I used to take them. Not that I had any problems but just to "prevent’ cramps like most people. I stopped taking them long time ago. Didn’t get any cramps. Didn’t see any difference at all. Most runners believe it helps them. Majority don’t even know there is only 40mg sodium in 1 capsule of endurolytes but still use them as “salt” pill. Is this really a mental thing because by mistake I give creatine capsules to my friend instead of endurolytes and he said it helped him with cramps.
I still end up with too much liquid in my stomach regardless of how many salt pills I ingest in longer races / training sessions. I think I’ll just eat pretzels next event. Or maybe a cold KFC Double-Down in a ziplock bag.
What exactly do salt pills do? My understanding is they help retain water (does that = reduce sweating) and therefore reduce dehydration and thus cramping (and other side effects of dehydration)?
OK, dumb question…if this is the case, why is it so bad to drink saltwater if you are stranded at sea? I’m guessing the concentration of salt is just way to high.
I think that your post’s validity depends on the audience. I would not recommend doing Ultraman Canada last weekend without salt supplements. I think I avaeraged about a gram of salt per hour all weekend and was able to eat and drink and absorb fine.
I certainly would not bother taking salt supplements for a sprint or olympic or even a half iron race though.
I certainly would not bother taking salt supplements.
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I think that your post’s validity depends on the audience. I would not recommend doing Ultraman Canada last weekend without salt supplements. I think I avaeraged about a gram of salt per hour all weekend and was able to eat and drink and absorb fine.
I certainly would not bother taking salt supplements for a sprint or olympic or even a half iron race though.
Depends on how much you sweat I would guess and not entirely on the distance of the race.
It’s 102 here today and I’m pretty sure you’d (the general you) need salt on a HIM.
I started taking salt pills this year and have seen a big difference when doing really long rides and racing 1/2 IM and above. I never used them but was given some from my ART provider. I took them on a 120 mile ride/ 10 mile brick run and didn’t cramp a bit and my muscles were not jittery that night as they normally are after a big workout like that. I sweat heavily and have used them since for long stuff with great success. I order them from www.molecularfitness.com 3 of them is a serving and they have 500 mg of sodium. I don’t really know the science behind them but I’ve felt they helped tremendously.
Depending on what tabs you take they have difference electrolytes that do different things. For instance Suceed! caps don’t have calcium or magnesium, just sodium (and lot’s of it) and potassium. But beyond that you need to find the formula of cap that works for you.
OK, dumb question…if this is the case, why is it so bad to drink saltwater if you are stranded at sea? I’m guessing the concentration of salt is just way to high.
The concentration of salt is too high. It causes dehydration as you need to expel more water to eliminate the excess salt.
I used to take them. Not that I had any problems but just to "prevent’ cramps like most people. I stopped taking them long time ago. Didn’t get any cramps. Didn’t see any difference at all. Most runners believe it helps them. Majority don’t even know there is only 40mg sodium in 1 capsule of endurolytes but still use them as “salt” pill. Is this really a mental thing because by mistake I give creatine capsules to my friend instead of endurolytes and he said it helped him with cramps.
This has been discussed to death on this forum and is pretty much religion for many folks on both sides. Personally I take salt during races and training (for the hard/long runs and bricks or very long rides). I think it helps. I use “The Right Stuff” mixed in with my carboPro bottle or use SaltStick tablets depending on what I’m doing. Your mileage will vary