Salt - Performance Enhancer

I'm interested in the effects that salt has on performance during runs - specifically on long runs over 20-30 miles.

The information I can obtain (mainly from american websites) shows that taking 'extra' salt, particularly prior to a long race, can be beneficial. Has anyone looked into this, or experience this ?

I feel that we all could be missing a trick here. Loads of americans swear by salt tablets for ultras, but I can find very little information in the UK.

Also I'm struggling to find a UK outlet for Saltsticks, Succeed Ultra, Thermatabs, etc. - all american variants of salt tablets.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

Cheers,

The Joker

I always put a little in my lucozade before long races, this has always proved very effective in helping me avoid cramp.

Blimey I was expecting to be knocked off my feet with replies.

I was told as a youngster that salt would help avoid cramps - but this seems not to be proven. Which suggests that we are entering a bit of a black science particularly with cramps.

I actively don't add salt to anything and try to buy stuff that has very little, for as we are told too much salt is bad for you. It therefore occurs to me that maybe I/we am/are disadvantaged when it comes to running long distances. I know that around 30-40 miles I crave for things savoury. I've previously thought that this is because by that stage I'm sick of eating/drinking sweet stuff, and just want to clean my palate so to speak.

I have heard that americans rave about using salt for ultras, but hardly mentioned in UK.

The limited research I've done is basically have a fair amount of salt prior to a race, like the day before - your body will get rid of what it doesn't need. This will help with keeping the body hydrated. But be very careful during a race with salt (and other electrolytes) - ideally stick to isotonic drinks. Although there is a certain amount of salt lost in sweating, I understand that too much salt taken during a race can be as counter-productive as too little salt. However there is only so much isotonic drinks I can take, and would like to be able to replenish my salt levels without taking necessarily taking on carbs. I'm currently looking into Nuun tablets.


Anyone else out there having experiences of taking salt prior/during a race ?

The Joker (only I'm trying to be serious for a change)

A few years ago when I was in the alps, I suffered terribly from cramps, from not taking in enough fluid/loss of salt through the day.
I was talking to a couple of more experienced climbers than myself, they said they would actually lick table salt off the back of their hands, til almost sick and also put salt in their water fot the walk in. They seemed to think it worked.

Tried it didn't bother again though.

I suffer from cramp in hard races over about an hour and a quarter. I've always overloaded on Lucozade beforehand but it doesn't seem to work on races longer than that. Someone has recommended Dioralyte for salt prior to long races which I think I'll try next. I'll let you know how it goes. Has anyone else tried this?

The late, great Arthur Newton in his book 'Running' advocates 3 heaped teaspoons of sugar to half a pint of lemonade liberally dosed with salt. He used this mixture on his numerous record breaking ultra runs, many in South Africa in very hot conditions,

I don't worry about eating too much salt - I lose so much through sweating and exercise that I think I probably don't get enough if anything.

One of the big risks with hot weather and exercise is that if you sweat out salt, but only take on water your ion balance will alter twice as much, with potentially very serious consequences. It can be the case that drinking water can do mroe harm than good.

I don't think a bit of extra salt can do too much harm during a race as it will just be excreted if necessary.

I was speaking briefly to Dic Evans ( a good ex Wales marathon runner) last year at a Montrail event I was organising. One of the things he said was most people underestimate the importance of salt during long runs, you must replace it. Stands to reason when you see the amount that dries onto clothing etc after a long hot day out.

Can't add more than that, but I often put a little bit in my drink and have a small tub with me for this weekend.

Haven't checked it out but from memory I thought that I had read that when you start running in hot conditions you lose a lot of salt. However as you acclimatise you sweat more water but less salts.

Also that heat acclimatisation was down to sweating more.

Suspect that this was in the Mike Stroud book.

i always put some salt in my meal after say 10 mile runs
i sweat loads and always seems to be salt on my vests
never tried some before a run mind
next long un i will try some with lucozade or water

I have heard several runners talk about this and especially dioralite before long hot hill races. They swear by it. I took some an hour before Rotterdam which didn't seem to help avoid cramp, but I think that was maybe extreme heat. Had same afterwards though and I am sure it helped recovery except for knot in right thigh which is still not perfect. Will keep trying though, this week before Stuc for example.

Jason

That was another thing those mountaineers were talking about too, diarolyte that is. The other thing everyone used to rave about was fortisip, but that's a different topic altogether.

I take roasted and heavily salted spuds for food on ultra training runs (anything above 30) In Don Allison The Definitive Guide to Ultrarunning they mention salt use in there. Also i find that my tastes change to wanting salty foods towards the end of race , maybe your body tells u what u need.

Back in the 80's I marshalled a drinks station, at a marathon somewhere (no idea where), and all the Japanese runners were turning up asking for salt. We hadn't got a clue.... Doesn't it help you're body to rehydrate?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dominion

Back in the 80's I marshalled a drinks station, at a marathon somewhere (no idea where), and all the Japanese runners were turning up asking for salt. We hadn't got a clue.... Doesn't it help you're body to rehydrate?

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no wonder dom it wasnt salt they wanted it was sushi :rolleyes:

Cramp and Salt

For what it's worth - Time was I couldn't run for more than two and a half hours without getting severe cramp in the inner quads. Very painful :confused: but funny:D for spectators to watch me in my 'death throes'. By taking salt tablets I was able to extend these runs to three and a half hours. Then I discovered that by taking a Quinine Sulphate tablet, on prescription,:eek: I was able to get may be 6 or 7 hours of hard hill-time, if the weather was crap. Stopped taking salt then. However experiences since, suggest I should continue to take salt as well, and drink more than I do. Will definitely try taking dioralyte during a race and may be some savoury food beforehand.
Salt tablets seem difficult to get now - any ideas ?

www.pills2u.co.uk/ProductDetails/mcs/referrer/froogle/productID/55701/groupID/31/categoryID/76

I could have done with a mouth full of these half way round the 3 peaks :rolleyes:

Thanks Pike

Use "LO SALT" as it also contains potassium, essential for the heart. :)

Regards,

Max. ;)

My experience of cramp is zero. Or at least I think it's zero.

To my knowledge I have never had cramp in my legs, arms, etc...but.....

I have done 10 road marathons & Borrowdale (for a laugh), 9 of my marathons have been run under 3:15. :eek:

I actually ended up in hospital; 3 years ago as I very nearly crashed my car on the way home from Freckleton Half marathon, I started to get this awful pain as I was walking back to my car & then pain came in my lower stomach & it was excruciating, I have never felt anything like it. I was screaming in agony, sweating, being sick, had diarrhea, shaking & was delirious. An ambulance took me to hospital & gave me morphine for the pain. After 5 hours I got up & walked out. I was fine then. Then at another marathon I did 2 years ago, the same thing happened again, except the pain was much worse, then I was taken to hospital in London & once, I was given some pain relief & after 5 hours I got up & was fine, I joined my friends in the pub. Then again at another marathon last October, the same again, the hospital this time was in Oxford. It doesn't happen until about an hour & a half after I have finished running & it comes on so suddenly, there is nothing I can do about it. Since then I have seen my GP who recommended I go private for a quicker solution, so I went to see a gynaecologist & had several Ultra Sounds - all ok. I had loads of blood tests etc... then went on the NHS waiting list for an MRI which was clear, I already knew it would be. So... all this brings me to London this year, where after loads of discussions with various running buddies I/we thought it was something to do with the amount of water I was taking on & maybe watering down my salt, potassium & magnesium levels. I do spend a lot of time on the loo (as I am sure we all do) before big races, so I thought that maybe my body was not absorbing these nutrients & combined with the fact that I cut out adding salt to my cooked food about 3 years ago, it all made sense now. I/we decided I was suffering from CRAMP, but cramp in my UTERUS muscle. Having not suffered from cramp I am unsure as to what the pain is like. I also do long runs as part my training, but have never suffered.

I did London again this year & was terrified of it happening again, so a friend suggested that it was not just salt that I was lacking but all the other nutrients as well. A lady at our club suggested I take the BOOTS brand of Re-hydration Treatment sachets, they are Blackcurrant flavour. I bought some in London & took one the day before to see what it was like & later that day I practiced tipping the sachet straight into my mouth with just a swig of water to follow, I was ok with it. On race day, I packed some in my bag with my gels & took one as I got up, then took another at 13 miles & then another at 24 miles & then another when I had finished. It was such a relief to be still standing after 2 hours & pain free.

I still do not know if this is the answer & I was frightened of taking too many sachets, but it seemed to work for me & I have made the sachets a regular part of my running plans now. I take a sachet if I am doing a long run or a half marathon.

Not sure if this will help anyone, but I think its my experience of cramp :confused: :confused:

hmm.
All the time we are told to lower our salt intake by the government to their recommended levels. Thing is, are these levels right for all of us, for 'mr average' or just for some desk bound, tv junkie couch potato? They never say that the recommended salt intake goes up with exercise, but is that because they think we're too stupid :rolleyes: to work out the right level for ourselves?
scaniagirl

You can't rehydrate without salt. You need a salt gradient to get the water into your body. If you lose your salt balance you know about it.

Anyone heard about the strange "theory" of carrying a cork in your hand to prevent cramp. Someone told me the Borrowdale lads do this - and it wasn't on April 1 ????

Sounds a strange remedy - any thoughts?

Batman

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Batman

Anyone heard about the strange "theory" of carrying a cork in your hand to prevent cramp. Someone told me the Borrowdale lads do this - and it wasn't on April 1 ????

Sounds a strange remedy - any thoughts?

Batman

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from "Training" by Harry Andrews. Published in 1904

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Harry Andrews

Some men carry circular pieces of cork just about as long as the hand is broad and about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. The gripping of them during a run calls for an exertion of will-power which is most beneficial in any feat of strength or endurance. Gamage supplies these corks are 6d or 9d a pair.

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Harry Andrews was the trainer for Alf Shrubb.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Batman

Anyone heard about the strange "theory" of carrying a cork in your hand to prevent cramp. Someone told me the Borrowdale lads do this - and it wasn't on April 1 ????

Sounds a strange remedy - any thoughts?

Batman

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Are you sure it was a cork in your hand ?????????????????? :eek:

Regards

Max. :eek:

Clarky that was a very interesting post.

I'm not one to suffer with cramps whilst running, but more likely to get them afterwards, when I'm relaxing at home. Even then I only tend to get cramp a few times a year. I kind of thought that my usual diet would replenish my salt intake - but clearly this may not be quick enough, or at a too lower level. Again I ask whether our low salt diet is at the correct levels for runners. Also following your post I wonder whether rushing down pub before replenishing any electrolytes is the best idea.

I had a Nuun tablet (effectively a salt tablet with other minerals) the day before my BG, and this worked fine. I also increased my daily salt intake for the couple of weeks prior. I've had no cramps since. My BG was a couple of weeks ago.

I've cut back my salt intake for the moment (only because I've nothing serious on at the moment), but will be ramping it up just before the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc in August. I'll certainly be taking a Nuun tablet the day before. (I've no connection with Nuun BTW, other than they were recommended to me)

And, if it's all the same I don't think I'll bother with the cork idea Batman.

Cheers,

The Joker

I bought some Nuun tablets today after I spotted them in Pete Blands, I've had them recommended to me by some ultra runners. I had one today - thought my cracking headache may have been dehyration (drinking too much last night & running today). They taste lovely :)

I had a bad time with cramp a few years ago and it wasn't just a case of adding more salt - it's more a combination of different minerals including magnesium, and I think potassium. I also heard quinine helped lots but is hard to get as tablets - it is in tonic water though. My stomach did not appreciate tonic water just before a race :mad:

If it's hotI tend to have an isotonic drink before I run and I usually take a multivitamin with minerals - especially if I'm going to be doing a long or hot run. I only add salt to food if I am doing a really long run the next day.