How much sodium "should" I intake?

rickloving
rickloving Posts: 90 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
First off, I have no medical issues, I am an athlete who works out at least 3-5 times a week and am under 20% body fat. I'm 5'9", 44 years old, & weigh in at 150lbs.

I am currently eating around 1900 calories as my AMR ( I eat all my exercise calories) a day but was wondering if there is general formula or rough guideline that says how much sodium is "normal" based on caloric intake?

I know that based on how much I sweat, that some extra sodium isn't bad for me but as a runner who frequently races, I see several lb weight swings from water retention when I eat an excess of sodium..

As an example, earlier this week, eating within my calorie goal for the day, I indulged in an excess of Ranch Flavored mini rice cakes and salsa. They were very salty and I retained extra water for a couple days.

In an effort to avoid "excess" water weight right before a race, I would like to be sure I am tapering off the sodium, but don't want to cut back too much...

So how much is the right amount? is there a calculation like X amount of grams per LB of body weight or X amount of grams per day based on calories consumed, or ????

I am currently cutting some weight for an up coming marathon so on race day, each and every lb counts...

Any insight on this would be appreciated...

Rick

Replies

  • joejward95
    joejward95 Posts: 104 Member
    I remember reading in quite a few places, that unless you have any heart problems you can consume quite a large amount of sodium very safely as long as you drink enough water. The main issue with sodium is being dehydrated.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    Enough to make your food taste good?

    Most folks don't have issues with sodium.

    Unless a medical professional has recommended restriction of sodium - and you said "no" to that - , you are unnecessarily complicating things and making life harder for no reason.

    Are you finishing your race in under 2:30? No? Then retained extra H2O ain't gonna be a problem for you.
  • rickloving
    rickloving Posts: 90 Member
    Thanks for the replies, my core question remains unanswered, I have been unable to find any direct “formula” or “calculation” as to how much I “should” I be eating (on the low side). There are numerous “recommendations” with a broad range, but nothing I could find based on individual size or build…so a 95 lb female and 250 lb guy both have the same sodium intake suggestions of 1500mg….

    Here are a few tidbits of info I cut and pasted from various sources….
    United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): 2300 mg (2).
    American Heart Association (AHA): 1500 mg (3).
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND): 1500 to 2300 mg (4).
    American Diabetes Association (ADA): 1500 to 2300 mg.
    The recommended amount per day is between 1500 mg (considered adequate intake) and 2300 mg (upper amount) for people 9 -50 years of age. For people over 50 years of age, an adequate intake drops to 1300 mg per day until 70 and then 1200 mg over 70 years of age.
    Sodium is used in the body to maintain fluid balance, help transmit nerve impulses and help with the contraction and relaxation of muscles. The body require some sodium to maintain function, but that is a minimal 180 to 500 milligrams of sodium per day. The kidneys work to balance the amount of sodium stored versus excreted from the body.
    Basically, it states "Healthy 19- to 50-year old adults should consume no more than 1.5 grams (or 1500 milligrams) of sodium each day" to replace the amount lost daily on average through sweat, etc.
    Scientists estimate we need only 250 to 500mg per day for physiological functions like muscle contractions and nerve transmissions.

    Since my next marathon (early this spring, it will not be hot), I am attempting to beat my Boston Qualifying time of a 3:25, (which is several minutes faster than my current PR) each and every lb is critical. Based on the same course/conditions/training/conditioning, V02 max, you either gain or lose 1 minute and 11 seconds per lb over the marathon distance. So, no, I don’t want to retain several lbs of unnecessary water for my run. I want to be adequately hydrated, properly hydrate on course, and not carry any excess weight that isn’t necessary for my run.

    Rick
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Salt is a micronutrient. It's measured in milligrams. That's why you won't find different recommendations based on body weight. It's too minor a difference to matter. If you taper off before a race, be at the low end. Don't go over the high end.
  • rand486
    rand486 Posts: 270 Member
    Athletes tend to have a sodium deficiency, actually. I lose ~5 lbs minimum per training session (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), and that's a lot of lost electrolytes.

    The recommendations you're seeing are for non-athletes, and you are unlikely to find anything specific for your case, since there are so many variables.

    * How much you sweat
    * What your sodium/potassium ratio is (likely a more important question than your current one)
    * How long & intense the activity will be (in your case, a marathon, but other athletes would have other optimal numbers based on their activity)
    * etc

    I suggest you experiment with it week over week - avoid crappy, processed foods, but find "healthier" sources of sodium (and potassium!). Realistically, if you rely on homecooked meals, and avoid adding salt (and spices with salt in them), you're going to minimize it as much as you can anyway.

    Vary the sources & amounts of sodium, and see if it makes a difference in your runs. I bet it won't though - it's a relatively minor variable to control, against much larger metrics, like your carb/fat/protein ratio, and carb-loading timings.

    Best of luck!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories