural magnesium citrate from sea minerals. This magnesium is sustainably harvested. During the production process, the magnesium is carefully filtered from seawater and bound to citrate. This creates a well-soluble form that your body easily absorbs. Aquamin® is also much gentler on your stomach than synthetic magnesium citrate, which often has a laxative effect.

With Aquamin, you get a complete mineral profile, while synthetic magnesium citrate only delivers isolated magnesium. It contains not only magnesium, but also calcium, boron, selenium, and other trace elements in natural ratios.

Why didn’t we include other minerals?

You may wonder why there’s no calcium or phosphate in this formula. Here’s why:

Other electrolytes

Calcium and phosphate are also electrolytes. But deficiencies in these minerals are rare, as they are easily obtained from food. That’s the main reason why we left them out of the Performance Electrolytes formula.

Most foods contain some calcium. Only a few contain a lot. Combine three of the following foods daily to get enough calcium:

• Dairy: yogurt and mozzarella are top sources, followed by milk and kefir.

• Bones: if you’re lactose intolerant, edible bones (like in sardines or anchovies) or ground bone powder are good alternatives.

• Leafy greens: bok choy and Chinese cabbage are excellent plant sources. White beans, broccoli, and kale contain calcium too, but you’d need large amounts.

Phosphorus is essential to all living organisms and occurs naturally in most foods — which is why deficiency is rare.

Trace elements

Performance Electrolytes gives you small amounts of trace elements from Aquamin® magnesium and unrefined sea salt — comparable to what you find in mineral water or sea salt. For some minerals, you need higher doses. These come primarily from food. Smart food choices help you meet your daily trace element and nutrient needs:

• Boron: dried prunes, raisins, and dates

• Chromium: whole grains (buckwheat, rye), shellfish

• Iodine: kelp and nori seaweed

• Copper: liver and dark chocolate

• Manganese: mussels

• Molybdenum: black-eyed peas and liver

• Selenium: Brazil nuts, beef kidneys

• Sulphur: eggs, steak, onions, garlic, broccoli

• Zinc: oysters

Conclusion

The healthier your lifestyle, the quicker your electrolytes can get out of balance. That may sound contradictory, but it makes sense. If you avoid processed food and regularly exercise, you lose large amounts of sodium through sweat — without replenishing it through your diet. Especially during hot weather or when fasting, this can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps, and disrupted fluid balance.

Food should remain the foundation, but sometimes supplementation is essential. That’s exactly why NoordCode developed Performance Electrolytes. A balanced mix of sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, and trace elements. Tailored for those who sweat, move, and choose pure food — without unnecessary additives, and with everything you need to replenish deficiencies.