As a athlete and coach, figuring out the correct amount of sodium to consume during exercise to balance out sodium loss due to sweating is like catching a falling knife!
So I searched for more expert advice. Like you, I, and all athletes, want to know “HOW MUCH!” How much running should I do? How many calories do I need during exercise? How much sodium do I need?” Just give me the numbers and let me go!
First of all, how much sodium do I need? Registered dietitian, Leah Perrier write, “The actual sodium need varies slightly from person to person, but a range of 1800-2400 milligrams, or one teaspoon of salt, is considered to be a healthy daily dose.” Leah, I need MORE information! How much sodium do I need during exercise,? “For the athlete sweating 1.5 liters per hour sodium loses may be about 750 milligrams. This means in one-hour, you lose 1125 milligrams of sodium. If you train for three-hours your total sodium sweat losses are 3,375 milligrams.”
Okay, how much do I need to replace? Perrier recommends, “Aim to consume 100-250 milligrams of sodium for every eight ounces of water ingested during endurance training and racing.”
For me, the information from Ms. Perrier is only a start. So I visited “Hot Topics” at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. There I found information from Dr. Larry Kenney, professor of physiology & kinesiology at the Null Laboratory at Penn State University. His current work focuses on the cardiovascular consequences of prolonged exposure to exercise and heat stress.
Okay, doc, talk to me! “The amount of sodium we lose in sweat has a strong genetic influence.” Outside of genetics, what can I do? “Of all the things we can control, heat acclimation may be the largest determinant of sweat sodium losses. The more heat acclimated we become, the better the body is at conserving sodium.”
One last question, Dr. Kenney, how reliable is thirst as a trigger for hydration? “By the time we feel thirsty during exercise, our bodies have typically lost 1-2% of our body weight in sweat, and that’s more than enough dehydration to potentially impact athletic performance.”
In next weeks update (Part Two) I am going to dig into how sodium loss affects performance.
Looking for sodium replacement? I have tried Endurolytes, Succeed and other brands. I found a new company right here in Dallas that makes what I feel is a wonderful sodium replacement! I have tried it and I now use it, Shark Salts. You can find out more about Shark Salts at www.enduroshark.com
