Fitness and nutrition topics always seem to pique the the interest of consumers. The media often relays the newest information, even though they may only share part of the story and may only be partially correct in their accounts. The media confuses the public by constantly sharing conflicting evidence so long as they have a catchy attention-grabbing headline. Bombarded with half-truths and conflicting stories, it is no wonder that people are in a constant state of confusion. Salt consumption has taken the familiar roller coaster ride of good and bad.

The body uses salt to regulate muscle contractions, maintain levels of hydration inside and outside of the cell, and aid in the functioning of other tissue. Most people eat well above the recommended 2400 milligrams of salt everyday. Packaged foods contain a high amount of added sodium in order to enhance taste and add to the shelf life of the product. Restaurants tend to use many salt-laden products, and even the beverage industry puts the ingredient in their drinks. Typically, only people who have high blood pressure or kidney problems monitor their salt intake. Are athletes exempt from worrying about salt intake, or do they need to be more aware of their consumption?
 
When the distance is long, or the pace is slow, salt supplementation should be considered. Many people are so worried about dehydration that they often over-consume water and other fluids therefore causing a sodium imbalance in the body. For some, it will be important to supplement salt intake, but for many others it will be more important to avoid over-consuming fluids. Changes in weight are good indicators of necessary fluid intake for recovery. Weigh yourself before and after an activity and drink 16 oz of fluid for every pound lost. This should come from a combination of water and a food or drink containing sodium.

There is no standard measurement of intake for ideal performance or recovery, and every individual will respond differently. Do not try anything new on race day, but do practice with some of the following and check your ability to perform and recover. Some fitness professionals recommend increasing salt intake by 10-25 grams per day for the week or two leading up to the race. During your training,  experiment with up to 1 gram per hour of increased intake, beginning no sooner than the 2nd hour of training. The increase should come from specially formulated drinks for endurance athletes, or capsules made for this reason. These forms of supplementation are easiest. Other options include foods (pretzels, fruits, vegetables) or making your own pills. A person opting for food or do-it-yourself diet supplementation needs to be sure they are getting all of the necessary minerals in the correct quantities.


Who may need to supplement their salt:
·    endurance athletes training 3 hours or more per session
·    slow/first time endurance athletes competing in a long event (they will spend more time in the heat and sun)
·    heavy sweaters*

Who may not need to supplement
·    those doing workouts lasting less than 3 hours
·    the majority of gym goers and casual exercisers
·    those acclimatized and well trained who are not in one of the above categories

 
* The amount of sodium in sweat averages about 500 mg sodium/lb sweat (and ranges from 220 to 1,100 mg). If you lose two pounds of sweat per hour for four hours of sweaty running, tennis, biking, etc., your sodium losses can become significant (4,000 mg sodium). You should eat salty foods to replace the losses. Sports Nutritionist Nancy Clark, MS, RD

Manny Escalante, Jr. MA, ATC, CPT