Sodium Question

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InstantKarma24
InstantKarma24 Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've searched the forums a bit for this, but to no avail...

Why doesn't sodium intake allotment increase with exercise? It seems to me that if I spend a couple hours playing basketball, covered with sweat, that I'd be allowed a bit more sodium...

Do you incredibly informed people have the answer? Thanks!

Replies

  • Fredderfy
    Fredderfy Posts: 30 Member
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    Have you ever tasted sweat (accidentally, ofc). You sweat out sodium
  • InstantKarma24
    InstantKarma24 Posts: 27 Member
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    EXACTLY, kind of.... If MFP adjusts calories, fat, carbs and protein, based on exercise, why does Sodium always stay at a constant (in my case) 2500? You'd think it'd adjust upwards...
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
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    Because too much salt is bad for you, no matter how much you exercise.
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
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    Except on margarita glasses!
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Sodium is only bad for you in proportion to how much water you drink and your potassium intake. If you drink enough water and take in potassium at least 1:1 with your potassium, then have all the sodium you want
  • InstantKarma24
    InstantKarma24 Posts: 27 Member
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    Sodium is only bad for you in proportion to how much water you drink and your potassium intake. If you drink enough water and take in potassium at least 1:1 with your potassium, then have all the sodium you want

    So MFP doesn't adjust sodium because it has less to do with exercise, and more to do with a bit more complicated a calculation? That makes sense... Thanks!
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
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    The carbs, fat, protein changes because the total number of cals you eat are determined by Carbs, protein and fat. Not sodium.

    Exercise more and you can eat more carbs, fat and protein.

    According to the FDA, "the Dietary Guidelines recommend that the general population consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day"
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
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    I go over what MFP says but between exercise work and water intake it runs low and I was told y MD to keep it up higher on active days. It is bad if high but it is also not great when low passing out is not fun either from this. Done it more than a few times until we realized I needed to add electrolytes and not drink as much water that I was flushig it all out but needed the water at the same time if that makes sense. For awhile I even had to take medicine to help me retain salt because I was in a warm water pool 6 hours a day.
  • melmobs1
    melmobs1 Posts: 14 Member
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    It's all about personal balance. Since I am a vegetarian and eat dairy very limited, I have extremely low cholesterol and blood pressure and I love salt. I don't worry about it at all. Figure out what best works for you and your lifestyle.
  • admegamo
    admegamo Posts: 175 Member
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    EXACTLY, kind of.... If MFP adjusts calories, fat, carbs and protein, based on exercise, why does Sodium always stay at a constant (in my case) 2500? You'd think it'd adjust upwards...


    I want to know too because for a while (before I joined MFP) I had been doing a lot of cardio and feeling tired and dehydrated. I drank more water and would have something before I exercised incase I needed more water and possibly my sugar was going low. But when that wasn't working, I started drinking gatorade after work outs for a few days and it helped. I don't know if I needed the elecrolytes or the sodium but it helped.
  • Slothsoul
    Slothsoul Posts: 181
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    Sodium is only bad for you in proportion to how much water you drink and your potassium intake. If you drink enough water and take in potassium at least 1:1 with your potassium, then have all the sodium you want
    This is very interesting, and it's the most promising thing I've heard. By 1:1 do you mean 1mg of potassium/1ml of water per 1mg of sodium?
    As in, if I were to eat 1000mg of sodium in a day, I'll be ok if I also eat, say, 750ml of water+250mg of potassium?
    If so, do you mind if I ask for sources so I can read up on this?

    And does anyone know how to keep track of potassium? On our diaries I mean.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    I've searched the forums a bit for this, but to no avail...

    Why doesn't sodium intake allotment increase with exercise? It seems to me that if I spend a couple hours playing basketball, covered with sweat, that I'd be allowed a bit more sodium...

    Do you incredibly informed people have the answer? Thanks!

    No. I'm on a medically restricted sodium diet and according to my Dr. you don't sweat out enough sodium to make enough of a difference to your body. Even if you are really drenched, it's not enough to get rid of that much sodium.

    If you haven't any medical issues that require you to restrict your sodium I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you're not grossly going over the Heart Associations recommended amount on a regular basis.

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