Electrolyte Consumption Post-Exercise?

I put electrolytes in my water when I'm feeling thirsty after sweating a lot.

Not very sciency, but I don't really think it's much of an issue for your average Joe/Jane doing a bit of regular exercise, particularly if they're eating a nutritious and balanced diet. The only time I really had issues was when I was trying to maintain a low sodium diet with regular exercise in the desert heat. Once I stopped trying to keep everything low sodium it was no longer an issue.

The only time I really supplemented regularly with electrolytes with sports drinks and powders and the like was when I was doing a lot of long distance endurance cycling where I could be out for hours in the summer desert heat with sweat poring from every pore in my body like a river. I don't really train anymore, but I'm very much an outdoor recreation enthusiast and I make sure my nutrition includes electrolytes if I'm out on a long adventure like a multi hours hike, MTB, or trail ride...I don't usually have to supplement though, even in summer. My go to nutrition for things like that are peanut butter sandwiches and pickles. My nutrition in general is pretty rich in electrolytes.

As others have stated, it really depends on each individual (activity, how hot it was/how much you sweated, or how your overall general diet is). Most people get the electrolytes they need with the food they eat and hydrating with water will be fine. Specifically if your activity isn't long in duration and you aren't sweating buckets.

It's probably better to pay attention to things like cramping, brain fog, lethargy, headaches related to dehydration, thirst, and the color of your urine. Some of those things you may have to just start paying attention to to figure out what different things feel like for you and your body.

I personally am a distance runner and I have chosen to use a fairly regular electrolyte supplement in my water -- I use Nuun tablets. They taste good and are a little fizzy too. Also, they aren't like a TON of electrolytes so I'm confident I won't be overdoing it on anything.

If you feel you may need a supplement - it's good to find one that contains at least multiple of the electrolytes you need (not just sodium or just potassium for example). But, all that will depend on what works for your budget and lifestyle. I think there might be cheaper options (per serving) than Nuun...but that's the first brand I've tried, I will probably try some other cheaper options since it's getting warmer where I live and my mileage is increasing now.

I only use electrolytes on runs over an hour or during Summer outdoor runs. My personal strategy is to carry two different water bottles on my run belt. At 20 minutes into my “long run” I will sip a little of the electrolyte bottle. I alternate between my water bottle and electrolyte bottle throughout the run to make sure I don’t get overheated. Note that I live in a warmer climate where Summers are often 100F daily and even nights/mornings mean running in 90+F. Refilling/topping off water bottles at fountains along the route is sometimes needed as well. I generally stick with the lower sugar sports drinks.