Best electrolyte combo

Jul 24, 21 18:08

Post #1 of 37 (4667 views)

With so many different electrolyte products on the market, I'm trying to figure out what combo is best. I can obviously always just add more sodium if needed.
Here are some product examples:
1. sodium 290mg - chloride 442mg - magnesium 12mg - potassium 2.6mg - calcium 3mg
2. sodium 215mg - chloride 350mg - magnesium 11mg - potassium 63mg - calcium 22mg - vitamin D3 100IU
3. sodium 105mg - chloride 600mg - magnesium 190mg - potassium 150mg - sulfate 20mg - boron 950mcg
4. sodium 200mg - chloride 750mg - magnesium 90mg - potassium 300mg - sulfate 20mg

Last edited by: trirocket: Jul 26, 21 8:25

Re: Best electrolyte combo [trirocket] [ In reply to ]

Jul 25, 21 6:11

Post #2 of 37 (4591 views)

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ost=7553393#p7553393

Seems only sodium matters (see point #3)

Re: Best electrolyte combo [BigBoyND] [ In reply to ]

Jul 26, 21 8:32

Post #3 of 37 (4473 views)

But what about the amount of potassium (300 vs. 2.6 mg), magnesium (190 vs. 11 mg), etc. needed for best performance? Those are pretty big spans.

Re: Best electrolyte combo [trirocket] [ In reply to ]

Jul 26, 21 15:57

Post #4 of 37 (4405 views)

According to our resident expert, they don't matter for performance. If anything, including those could be worse since they increase osmolarity.

Re: Best electrolyte combo [BigBoyND] [ In reply to ]

Jul 26, 21 17:35

Post #5 of 37 (4385 views)

In other words, I should pick one that has the least amount of magnesium, potassium and chloride?

Re: Best electrolyte combo [trirocket] [ In reply to ]

Jul 26, 21 17:49

Post #6 of 37 (4378 views)

trirocket wrote:

In other words, I should pick one that has the least amount of magnesium, potassium and chloride?

Yep. Sodium Citrate is good.

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Re: Best electrolyte combo [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 6:06

Post #7 of 37 (4288 views)

Thanks, so adding magnesium, potassium and chloride to the mix doesn't help? Even in training? As Mg and potassium regulate nerve and muscle function and prevent cramping, shouldn't I add those to the mix? And chloride as the most important electrolyte as well?

Re: Best electrolyte combo [trirocket] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 13:25

Post #8 of 37 (4233 views)

That's correct. The tradeoffs of increasing osmolarity by addition of Mg, K, Cl or Ca (all common inclusions in various sports beverages), are likely to outweigh any benefits... if there are any.

Usually if X offers a benefit, then mishandling, or omitting X, will have pretty disastrous effects on performance.

This is certainly the case where X = carbs, X = fluid, or X = sodium.

I have had several athletes use exclusively sodium citrate for 12-30-hr events and report better-than-ever performance. I have virtually all my clients, my wife and I included, use sodium citrate almost exclusively for training & racing whenever sodium intake will exceed 1000mg/L. Below that amount, table salt is fine for most.

All these cases have included complete omission of all the aforementioned electrolytes (outside the table salt usage, which provides Cl).

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
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Re: Best electrolyte combo [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 14:44

Post #9 of 37 (4201 views)

That is great info. Thanks! How do you know when sodium intake will exceed 1000mg/L? And what's the best place to purchase sodium citrate?

Re: Best electrolyte combo [trirocket] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 15:30

Post #10 of 37 (4184 views)

trirocket wrote:

That is great info. Thanks! How do you know when sodium intake will exceed 1000mg/L? And what's the best place to purchase sodium citrate?

Sodium Citrate is what we use. No affiliation. Just reasonably cheap, but with the number of referrals I've made the price seems to be increasing a little faster than inflation... lol.

If sweating noticeably, pushing sodium up closer to 1500mg per liter of total fluid consumption is optimal. Often, it's impossible to actually replace all fluid and sodium lost during exercise.

FYI: Sodium Citrate has about 1000mg sodium per tsp. Table salt is about 2000mg sodium per tsp.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
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Re: Best electrolyte combo [trirocket] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 16:37

Post #11 of 37 (4144 views)

The best combo is likely what you find in Pedialyte. When you need to hydrate fast and efficiently, Pedialyte is probably the king, or close to it.

Last edited by: NealH: Jul 27, 21 16:39

Re: Best electrolyte combo [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 18:00

Post #12 of 37 (4120 views)

DrAlexHarrison wrote:

If sweating noticeably, pushing sodium up closer to 1500mg per liter of total fluid consumption is optimal. Often, it's impossible to actually replace all fluid and sodium lost during exercise.

Not sure if I understand that correctly. Let's assume I consume 3 liters (100 oz.) of fluid during a bike ride. Would I need to add 4500mg of sodium?

Re: Best electrolyte combo [NealH] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 18:02

Post #13 of 37 (4119 views)

Unfortunately, it has sucralose in it, which gives me massive headaches. :(

Re: Best electrolyte combo [NealH] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 18:07

Post #14 of 37 (4113 views)

NealH wrote:

The best combo is likely what you find in Pedialyte. When you need to hydrate fast and efficiently, Pedialyte is probably the king, or close to it.

Pedialyte has appropriate sodium amounts for sure, but probably a bit high on the table salt side of things, and not enough sodium citrate for during exercise if reducing osmolarity is a goal. Honestly, it's a great bet, but if we're talking optimization here, you might be better off making your own with a bit higher proportion of sodium citrate to salt.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Re: Best electrolyte combo [trirocket] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 18:17

Post #15 of 37 (4107 views)

trirocket wrote:

DrAlexHarrison wrote:

If sweating noticeably, pushing sodium up closer to 1500mg per liter of total fluid consumption is optimal. Often, it's impossible to actually replace all fluid and sodium lost during exercise.

Not sure if I understand that correctly. Let's assume I consume 3 liters (100 oz.) of fluid during a bike ride. Would I need to add 4500mg of sodium?

That should work great. Add it to some portion of the beverage that tastes good. (something with carbs in it) Salts added to plain water is gross. Either that or I just need to harden up.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Re: Best electrolyte combo [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 22:26

Post #16 of 37 (4055 views)

DrAlexHarrison wrote:

That should work great. Add it to some portion of the beverage that tastes good. (something with carbs in it) Salts added to plain water is gross. Either that or I just need to harden up.

Nothing to say it couldn't be both of those things. :-)

Re: Best electrolyte combo [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]

Jul 27, 21 22:28

Post #17 of 37 (4053 views)

Touche :)

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
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Re: Best electrolyte combo [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]

Jul 30, 21 15:42

Post #18 of 37 (3879 views)

In a 24-oz. bottle I mixed 1/2 teaspoon table Himalayan salt (as I don't have the salt citrate yet), not quite 1/2 cup (55g) of carbo gain and a tablespoon of country time powder for taste with water. Is that about a good mix per hour on the bike?

Re: Best electrolyte combo [trirocket] [ In reply to ]

Jul 30, 21 20:51

Post #19 of 37 (3828 views)

trirocket wrote:

In a 24-oz. bottle I mixed 1/2 teaspoon table Himalayan salt (as I don't have the salt citrate yet), not quite 1/2 cup (55g) of carbo gain and a tablespoon of country time powder for taste with water. Is that about a good mix per hour on the bike?

Sounds like 1000mg sodium from NaCl per ~700mL. That's on the higher side of what I'd recommend doing with NaCl per liter if that's the only fluid you'll be getting. Other stuff is great.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
📱 Check out our app → Saturday: Pro Fuel & Hydration, a performance nutrition coach in your pocket.
Join us on YouTube → Saturday Morning | Ride & Run Faster and our growing Saturday User Hub

Re: Best electrolyte combo [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]

Jul 31, 21 10:09

Post #20 of 37 (3751 views)

In Salem I went with two of the zefal bottles (1L) with 2/3 cup of sugar, scoop of gatorade, caffiene pill (200mg I think) and tsp of sodium citrate (which is 1000mg I believe). Somewhere near 600 calories per bottle. Didn't get thru both bottles, but about 1.5 L with water at aid stations. What are your thoughts on using BCAAs instead of Gatorade for flavor and possible benefits of BCAAs in the mix?

For what it's worth, probably the best fueled I've felt in a LONG time off the bike...appreciate all your input on these posts for sure.

DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

Re: Best electrolyte combo [dfru] [ In reply to ]

Aug 1, 21 11:12

Post #21 of 37 (3618 views)

Awesome!

Re: BCAA's my TLDR is: probably not worth the money. Could be used as flavor just fine.

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Re: Best electrolyte combo [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]

Aug 1, 21 11:19

Post #22 of 37 (3610 views)

DrAlexHarrison wrote:

Awesome!

Re: BCAA's my TLDR is: probably not worth the money. Could be used as flavor just fine.

So...just replacing the 80 some calories from gatorade with sugar then I assume.

Thansk!

DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

Re: Best electrolyte combo [dfru] [ In reply to ]

Aug 1, 21 11:39

Post #23 of 37 (3596 views)

Yep!

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
📱 Check out our app → Saturday: Pro Fuel & Hydration, a performance nutrition coach in your pocket.
Join us on YouTube → Saturday Morning | Ride & Run Faster and our growing Saturday User Hub

Re: Best electrolyte combo [DrAlexHarrison] [ In reply to ]

Aug 1, 21 13:45

Post #24 of 37 (3562 views)

I do enjoy your long informative explanations but this one was the simplicity I was looking for haha!

DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

Re: Best electrolyte combo [dfru] [ In reply to ]

Aug 1, 21 16:40

Post #25 of 37 (3519 views)

;)

Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
📱 Check out our app → Saturday: Pro Fuel & Hydration, a performance nutrition coach in your pocket.
Join us on YouTube → Saturday Morning | Ride & Run Faster and our growing Saturday User Hub

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