Basically the title of the CNN article.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/25/health/ultramarathons-electrolyte-drinks-wellness/index.html
I’d like to read the full study at some point but I’m sure it’s behind a pay wall now.
Sounds like what Tim Noakes has been preaching for years.
To be fair to the article their title says ‘… as much as you may think’. Its a form of click bait to tell me what I do or don’t know.
“In the past, athletes were told to make sure they’re taking electrolyte supplements and drinking as much water as they can,”
How far back in the past do you have to go to find that advice? It seem like advice that went out of style more than 20 years ago.
I like when people say their calves are cramping and they’re taking electrolytes and it didn’t help…so they took more electrolytes the next time…and it didn’t help.
Or, when someone replies to a cramping calves post and saying they need more electrolytes. Wouldn’t the other muscles doing most of the work cramp first if there was an electrolyte deficiency?
“In the past, athletes were told to make sure they’re taking electrolyte supplements and drinking as much water as they can,”
How far back in the past do you have to go to find that advice? It seem like advice that went out of style more than 20 years ago.
Yesterday?
So what that article seems to say is we’re not consuming enough electrolytes. I’m not surprised by that at all. That’s why we’re seeing higher concentration stuff…here’s the problem, it tastes like crap!
All this article is saying is that most of the athletes don’t know their sweat concentration and rates in those race conditions, so they aren’t replacing in the right ratio, causing a sodium imbalance one way or the other. Most off the shelf sports drinks aren’t concentrated enough for the average person and will dilute you and potentially lead to EAH.
Conclusion: work with a professional to get a sweat test and a plan that works for you.
Really great series on the topic, circa 2007.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/the-controversial-science-of-sports-drinks/260124/
“But it then makes the point that sports drinks do not preclude hyponatremia and that there was an article in The New England Journal of Medicine that found no correlation between hyponatremia and the type of fluid consumed” -2012
From Joe Friel, 2008
http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2008/09/hydration-and-exercise-part-2.html
“In other words, you don’t need to replace lost sodium during exercise because the loss is inconsequential while the volume of water lost is significant. But even if you did, the sodium content of most sports drinks is 10-25mmol/l, not enough to replace the loss (unless you overhydrate which raises the specter of hyponatremia - more on that shortly).”
TrainerRoad podcast did a deep dive as well with the guy from Precision Hydration
It’s astonishing how people still think cramping issues are electrolyte related. Nope… you’re muscles are over-fatigued.
Article summary - drink when you’re thirsty, not in timed intervals.
It’s astonishing how people still think cramping issues are electrolyte related. Nope… you’re muscles are over-fatigued.
Tell the truth.
Article summary - drink when you’re thirsty, not in timed intervals.
“But I’ll forget to drink!”
“My body doesn’t know when it’s thirsty!”
eyeroll
.
Not replying to anyone in particular. This is well worn ground.
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ost=2297723#p2297723
But, it was a bit heretical back then. I’m still not sure everyone accepts it as true.
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ost=2297723#p2297723
But, it was a bit heretical back then. I’m still not sure everyone accepts it as true. //
Man o man, I had completely forgotten about that thread, it was one of the classics. We had all the giants in the sport there, Coggan, Noakes, Paulo, Frank Day, Molina, and lots of doctors/competitors in the field chime in. And what a war it was, just rereading it again was really fun. I even get in a few licks along with Slowman! And in reality, nothing has changed much, except Noakes has been a bit deflated since that time. What the thread did show though, that those that took a 100% view of the problem/situation, were only partially right. I believe we had already had 20 years of evidence that salt supplementation during races was absolutely beneficial to many athletes, and now we have another decade+ to add to that.
Thanks Tom for digging this old gem up, everyone who is even mildly interested in cramping, salt, and training long distance, should read the entire thread…
Thanks Tom for digging this old gem up, everyone who is even mildly interested in cramping, salt, and training long distance, should read the entire thread…
I like to comb the archives for anything posted by certain authors every now and again… Many of those manes you listed above. There is a shit ton to be learned by reading every post by coggan, or Noakes, or desert dude, Paolo, etc. I’ll do a search for all content by XXX and just read.
Article summary - drink when you’re thirsty, not in timed intervals.
“But I’ll forget to drink!”
“My body doesn’t know when it’s thirsty!”
eyeroll
I don’t get thirsty while competing. I’d get severely dehydrated if I waited until I was thirsty (and have done so). Maybe that’s just me, though.
It’s astonishing how people still think cramping issues are electrolyte related. Nope… you’re muscles are over-fatigued.
It’s more complicated than that. Some people can drive themselves into oblivion and never cramp. Other people cramp very easily. This exists across fitness levels (training load prior) and performance levels (elite vs. just off the couch).
Anything from cnn is fake news!