Anyone use salt tabs or E-caps for racing / training? I lose a lot of fluids in the heat and I would be interested in trying a supplement to help improve performance. In the past I have used various sport drinks including Gatorade, Gatorade Endurance, and Accelerade with no noticable difference in performance. Anyone with info on supplement options?
All salt tabs are not created equal. For example, I was using Hammer’s Endurolytes and was still becoming dehydrated/overheated but, then I switched to SaltStick caps and did a lot better in the heat. Why, most likely because Hammer’s were only 40mg of sodium, while SaltStick’s are 220mg (approx). There are multiple brands out there, such as Thermolytes and Lava Salts that have higher sodium contents (over 150mg). I rough estimate to determine how much sodium you need to find out how much you sweat in a given period by weighing yourself before your ride/run, then weigh yourself after. The difference (minus the amount of fluids you drank) will give you a ‘sweat rate’. You can find a guide online that depending on sweat rate how much sodium you lost. In no way exact science but, it will give you some idea. I found an online calculator that gave you a rate based on pre/post weight, as well.
Just remember that the more salt you take, the more water you will need to drink too. Have fun!
Don’t be fooled by amount of Sodium Cloride in salt tab. That means it is basic table salt, and has sodium plus chemical with choride. So actualy sodium is much, much less. Look for salt tabs with pure sodium.
I once took endurolytes, then Lava salt, and just ordered succeed. Got tested about two weeks ago for sweat rate and sodium loss during bike test, and realize that even though I dial in most components with Infinit on the course, I still need more sodium. Succeed appears to have most pure sodium. check out their website for more info. And no, I’m not associated with them in any way.
Google thermolyte tablets. I use them with great success.
Don’t be fooled by amount of Sodium Cloride in salt tab. That means it is basic table salt, and has sodium plus chemical with choride. So actualy sodium is much, much less. ** Look for salt tabs with pure sodium. **
Do you have any idea how absurd your notion is of pure sodium? Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Q4toxofvk
I wouldn’t want to be carrying that around with me…
What indicators are there that you need more sodium? Just curious. I’ve done lots of my own trial and error on this. I am a heavy and salty sweater and have gone a few rounds with hyponatreamia. I can do a pretty good job of replacing all of my fluids, but I have to take lots of sodium and I’m still trying to dial it in for iron-distance races.
Brad
lol i know you dont mean PURE sodium b/c its literally a metal and highly unstable.
you need both sodium and potassium and a trace of some other minerals for the best ion balance. sugar gets in the way a little bit of this process…
+1 on Saltstick vs. Hammer. For me its all about the NaCl. I sweat huge and historically had trouble w/cramps. A friend of mine who does ultras told me about a group in CO that does their long run each week with water and salt caps only. I tried em (salt caps) and, placebo or not, I don’t suffer from cramps remotely as much as I used to.
There’s a single correct amount of electrolytes for one person, but for events I usually drink the race-provided Gato until I can’t take it any more, then intersperse with salt caps and water. For me, If I do water alone for a half hour my power output drops dramatically. I drink as much as I can during a race but never water alone, instead of figuring out the correct amount of salt per sweat rate.
I can’t stand carrying huge amounts of my own nutrition in a race so I’m fortunate that works for me.
As an aside, I’ve always doubted that adage ‘if you’re urinating all the time, you’re hydrated’, my experience is that if you’re taking in a poor balance of water:electrolytes, your body will pass it quickly and have no impact on your hydration level.
I’ve had bad muscle cramping issues in races, and also am looking into salt tabs (although for an olympic distance race like I do I wouldn’t think you’d lose that much, like in a half or full IM). There was an article in Triathlete mag a few months ago saying it’s ok to experiment with high doses of salt/salt tabs. I’ve read other articles saying to be very careful with the amount of salt you take in.
I tried all of theose options as well. I then moved to thermotabs. They helped…alot until i got to over 3 hours. I’ve switched to endurolytes and haven’t had a problem since.
My nutrition routine is way to complex with gels, accelarade, water and endurolytes. I’m hoping this spring to get the right mix of Infinit and endurolytes to make things easier on longer rides. trial and error
As a heavy sweater myself, I would say to you that there is no amount of sodium that could be considered “excessive” for you. Look at Jordan Rapp at IMAZ in November. I think he took in almost 15,000 MG of electrolyte pills. So long as you are taking on water, you’ll be fine. There is emerging research to back this up as well.
Bob
As others mentioned, there are several good products out there. I use Thermolytes and they have served me well. As a rule, the more I take the better I feel. Switching from water, sports drinks, and salt tabs to just water and salt tabs has made a HUGE difference in how I feel when racing and training. I’ve taken up to 1,200mg sodium/hour in hot weather with very good results.
What are the consequences to taking too many tabs/too much salt? I’m planning to try salt tabs this season, since I regularly finish rides in disgusting sweat crust and cramps.
I know your limbs/hands/feet can swell up a bit if you take too much sodium. I imagine there may be other more severe consequences, too. A quick google search should give you some more information. Good luck with your experimentation!