So I’ve been using them as my sodium/electrolyte supplement for 2 years now, never had a problem, using the maximum dosage they recommend (3 per hour), as I’m a relatively heavy sweater.
Did my first IM this summer, using that dosage - major cramping by mile 10, so much so I had to walk much of the last half of the race. Also covered in salt after the race. I’ve been told you need 1000mg of sodium per hour (roughly) in endurance sports when it’s warm, so checking the label, I think that would be roughly 10 pills/hour.
Something’s not right here. I’d like to do an IM in the future, and Endurolytes seem a good way to go. Anyone have any thoughts?
Were you using the pills or the powder mixed in water/drink? I don’t know how people take the capsules in a race. Buy a jar of the endurolyes and experiement with it when it is hot. I usually putt a number of scoops in my bottle with perpetuem and then give it a good shake before I drink.
Here is a method I like to employ to keep things simple. I use one bottle for all my calories in the race. I contains all my perpetuem, endurolites, ect. Then I use my front profile bottle to fill up with clear water. I went so far as measuring my calorie bottle and marking with a sharpie so I could tell if I was taking equal servings throughout the ride. Endurolytes settle a little, but mix up fine with a good shake before drinking.
Chad
P.S. I only have one set of bottle bosses on the frame, so this works well for me on longer races past about 2 1/2 hours. I don’t need more than one bottle for shorter races.
I use thermolytes. As I remember, Endurolytes only have 40mg net of sodium (net of NaCl), Thermolytes have 150mg.
Remember you also get sodium from other sources of fuel such as gatorade and bars and gels.
Another line of thought is that if you’re covered with salt it’s coming from the salt tabs and the cramping may not be from lack of sodium. This is the conclusion I’ve come to after cramping while taking in way more than 1000 mg of sodium per hour. I now think my cause is mild dehydration or something else.
i do the same by taking apart a few capsules and putting the powder in a water bottle of perpetuem. On hot and humid races, my brink tastes more like ecaps than perpetuem. I’ve heard of some athletes using as many as 40 of these things during a race.
Intersted, do you put another bottle of perpetuem in your special needs bag or just do the entire race w/ one high concentration bottle? Perpetuem has a tendency to sour on hot days when sitting in the sun or extended periods.
I’m not an IMer. Never done or wanted to do one. I just mix up a bottle on the morning of the race.
I admit that when I mix up a brew for longer 5-6 hours rides that I am pretty sick of it by the end and it has a less than tasty flavor by the end. I just like the convenience of one bottle.
When I did a lot of Set-Up Inc races in N.C., I used to take the sample capsules that came in the race bag and dump them in my bottle. I just buy the jars now.
I use Succeed Caps. They have 340mg of sodium, vs Endurolytes 100. I typically take one per hour, but if it is hot, I’ll do one every ~45 min. The best way to tell if you need sodium is this- lick your wrist/back of your wrist. If you taste salt, it is time for more sodium.
A lot of this depends on temperature. The Succeed Caps recommend doing 1 per hour in normal conditions, 1 per two hours in the cold, and up to 1 per 30 minutes (I think) in extreme heat.
I am a heavy sweater as well. (measured at 68 oz/hour with must moderate effort). I had the same problems so I upped my intake to 4/hour, in addition to the 2 scoops of Heed… When I am not taking Heed I take between 6 and 8 per hour, depending on how hot it is. I think the 3 per hour is for normal people, not sweat-hogs.
I have been using ENDUROLYTES for about 1.5 years and in the past I usually have dosed at 3 caps per hour on the run, but a IM Kona last month is dosed at 6 caps per hour on the run. During my recent long run training days (20+ miles in the heat at 1pm) I experimented with dosage ranges from 3 to 8 per hour and 5-6 caps per hour seemed to work best. I am 41 and 150lb, average sweater, I guess. I have never cramped on the run.
On the bike I avoid the caps and dose my Perpetuem using the ENDUROLYTES powder.
I use a combination strategy that mostly works for me. Endurolytes 2 per hour on the bike, Thermotabs (467mg salt, 15mg potassium) 1 per hour, 1 Calcet per 40 miles (300mg calcium, 200mg or IU vitamin E) and 1 KFactors per 40 miles (99mg potassium, 5mg magnesium, 2.5 B-6, 0.5 Manganese, 6.26 Chromium, 195 VitC). I’ve used the Thermolytes too and haven’t found a big difference between them and Endurolytes, although if I take too many Endurolytes the extra big dose of Magnesium can cause some big stomach problems…think Milk of Magnesia.
Regarding sweat rates and salt loss rates, 1200mg per hour is right for me because I can sweat about 1.9L/hr. Your body has a reserve of around 7000mg so for an 11hr race you will be running near zero at the end of that distance if you sweat like I do. If you find your hands or feet swelling then you are taking in too much salt…this is pretty rare overall.