Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD, FACN, CNS, FISSN
Everyone knows that you have to drink fluids to stay well hydrated. Drink before, during and after exercise, and always drink when you’re thirsty. Water alone is not enough to keep you well hydrated. Sodium and other electrolytes are required to help control fluid balance in the body. This is important during intense exercise and critical during heavy exercise in warm or hot environments.
Research is now telling us that every athlete has a different need for fluids and sodium. While I can’t give you a personalized recommendation, there are some guidelines that will help you customize your own plan. Just like some athletes sweat more than others, some athletes lose more, or less sodium during exercise. If you stay pretty well hydrated, your clothes aren’t caked with white sodium after exercise, and you don’t suffer from muscle cramps, then you are likely meeting your sodium needs. But if you are always low on fluids, covered with white stuff after exercise, and cramp up during or after training, then extra salt in your diet may make a big difference.
Here are some practical strategies to maintain good hydration.
* Start training in a well-hydrated state. Weigh yourself before and after training. If you have lost more than 2% of your body weight during exercise, then you are not drinking enough during your workouts. A loss of 2% or more of body weight in fluid causes mental and physical performance to diminish. If you weigh more than before you started to train, you are drinking too much and risk overhydration.
* If you are passing urine less often, and/or it is a darker color than straw, increase your fluid intake. This is a sign of dehydration. Do not aim for very pale to colorless urine.
* “Salty” sweaters might need drinks with more salt and more salt in food. Test yourself for salt losses by wearing a black T-shirt during training and look for salt stains afterward. High salt losses can be a contributing factor to muscle cramps. However, not all cramps are related to sodium and electrolyte imbalances.
* Sports drinks containing water, electrolytes and carbohydrates are recommended for all athletes exercising for more than 60 minutes or in the heat. These may not contain enough sodium to replaces losses in “salty” sweaters. Drinking more sports drinks may add too much carbohydrate and calories to the athlete’s diet, and diluting the sports drink will lower sodium intake. Instead, alternating a sports drink with an oral rehydration solution intended for use as a treatment for diarrhea disease might be effective. The sodium concentrations are typically 60-80 mmol/L as opposed to the 20-25 mmol/L found in most sports drinks.
* The salt losses in sweat can be quite high, exceeding the upper limit of dietary intake recommended for average Americans. While most people should curb their salt intake to decrease the risk of high blood pressure, athletes with high salt losses need to increase their dietary salt intake. Even though processed and packaged foods may be the easiest salty foods to add to your diet, continue to focus on whole, least processed foods, rich in other nutrients, whenever possible. Feel comfortable using the salt shaker. Here are some suggestions:
* Smoked fish
* Omelet
* Curried foods
* Cheese
* Tomato and vegetable juices
* Soups
* Salted nuts
* Pretzels, baked chips
* Some energy bars |
