Forums >Health and Nutrition>Do you take salt tablets on the run?
Abs of Flabs
rectumdamnnearkilledem
I lose a lot of salt in my sweat. After a long run, my face and arms are coated in white. I've been using Succeed salt capsules the last couple of years and that has helped in delaying the onset of cramps during marathons. The cramps are the main determining factor of my finish time. I need to buy more salt tablets in the next couple of weeks and I'm wondering what other alternatives are out there. Which salt tablet do you take and what do you think about it? Thanks for the info!
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Runners run
The Thunder
You don't need them. The majority of cramps experienced during a race are from running above your current abilities. Salty sweat has absolutely nothing to do with the need to replace anything. Read the Muscle Cramp series, and the Hydration series Read the Hydration and Exercise posts You get enough sodium and electrolytes from the sports drink or gels, and the food you eat.
1 Hip and 2 Hamstring reconstructions later…
You sir, are WRONG! I try to stay away from the GSP here...but damn Trent sent me this link. Thermo tabs are good, and Enduralites are good. Try the both, experiment and find what's best for your needs. People have VERY different salt and sweat rates. What is right for one person, isn't usually right for most people. I had the same troubles as the OP, and I finally got my salt right yesterday. It was the different between a 3:22, and a 3:07 marathon. I took about 10 Endurolites during my marathon, and I also took two Rocktane Gels too...as Mikey did. No cramps. No bonk.
You're right, it was all about the stuff you ingested, and had nothing to do with your training. Read the links I posted.
Dude. I have trained as well, and better for marathons before. I have read numerous research articles on this stuff. Plus I'm married to an exercise physiologist. I've personally done testing. YOU ARE WRONG. Get over it.
Good Bad & The Monkey
Also, if you have sources, I'd love to see them.
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1501099
So you have to figure out what works FOR YOU. If Thunder believes that getting his salt/hydration right was a key factor in his 3:07 yesterday, I don't think we have enough data to say it wasn't. I don't know of too many studies that included equal sized groups of equally trained Thunders with one group taking in salt during a marathon and the other taking only water, etc.