I always used to take salt when I was racing, especially on hot races. Cramp? lack of salt… but is it true?
I was surprised when Maurten was released as it has no additonal salt, how could a race day nutrition not contain salt? I asked Maurten the question and they responded that by adding salt, it slows the absorbtion of carbs, and significantly impacts the performance of the hydrogel. They also questioned why I felt I needed to take extra salts. Even so still wasn’t convinced, and always took some salt tabs on the bike.
This year in Challenge Roth, I decided to go completely without additional salt. On the bike I recorded a max temp of 35 degrees C (95 F) and 34 degrees on the run. I am happy to report that I didn’t suffer any ill effects such as cramp
Has anyone else raced just with Maurten and not added extra salt tabs? Is there scientific research that shows that taking salt does prevent cramps, or is this just based on people’s own experience? Has anyone who takes Maurten suffered with increase cramp as a result?
I am genuinely interested, I have no agenda to push.
Back when I raced I would more or less always end up felled by cramps in the heat, to the point I can remember the one race when I didn’t. I was probably mostly drinking gatorade back then. I never tried salt pills or anything.
IF you are asking do “I” need to take salt, then absolutely yes. I take salt pills everyday of my life, especially here in the desert during the 5 or 6 months it is between 90 and 120. If I do not, then it is an immediate reaction, my body cramps up and I lose a lot of my energy for later in the day. It is not a placebo, and I have tried to cut it back, but with disastrous effects.
ANd I get a couple blood tests each year, and all show my sodium levels just in the middle ranges, often in the lower middle. I also have to take magnesium too, I pee out twice as much as a normal person, so have to top that off as well each day. I’m also quite familiar with a lot of the pro athletes in our sport and what they do, most I would say take salt is some form racing and training. Not unheard of to see them take 20 to 40 salt tabs in an ironman…
I have always drank a pretty standard electrolyte drink on the bike portion of an IM.
On the run, all that I take in is water and coke. Nothing else. No salt or electrolytes at all.
Stand alone marathons I drink whatever I can grab at an aid station, usually just water, supplemented by three gels for a full marathon (one every 45 minutes and then hang on until the end).
I have never cramped in a race (knocks on wood…)
Like someone else said, I believe that cramping is more related to muscle fatigue or going harder/further than what you are trained to do. I could be wrong.
It’s a myth that lack of salt causes cramping.
It CAN cause cramping, but muscle fatigue is usually the cause.
I’m not sure anything is the sole cause. It seems to be multi-factorial with a combination of exertion, heat, and hydration/electrolyte-related issues.
I can annihilate myself to no end in 50F weather without a hint of a cramp. Unless I’m really, really out of shape. Put me in 100F heat, and I’ll eventually have issues, even with moderate exertion. Even if I’m in top shape.
I don’t think “the science” has caught up with the interplay among those various things yet.
Ross Tucker is a prominent exercise physiologist who’s favorite rant is how taking sodium isn’t going to do squat for you. I’ve seen similar sentiments from Asker Jeukendrup and Dan Pews. The only thing about it is that they don’t have experiments on people with very high salt content doing 10hr races, so as someone that regularly gets made fun of for how salty my kit becomes during exercise, even if the science for it is weak or non-existent, I still do take it. One argument that I’ve heard Ross Tucker make, which I find compelling and have taken to heart, is that you can’t really replace the sodium by drinking more because the sodium content of your drink will be way below the sodium content of your blood plasma and will therefore have a dilutive effect no matter what. So if you are going to take it, best pills/base salt/etc.
It’s a myth that lack of salt causes cramping.
It CAN cause cramping, but muscle fatigue is usually the cause.
I’m not sure anything is the sole cause. It seems to be multi-factorial with a combination of exertion, heat, and hydration/electrolyte-related issues.
I can annihilate myself to no end in 50F weather without a hint of a cramp. Unless I’m really, really out of shape. Put me in 100F heat, and I’ll eventually have issues, even with moderate exertion. Even if I’m in top shape.
I don’t think “the science” has caught up with the interplay among those various things yet.
Same. I’ve never had cramps except in hot weather, and I’ve done plenty of similar long, hard efforts when it wasn’t hot.
It’s curious that I’ve never heard of pro cyclists pounding salt tabs on long hot days, but triathletes find them indispensable.
I’m guessing, but this may have to do with the length of the days’ event. A pro TdF rider will go what 4-6 hrs on a climbing stage? Whereas an AG triathlete will go up to 16 hrs on an IM race day.
The accumulated salt loss as well as less conditioning for the AG triathlete over that time may warrant salt replacement.
It’s curious that I’ve never heard of pro cyclists pounding salt tabs on long hot days, but triathletes find them indispensable.
I’d guess that pro cyclists take in a lot of salt through their drinks or energy gels.
Which begs the question, why can’t triathletes do the same?
Yes, I get that swimming in a horizontal position and the jostling from running can upset the gut, but I don’t think that’s it.
My theory is that, once again, triathletes think they are special.
I was in Roth also. Raced on CarboPro and Maurten, with no “added” salt and no cramps. I DID drink a full bottle of energy drink per hour. No gut issues either.
For me it is HR and general feeling, I never have issues with cramping. I dump a lot of salt when sweating and without replacement HR starts to climb and I feel a lot flatter.
It’s a myth that lack of salt causes cramping.
It CAN cause cramping, but muscle fatigue is usually the cause.
I’m not sure anything is the sole cause. It seems to be multi-factorial with a combination of exertion, heat, and hydration/electrolyte-related issues.
I can annihilate myself to no end in 50F weather without a hint of a cramp. Unless I’m really, really out of shape. Put me in 100F heat, and I’ll eventually have issues, even with moderate exertion. Even if I’m in top shape.
I don’t think “the science” has caught up with the interplay among those various things yet.
Same. I’ve never had cramps except in hot weather, and I’ve done plenty of similar long, hard efforts when it wasn’t hot.
I’m the opposite. I can’t recall ever cramping in hot weather, even on really long rides or races. I’ve gone hyponatremic without ever cramping.
Nearly all of my cramps have occurred during short races when its still cool out. The worst cramps I ever had during a race happened towards the end of the bike during a December reverse sprint when it was about 45 degrees out, less than an hour into the race…
I routinely do 5+ hour training rides outdoors in the summer. Despite taking 350+ Calories in an hour, I still lose serious steam around the 4 hour mark if I’m not taking in additional electrolytes. I sweat quite a bit, and usually end up with at least some dried sodium on my kit, but I feel like I ride much steadier when I’m drinking skratch in addition to just water and calories.
It’s curious that I’ve never heard of pro cyclists pounding salt tabs on long hot days, but triathletes find them indispensable.
I’m guessing, but this may have to do with the length of the days’ event. A pro TdF rider will go what 4-6 hrs on a climbing stage? Whereas an AG triathlete will go up to 16 hrs on an IM race day.
The accumulated salt loss as well as less conditioning for the AG triathlete over that time may warrant salt replacement.
Nope. Monty mentioned pros. I’m talking about pros. Pro triathlete men routinely finish around 8 hours for full distance.
There’s nothing magical that happens between 6-8 hours that demands the extra supplementation.
Tim Noakes wrote an entire book about it, WATERLOGGED. The short answer is no need for additional salt. I get plenty from my diet.
I have been racing triathlons for 41 years and have cramped twice, both due to over exertion. My cycling buddies say the same thing. Lack of hydration/calories is a concern.
For Monty, I am sure there are people that need more salt. I am not one of them.
Put in some long days in the heat, drink, take in calories, and see how you do.
Having read Slowtwitch on this subject for years, I am sure I will get blasted. Last time the Noakes book was brought up, it was blasted.
So use your experience to give you YOUR answer.