Sodium

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andysport1
andysport1 Posts: 592 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone got any idea how much exercise affects sodium, I do 8 hours running/swimming per week do I need extra sodium ?
I sweat like a hog roast does that make any difference?

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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    andysport1 wrote: »
    Has anyone got any idea how much exercise affects sodium, I do 8 hours running/swimming per week do I need extra sodium ?
    I sweat like a hog roast does that make any difference?

    Generally, when you workout a lot, especially in hotter environment, you do need more sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride (your electrolytes). I mainly aim for 5000mg a day and I only workout for an hour a day.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Impossibly to say. Extra sodium compared to what? The general public? The general recommendation? Your current intake?

    Ultimately it will vary person to person as there are a lot of variables at play. If you're training is going well and you feel fine during/aftewards, you're probably ok.
  • jraper78
    jraper78 Posts: 5 Member
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    I just recently read about this. For every 1 lb you sweat out, you lose around 500mg of salt from your body. So say you workout for 2 hrs, and lose 2 lbs of sweat, you have lost 1000mg of salt. Sodium is crucial to exercise as it is harmful.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    This showed up in my FB feed today. http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/salt-and-athletes-shake-it-or-leave-it
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
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    The best way to find out if your sodium is depleted is to have your electrolytes checked via blood test by your GP.

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