Question

Why are the salts in sports drinks classified as electrolytes?

Answer 1

For the simple reason that they are present in solution as discrete ions.....`Na^+`, `K^+`, `Cl^-`...........

Explanation:

And as discrete charged particles, even if they are solvated by several water molecules, they can carry a current, and hence the solution is electrolytic. Of course, you go to a supermarket and you can buy any number of such sports drinks.

Years ago I had a colleague who was a running fool, and he used to take `2xx1*L` bottles habitually on a run (of course he got unused poly bottles from Chem Stores, for all your camping and hardware needs!), and to each bottle he would add a teaspoon of salt, and a dessert spoon of sugar and then fill it with water........he said that if it didn't taste as good as the commercial brands then he hadn't been running hard enuff.....