Cellular Hydration: What It Is and How to Support It

Understand how to best support your body’s hydration down to the cellular level.

— On Oct 22, 2025

Cellular Hydration: What It Is and How to Support It

In this article:

Hydration plays a fundamental role in how we feel each day. Which is why, as a dietitian, one of my primary goals is to ensure my clients are staying well hydrated as part of a healthy lifestyle.

While we know proper hydration means getting enough fluids, its effects go way beyond. From supporting energy levels and feeling more focused, to helping bodily functions on a cellular level, maintaining appropriate hydration levels is critical.

But what exactly is cellular hydration, and does it matter for our overall health? If it does matter, how exactly do we support cellular hydration? I’ll review all of these important questions and more to help you feel your best, hydrate like a pro, and see if an electrolyte powder like Live it Up Vital Minerals is right for you.

In this article, I’ll cover:

What Is Cellular Hydration?
Potential Benefits of Cellular Hydration
How to Support Cellular Hydration
Hydrate Your Cells With Live it Up

What Is Cellular Hydration?

At its core, cellular hydration is the body’s ability to maintain appropriate levels of fluid inside its cells that support critical biological functions.

Optimal cellular hydration is important for endocrine, immune, gastrointestinal, and skeletal muscle function. With all of these systems relying on proper cellular hydration, you can see what’s at stake when these levels dip too low and cause cellular shrinkage.

There are trillions of cells in our body, each one needing to maintain a certain level of hydration. Water inside our cells makes up 60% of the total water volume in our body, and 40% of our overall weight. That’s a lot of hydration to maintain!

Hydration vs. Cellular Hydration

Hydration means consuming enough fluids to maintain an overall fluid balance in the body.

Cellular hydration is the process of each cell being able to move these fluids into (and out of) each cell to preserve optimal hydration within.

Maintaining cellular hydration isn’t just about drinking water; cells also require the right amounts of electrolytes to push and pull fluids through the cell membrane.

Intracellular fluid: Fluid inside the cell; what cellular hydration refers to. Usually contains a higher concentration of potassium, but also made up of proteins, electrolytes, and solutes.
Extracellular fluid: Fluid outside the cell, generally refers to hydration. Usually contains a higher concentration of sodium. Used to deliver nutrients to the cell and remove waste products.

When you aren’t drinking enough fluids to maintain hydration (extracellular fluid), then water is pulled from inside the cell (intracellular fluid) to help keep enough fluids running through your system so that larger bodily functions aren’t interrupted.

This causes cellular shrinkage, which may trigger a variety of adverse effects and impact cell health.

Bottom line: This is why electrolyte powders and drinks like Vital Minerals can be an important way to help maintain cellular hydration, which water alone can’t do.

Dietitian Tip: To get enough electrolytes and help feel fully hydrated, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Consider including a lower-sodium hydration powder if you are low in any of these foods.

Symptoms of Cellular Dehydration

When our cells are dehydrated, it may not only impact biological functions over time, but also how you feel in the moment.

Signs of dehydration may include:

Brain fog
Fatigue
Muscle cramps
Dark colored urine and not urinating as frequently as normal
Headache
Dizziness

7 Potential Benefits of Cellular Hydration

Keeping your cells hydrated supports functions throughout the body that impact everyday health.

1. Energy

Fatigue is a symptom of cellular dehydration, so staying hydrated can be a key factor to help maintain energy levels throughout the day. Moreover, dehydration has been linked with reduced muscle strength and endurance, another reason to stay hydrated to help support lasting energy.

2. Helps with Bloating

When we aren’t drinking enough water, there is less fluid in our stools, increasing the potential for constipation. Hard-to-pass stool means our digestive tract is moving slower, allowing our gut bacteria to feast on foods for longer and produce more gas than normal. This gas gets trapped, leaving us feeling bloated and uncomfortable.

3. Supports Gut Health

Reduced body water may alter our gut microbiome, potentially impacting both the number and composition of beneficial bacteria. It may even impair the body's ability to eliminate harmful bacteria.

4. Skin Support

The skin is made up of about 30% water, which, when cells are at optimal hydration levels, helps maintain plumpness, elasticity, and resiliency. Appropriate cellular hydration can also impact skin thickness and density.

5. Immune Health

Cellular hydration plays a critical role in our immune response. When our hydration is low, it impacts our fluid-electrolyte balance, which can modulate our immune function. Also, consuming enough fluids help to move lymph and white blood cells throughout the body, helping protect against viruses and sweep up damaged cells and bacteria.

6. Cognition and Mood

Most research shows that mild dehydration is linked with changes in cognitive function and mood, including impacts on short-term memory, alertness, and concentration. Interestingly, being in a state of dehydration leads to the production of stress hormones including cortisol, while rehydration is linked with the reduction of these hormones.

7. Assists Weight Management

Fascinatingly, water intake has been linked with sympathetic nervous system activation, raising norepinephrine levels just as caffeine does. This can increase our metabolism and may potentially lead to a greater total energy burn over the course of the day.

Dietitian Tip: While some may recommend drinking to quench thirst, this strategy may actually leave you behind your needs. To help maintain cellular hydration, consider drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning and continue sipping throughout the day. Add flavor if needed!

How to Support Cellular Hydration

Maintaining proper hydration and an appropriate cellular hydration state can influence both short and long-term health. Here are four specific strategies to help you feel your best.

Optimize Electrolytes. Water alone will not be enough for optimal cellular hydration. If you feel your electrolyte intake is lacking, consider a hydration supplement with moderate sodium, such as Live it Up Vital Minerals, to help fill the important electrolyte gaps.
Eat Hydrating Foods. Remember that a large portion of our fluid intake actually comes from water-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, some dairy products, and soups. Stand-out hydrating foods include cucumbers, watermelon, oranges, grapes, milk, and yogurt.
Consider Lifestyle Changes. While most beverages will contribute to your fluid needs (yes, even moderate amounts of caffeine), alcohol is a diuretic and will cut into your progress. To make the most impact on a cellular level, several factors play a crucial role: maintaining good sleep, adhering to a hydration routine, and consuming a well-balanced diet rich in micronutrients.
Get Extra Support When Needed. Both weather and exercise will impact your ability to keep cells hydrated. When exercising for longer than 90 minutes, consider a sports drink that includes sugar or glucose along with key electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. When the weather is hot and humid, using an electrolyte powder (usually without extra carbs) will help support cellular hydration.

Hydrate Your Cells with Live it Up Vital Minerals

While most Americans get plenty of sodium, many lack other important electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Without a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, these electrolytes are more difficult to get. That’s where a quality hydration powder comes into play.

Live it Up Vital Minerals is a great option to help with deep cellular hydration. It isn’t too high in sodium, has a great ratio of sodium to potassium, and no added sugar, making it excellent for daily hydration.

From a dietitian’s standpoint, the fact that it’s NSF third-party tested and contains no artificial sweeteners or colors, brings it to a higher level of quality than many of the options available. I also really love that its two flavors are delicious without being overwhelming, and the sweet and salty balance is just right.

Cellular Hydration FAQs

Here are some FAQs to help lay a stronger foundation of understanding for cellular hydration.

Is cellular hydration a real thing?

Though it sounds pretty Sci-Fi, cellular hydration is real. It’s the body’s ability to move fluid in and out of the cells in an effort to maintain optimal hydration. Appropriate hydration in each cell is necessary for cells to function properly.

It is different from regular hydration in that cellular hydration requires us to both consume enough fluids and get enough electrolytes, which are essential to help move fluids in and out of the cell.

How do you increase cellular hydration?

You both have to meet your fluid needs and get enough electrolytes from food (and potentially electrolyte powders) to stay hydrated at the cellular level. Electrolytes help you absorb and retain more hydration than water alone.

How much water do you need per day?

The general rule of thumb for how much water to drink each day is to aim for 8 cups per day. More specific fluid recommendations are:

Adult women need a total of about 2.7 liters per day, with about 2.2 of those liters coming from beverages (or approximately 9 cups).
Adult men need a total of about 3.7 liters per day, with about 3.0 coming from beverages (or approximately 11 cups).

Your fluid needs will change depending on age, activity level, and weather. The more active you are and the hotter or more humid the weather, the more fluids you may need to make up for total body water loss from respiration and sweating.

While most total fluid intake comes mostly from beverages, such as drinking water, 20% should come from water-rich foods, such as produce, milk, yogurt, and soups.

Note that some medicines cause diuresis and may negatively impact cellular hydration levels. If you are on diuretic medication, speak with your primary care physician about the need to drink more water.

What is the best drink for cellular hydration?

The most important drink for hydration and cellular hydration is water. With that said, our body also needs enough electrolytes to help push and pull water into and out of our cells.

Electrolytes should come mainly from foods:

Sodium: Cooking with salt and processed foods (salty snacks, pizza, deli meat, soups, etc) currently make up the primary sources of sodium in our diet.
Potassium and magnesium: Produce, nuts, and seeds
Calcium and phosphorus: Dairy products, leafy greens

If you aren’t consuming enough of the above foods, consuming an electrolyte powder may be helpful. Since most of us get enough sodium, an electrolyte powder with less than about 500mg of sodium is ideal. Make sure it contains at least potassium, magnesium, and calcium as well.

Are hydration packets worth it?

The right hydration packet can help you get enough electrolytes for deep cellular hydration. Additional hydration is most important for athletes and those in hot and/or humid environments. They can also be useful for those who are not able to get enough electrolytes from foods alone.

For an athlete or someone working in hot conditions, look for an electrolyte packet with more than 500mg sodium per serving. This will better meet your needs when losing more electrolytes via sweat.

For hydration on a daily basis paired with normal activity levels, look for an electrolyte powder with 500mg or less of sodium per serving. Since most people get enough sodium already, it’s important to focus on the other electrolytes, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Does coffee dehydrate you?

While most people believe that caffeine (such as that in coffee) is dehydrating, this has been proven wrong. There is no evidence that drinking moderate amounts of coffee dehydrates you more or enhances cellular dehydration.

It turns out that the amount of fluid in coffee counteracts the small diuretic effects that caffeine may have. For some, coffee may simply make you pee sooner, not more!

With that said, if you are getting more than about 500mg caffeine from coffee (or about 5 cups per day), you may not be as lucky in the hydration department.

References

About the author:

Rachel Gargano, MS, RD, CSSD, CBS

Rachel is a registered dietitian based in Contra Costa County, California, with over 15 years experience. She specializes in whole-body wellness and plant-based nutrition, helping people understand the dynamic interplay between food and health so they can live life to the fullest. When not helping others, she enjoys spending time with her kids, being physically active, and tending to her abundant household plants.

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