Salt
Getting ready for IMLP and working on nutrition plan. Came across this article from Rice University. Thought it was a good one so am sharing.
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/salt.html
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Getting ready for IMLP and working on nutrition plan. Came across this article from Rice University. Thought it was a good one so am sharing.
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/salt.html
Comments
Great info.
Wanted to pass on info related. I recently was referred to LEVELEN which is a heat science lab. It also produces custom recipe sodium replacement drinks for athletes. You may or may not be familiar with this group. I ordered one of their sweat tests for $75. When it arrived it was a simple kit that contained some swabs, a skin patch, plastic tweezers and a return vile. I performed a normal one hour work out with the sweat patch on the inside of my forearm. I also weighed pre and post workout. When finished I simply dropped my patch into the vile stuck it in the prepaid shipping pouch and dropped in the mail. A week later my results were sent to me on line. The results, WOW!! I have been way under estimating my sodium loss all these years. Granted it was hot and humid on the day of my test but I tested at loss of Sweat Na+: 82 mmol/L, Sweat K+: 5.8 mmol/L,Sweat Cl-: 89 mmol/L at a sweat rate for my test of just under 2 L/Hr. This was in their severe category (level 5) and suggested 1600 mg per hr replacement.
In the past I have always had issues with calf cramps 5 or 6 hrs into a race. I considered it to be a Electrolyte issue so I started to use Endurolytes (Hammer) with little improvement. I continued on with my normal way just fighting the cramps. I now know that in fact it was a Electrolyte imbalance and the Enduolytes were so weak they were of no use. It would have required 40 tablets per hour to reach the recommended replacement. I have since switched to NUUN and Powerbar Perform mix with great results. LEVELEN also will sell you their custom mix but appeared a little pricey for daily use.
Point of the post. If you don't know and are guessing I can attest that $75 and a 1 hour workout can shed lots of info on your requirements. I intend on doing 4 of these tests throughout the year in an attempt to build a replacement profile for each season. I will be interested to see the difference between 104°/80% and 40°/50%. Below is a link to LEVELEN.
http://levelen.com/
Danny - thanks for sharing. Looks interesting. I find that in my clients (I am a Sports Dietitian) that men who weigh over 190 lbs will probably lose more than 2% body weight after a 2-3 hour workout. They need to pay attention to off-setting the dehydration with adequate sodium and electrolytes. When trying to get sodium levels high the use of sodium chloride can bother some guts. Sodium citrate seems to be tolerated better. PowerBar Perform uses sodium citrate.
Also - looking at Levelen's sports drink there seems to be added ingredients that aren't neccessary during exercise. Apple Cider vinegar can lower the glycemic index of a carb. Beta glucan can enhance immune function. Not bad - just don't need it during exercise. These things are better for daily diet.
Levelen™ Strawberry Citrus
Ingredients: Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Magnesium Dihydrate Lactate, Calcium Lactate Gluconate, Ascorbic Acid, DL Alpha Tocopherol Acetate, Biotin, Niacinamide, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B-12, Pyridoxine, Sodium Selenite), Green Tea Extract, Malic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Fruit and Vegetable Juice Powder for Color, Apple Cider Vinegar Powder, Tricalcium Phosphate, Bakers Yeast Beta Glucan
Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents interfere with kidney function and may contribute to the development of hyponatremia in triathletes. The same applies to acetaminophen (Tylenol). I have seen many athletes taking these drugs during Ironman races, and I strongly recommend against this practice. They won't make you faster and may hurt you. Under tough conditions, your kidneys need to function at 100%.
Thanks for posting Ken.
- David
SULZER, NICOLE U.; SCHWELLNUS, MARTIN P.; NOAKES, TIMOTHY D.
Conclusion: Acute Exercise Associated Muscle Cramping in ironman triathletes is not associated with a greater percent body mass loss or clinically significant differences in serum electrolyte concentrations. The increased EMG activity of cramping muscles may reflect increased neuromuscular activity.
http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/2005/07000/Serum_Electrolytes_in_Ironman_Triathletes_with.1.aspx
I am anxious to see if sodium replacement helps with cramping. Noakes is adamant it won't.
@Rob Would you recommend never taking an NSAID?
@Shiela - Sodium is kinda like my wife. Everything is fine and she goes about her day, life is good. But if I don't give her a kiss when I leave, compliment her or do my part to help her out, sooner or later she is gonna blow and the kids and I are gonna be in trouble. Sodium is not important until you ignore it then you get in big trouble. I try to get my sodium in with everything I eat and drink. 1200mg an hour or so? I don't drink water much. Then at the first signs of nausea, bloating, or any muscle twinge pop your favorite salt supplement. If the problems continue, it's simple, better slow down.
Edit: Even though the Rice article is 15 years old, it is still really good! I see they go with 1000mg sodium an hour. Try it in training. I have been focusing on carbs per hour. I need to see how much salt I'm getting when I hit my carb target.
@Brian that is a good one! ...Sodium is not important until you ignore it.
Remember to drink to replace sweat loss. Think of these two scenarios during exercise:
1) I'm thirsty, I drink water, I quench my thirst, I stop drinking but I am still dehydrated. I turned off my thirst mechanism so I don't feel like drinking anymore but I'm still dehydrated.
2) I'm thirsty. I drink a sports drink, I quench my thirst. I stop drinking BUT I have just done a better job of replacing sweat loss because my body will retain more water (serum volume goes up). Those salty sports drink will make me thirsty and make me drink more. Being thirsty may not always mean you are behind in hydration. Drinking and eating salt makes you thirsty so you drink so you keep up with sweat loss.