When do you need extra sodium!!

Options
Soooooo, How do you know when you need to add sodium and need to go over your s intake?? I know after being outside and busting my rear I need to put some back but how much and how do I know??!! LOL
«1

Replies

  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
    Options
    Odds are that you don't, unless your electrolytes are so out of whack that you need medical attention. Season your food to taste, stay hydrated, take cooling breaks.

    When I've been stupid in the heat, I've had heat exhaustion, but never hyponatremia.
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
    Options
    Unless you're eating very low sodium, I don't think you really need to worry about it. Unless you are an athlete or construction worker working outside all day long and sweating all day, you should be fine.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
    Options
    I need extra salt before/during my lifting workouts and after runs outside. It is very hot and humid where I live and I have low blood pressure. Adding salt or having something like Propel(which has salt in it) helps me to not have syncopy episodes in the gym or after.
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
    Options
    I usually need it when my heartbeat gets really fast and I feel like I'm going to faint (or I do faint).
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    There's a fair amount of salt naturally in food. Unless you are super-hydrating with plain water, you are surely getting enough.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,905 Member
    Options
    My blood pressure is quite low. When I cut way back on salt, it gets even lower to the point where standing up is difficult and my face goes all twitchy.

    Along with that, I also start to crave salty food almost desperately.

    As it happens, my normal diet is fairly low in salt, so I do things like salt my veggies now. Salted veggies take a little bit of getting used to, but I do feel better for it.

    When I exercise, I need even more salt. I have nearly been hospitalised with hyponatremia so it's something I'm very careful about now. I take electrolyte tablets on longer bicycle rides.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Options
    The typical person gets more sodium than they need because so much sodium is added to food.
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    Options
    I also have low blood pressure, add drinking a lot of water, add fasting for 18 hours every day..so I take electrolyte mix every day before or after my training.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    Options
    Machka9 wrote: »
    My blood pressure is quite low. When I cut way back on salt, it gets even lower to the point where standing up is difficult and my face goes all twitchy.

    Along with that, I also start to crave salty food almost desperately.

    As it happens, my normal diet is fairly low in salt, so I do things like salt my veggies now. Salted veggies take a little bit of getting used to, but I do feel better for it.

    When I exercise, I need even more salt. I have nearly been hospitalised with hyponatremia so it's something I'm very careful about now. I take electrolyte tablets on longer bicycle rides.

    I used to get horrible facial twitches, and the occasional cramps. I chalked it up to anxiety or..weirdness but have been wondering if it could be the low blood pressure (low sodium/much water) issue)

    Also. Do you use actual salt on your veggies? I would struggle with that too. Have you tried mustard/hot sauce/soy sauce? I don't use a lot of salt naturally, but do love salty condiments and find that's a pretty easy way to OD on the sodium. Or I just eat a bunch of pickles with dinner.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
    Options
    I have very low blood pressure and take medication which makes it even lower so my GP has instructed me to eat 6-8gr of salt per day.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Options
    The average person on a western-style diet gets a lot more sodium than recommended. If you are cookign everything from scratch and never add any salt at all, then there is a slim chance under special circumstances where you might need to add some. Still not very probable though.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,905 Member
    Options
    slaite1 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    My blood pressure is quite low. When I cut way back on salt, it gets even lower to the point where standing up is difficult and my face goes all twitchy.

    Along with that, I also start to crave salty food almost desperately.

    As it happens, my normal diet is fairly low in salt, so I do things like salt my veggies now. Salted veggies take a little bit of getting used to, but I do feel better for it.

    When I exercise, I need even more salt. I have nearly been hospitalised with hyponatremia so it's something I'm very careful about now. I take electrolyte tablets on longer bicycle rides.

    I used to get horrible facial twitches, and the occasional cramps. I chalked it up to anxiety or..weirdness but have been wondering if it could be the low blood pressure (low sodium/much water) issue)

    Also. Do you use actual salt on your veggies? I would struggle with that too. Have you tried mustard/hot sauce/soy sauce? I don't use a lot of salt naturally, but do love salty condiments and find that's a pretty easy way to OD on the sodium. Or I just eat a bunch of pickles with dinner.

    Yes, I use just plain ordinary salt on my veggies. I'm not a big fan of "sauces" on anything. I will do mustard on hot dogs on the rare occasions I have them. And will add soy sauce to some of my slow cooker meals, or occasionally on rice, but that's about it.

    After work every day, I have salted cottage cheese and cucumber slices. That I like! :)
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
    Options
    Trechas foods Chile powder is so good on raw veggies, even on some fruit. It's a nice change from plain salt. It's kind of a sweet/salty/sour/spicy addition.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Options
    The recommended sodium intake for most people is 3000-5000mg per day. Many go below that. It used to be that 2300mg was the sodium recommendation. I think that was set partially due to ease - 2300mg sodium is one teaspoon of salt.

    We now know that too little sodium is associated with poor health, as is too much. 3000-5000 mg seems to be the ideal for the average person.

    If you are getting fatigue, stomach or bm issues, headaches, weakness and dizziness (low blood pressure), muscle aches or spasms, you may need more sodium.

  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    Options
    As others have noted, you probably don't need to do anything specific just for sodium replacement unless you are eating a very low sodium diet and losing a lot during prolonged exercise sessions, or working in the heat. Just adding some salt to foods should do the trick.

    I prepare almost all my foods from scratch and add no salt to my foods. The only time I take sodium as a supplement is during endurance bike or run training as part of my fueling plan. These are 2.5-4hr sessions during which I consume both water and liquid fuels that contain electrolytes, including sodium.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Options
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    The recommended sodium intake for most people is 3000-5000mg per day. Many go below that. It used to be that 2300mg was the sodium recommendation. I think that was set partially due to ease - 2300mg sodium is one teaspoon of salt.

    We now know that too little sodium is associated with poor health, as is too much. 3000-5000 mg seems to be the ideal for the average person.

    If you are getting fatigue, stomach or bm issues, headaches, weakness and dizziness (low blood pressure), muscle aches or spasms, you may need more sodium.

    Do you have a good link to the higher recommendations?
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
    Options
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    The recommended sodium intake for most people is 3000-5000mg per day. Many go below that. It used to be that 2300mg was the sodium recommendation. I think that was set partially due to ease - 2300mg sodium is one teaspoon of salt.

    We now know that too little sodium is associated with poor health, as is too much. 3000-5000 mg seems to be the ideal for the average person.

    If you are getting fatigue, stomach or bm issues, headaches, weakness and dizziness (low blood pressure), muscle aches or spasms, you may need more sodium.

    Where did you get this info? I just looked at several websites that say 2,300 mg is still the amount recommended. The AVERAGE intake of most people is more than that - about 3,400 mg. Are you confusing what the average people actually eat and the recommended amount is?
  • brendak76
    brendak76 Posts: 241 Member
    edited May 2017
    Options
    Machka9 wrote: »
    My blood pressure is quite low. When I cut way back on salt, it gets even lower to the point where standing up is difficult and my face goes all twitchy.

    Along with that, I also start to crave salty food almost desperately.

    As it happens, my normal diet is fairly low in salt, so I do things like salt my veggies now. Salted veggies take a little bit of getting used to, but I do feel better for it.

    When I exercise, I need even more salt. I have nearly been hospitalised with hyponatremia so it's something I'm very careful about now. I take electrolyte tablets on longer bicycle rides.

    Have you ever been checked for Addison's disease? My son has this and needs more salt than the average person because he doesn't make the hormones to keep the sodium/potassium balance in his body. Some of your symptoms are Addison's disease symptoms.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited May 2017
    Options
    @Tacklewasher and @mom22dogs

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C60eEO0Kyfc

    http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/116/6/1046.short

    The data is out there, it is just that government recommendations are slow to change.
  • justkeeprunning91
    justkeeprunning91 Posts: 96 Member
    Options

    Machka9 wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    My blood pressure is quite low. When I cut way back on salt, it gets even lower to the point where standing up is difficult and my face goes all twitchy.

    Along with that, I also start to crave salty food almost desperately.

    As it happens, my normal diet is fairly low in salt, so I do things like salt my veggies now. Salted veggies take a little bit of getting used to, but I do feel better for it.

    When I exercise, I need even more salt. I have nearly been hospitalised with hyponatremia so it's something I'm very careful about now. I take electrolyte tablets on longer bicycle rides.

    I used to get horrible facial twitches, and the occasional cramps. I chalked it up to anxiety or..weirdness but have been wondering if it could be the low blood pressure (low sodium/much water) issue)

    Also. Do you use actual salt on your veggies? I would struggle with that too. Have you tried mustard/hot sauce/soy sauce? I don't use a lot of salt naturally, but do love salty condiments and find that's a pretty easy way to OD on the sodium. Or I just eat a bunch of pickles with dinner.

    Yes, I use just plain ordinary salt on my veggies. I'm not a big fan of "sauces" on anything. I will do mustard on hot dogs on the rare occasions I have them. And will add soy sauce to some of my slow cooker meals, or occasionally on rice, but that's about it.

    After work every day, I have salted cottage cheese and cucumber slices. That I like! :)

    Thanks for the ideas! I have what my cardiologist likes to call a malignant form of syncope (I had epilepsy as a kid but eventually outgrew it, but the syncope triggers full on grand mal seizures as opposed to just fainting for me). I have a hard time getting enough sodium to keep my blood pressure up, even in addition to my medication and have grown to hate the taste of gatorade over the last five years. I'll be trying salting my cottage cheese and vegetables!