Sodium requirements after excessive sweating?

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NaurielR
NaurielR Posts: 429 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Well, for those of you who live in the US, particularly those living in the midwest and east coast, this summer has been excruciatingly hot, humid, and rainless. I run three times a week, for at least an hour, and by the end of the run I am drenched in sweat. If I don't take a shower right away, I find that after my sweat has evaporated there's white, crusty salt residue on my skin. So, does this change my sodium requirements?

Now, I know that I'm a salt loving fiend and need to seriously cut back on my intake, so I'm not going to use this as an excuse to eat more salt (unless it increases my sodium need by, like, 1000mg, which I honestly don't think will happen). Its just that after seeing my arms and legs crusted in white powder, I'm really curious if anyone knows the answer.

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  • Telugammayi87
    Telugammayi87 Posts: 170 Member
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    Are you rehydrating with water only?
    How much water are you drinking?
    If you are not experiencing hyponatremia symptoms (low sodium) such as weakness, dizziness, nausea, cramps, etc... then you're probably okay.
    A couple weeks ago I was exercising +++ and sweating +++ and drinking about 2 gallons of water a day and eating around 1000mg of sodium... I started feeling dizzy and nauseaous and apparently my sodium levels were too low. I was sweating a lot PLUS drinking so much water that I was flushing out a lot of my electrolytes

    Since then, I've been adding a pinch of Himalayan sea salt to my water and I"ve been fine! :)

    Here's a link to read about runners and salty sweat!

    http://www.runtheplanet.com/trainingracing/nutrition/salt.asp

    and another decent one but not about runners..

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/Sodium_Salt.htm
  • NaurielR
    NaurielR Posts: 429 Member
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    I drink mostly water after I run, although sometimes I'll add crystal light to my bottle. However, even though I drink at least a bottle of water after I work out, I drink little else throughout the day, so my water consumption is far short of what it should be. (I try to carry a water bottle around with me, and that helps, but only so much).

    I don't have any symptoms of hyponatremia (except for the occasional bout of lightheadedness, which could be caused by a lot of things). And, unlike you, I eat too much sodium. Its a struggle for me to stay within MFP's 2500 suggested limit, and I know I shouldn't be eating that much.

    I'm just curious, I guess.

    Thanks for the links! There's a lot of good information on there.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    You really want to look at electrolyte replenishment rather than sodium
  • NaurielR
    NaurielR Posts: 429 Member
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    Yeah, I know that's important as well, and I'm not concerned about inadequate sodium or anything. I'm just curious :)
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Yeah, I know that's important as well, and I'm not concerned about inadequate sodium or anything. I'm just curious :)

    I don't think it changes your sodium requirement, no. But that's why I'm talking in terms of a more varied electrolyte replenishment, rather than just sodium. As Teluga says, if you don't have an issue with low sodium to begin with, I would not worry. I sweat a lot too and I hydrate with water only - I swear to you I come back from a run 3-4lbs lighter. FUN FACT: Sweat is actually very similar to urine. Hooray! Gross!
  • slappymcgee
    slappymcgee Posts: 50
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    You really want to look at electrolyte replenishment rather than sodium

    AGREE!!
  • AdrienneKaren
    AdrienneKaren Posts: 168 Member
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    Drink a Powerade Zero or lower sugar Gatorade after massive sweating. It'll replenish your sodium and other electrolytes without the calories.
  • AdrienneKaren
    AdrienneKaren Posts: 168 Member
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    Or eat bacon. :)
  • sarahc001
    sarahc001 Posts: 477 Member
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    Check out nuun tablets- they have sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and I think vitamins b and c. They're very portable, too-
  • NaurielR
    NaurielR Posts: 429 Member
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    FUN FACT: Sweat is actually very similar to urine. Hooray! Gross!
    You know, I believe you, but when I come back from a run soaked in sweat I feel victorious. If I ever came back from a run drenched head to toe in pee, I'd be more than a little irritated.

    You might even say I'd be "pissed off!"

    I'd say I'm sorry for making such a bad pun, but I'm really not.
  • HerbT51
    HerbT51 Posts: 36
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    Since then, I've been adding a pinch of Himalayan sea salt to my water and I"ve been fine! :)

    What sort of marketing BS is that? Which sea is in the Himalayas? I know global climate change is causing a rise in sea level but it hasn't progressed that far yet. All salt deposits are the result of dried up ancient seas but "sea salt' refers to recently dried sea water, not mined salts.
  • waldenlev
    waldenlev Posts: 102 Member
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    You might even say I'd be "pissed off!"

    Actually, you'd likely have been pissed ON! :-)
  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
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    FUN FACT: Sweat is actually very similar to urine. Hooray! Gross!
    You know, I believe you, but when I come back from a run soaked in sweat I feel victorious. If I ever came back from a run drenched head to toe in pee, I'd be more than a little irritated.

    You might even say I'd be "pissed off!"

    I'd say I'm sorry for making such a bad pun, but I'm really not.

    ROTFLMFAO

    I'm a runner too, and a high sodium consumer. I only worry about drinking a gatorade on my longer runs. In real heat I'd drink a serving of gatorade on my 8+ mile runs. Otherwise you don't really need to worry about it too much and the lower sugar/calorie drinks will do just fine.

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