so the past couple of times that i’ve been done with a hard work out, i actually can feel the grains of salt on my body, and i have salt stains on shorts/shirts. could someone please give me some insight if this is a good/bad thing?, and if its a bad thing what i should be doing to correct it. i’m not really a thin guy, and i do sweat alot. thanks smart people!!
I’m the same way so I take Infinit or Enduralites with me on long runs/rides. Actually, I’ve found that if my sweat starts to taste like water (ie not salty) I need to get some sodium in me because cramps aren’t far behind. As long as my sweat tastes salty, I’m good. I know that sounds gross and it’s not like I’m licking myself, but it does run down my face a lot.
Although the ‘no cramps, no problems’ is good advice, I would suggest being very conscientious when it comes to the early signs of salt depletion. Everyone’s sweat rate (which can be easily measured) and sweat composition (not easily measured) varies. Some don’t need any salt & others need a lot. I take 6-8 endurolytes/hour when the workout is long (> 2 hours) but this is way too much for others. In short, be aware of early signs and experiment in training.
What are you licking yourself (insert mental image here) to test the salt content of your sweat?
I’m no doctor, so I have no clue, but is it possible that if your sweat is very salty that you are taking in too much salt, and your body is trying to get rid of it?
I ask this because for years I trained with straight water. My sweat was salty, but not so much as to leave a residue or crystals behind. Now I use energy drinks and have very salty sweat. I do have more energy now and am in better shape, but I’m not sure if that can be attributed to the drinks or simply more training.
Sideline observation: I have notice more people caked with more salt in the last few years.
Is this:
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Because more heavy sweaters are doing triathlon?
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Because more people are taking salt supplements
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Because more energy drinks, gels and bars have been fortified with salt?
Is this all a good thing?
Not licking myself, it just runs down my face a lot, including over my lips. Once when I ws doing a particularly challenging ride called the Six Gap Century I noticed at the top of one of the climbs that my sweat tasted clean. Sure enough, I cramped shortly thereafter. I learned to see that as a warning sign that I need sodium. Purely anecdotal I know, but it’s worked for me so far.
I know. Same thing happens to me. I have a high sweat rate and high salinity in my sweat as well. And I’m 6’ tall and 150 lbs. I don’t think it has a thing to do with your body size.