"salt stains do not indicate sodium depletion - it indicates your body is excreting sodium because it has too much...."

this was told to me by my coach (ex-coach). I always thought that the more salt on my clothes, the more salt tablets I needed to take.

Cramps are commonly caused by electrolyte depletion. If your sweat contains a lot of salt (and it sounds like it does) then you need to replace the electrolytes. If 2 endurolytes per hour didn't keep you from cramping then try 4. If that doesn't work, try 6... Just make sure you're drinking enough water.

#1) no one has proven that cramping is caused by sodium/electrolyte deficiencies. It is the "general wisdom", however it is not science, according to the science people and so is really not "accepted wisdom" these days, no matter how much people repeat it.

#2) I notice that when I take salt tabs, I end up caking salt on my clothes waaay more than any training I have ever done. I don't train 11 hours at a time, as I do in an IM, but I have never come close to having a fraction of the salt on my clothes after a hot 5 hour ride as in an IM when taking Endurolytes or Thermatabs, et al. My thinking is that the salt caking is exessive salt from the tabs. I take the salt because of all the chat about needing it. But if you search some of the threads, particularly on Gordo's forum, there seems to be some pretty informed people saying that salt tabs are more marketing than science. Yes, your sweat does contain salt, but you have plenty of it onboard and the hyponatremia cases I have read are from people simply drinking waaay too much water.

Net-Net - I'd guess your cramping isn't because of not taking enough salt and your salt stains are because you take too many. IMHO