By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
Table salt is the most basic and cheapest way to keep your electrolytes in balance, but there is still much more to it than that.
As runners, we’ve all heard the term “electrolytes”. We know they are key to our success and most likely they are at fault when we bonk during a long run on a hot day. We know that Gatorade has them. We know we better replenish them lest we get into trouble. As Robb Wolf, co-founder of LMNT Hydration well put it: “Electrolytes can mean the difference between feeling like a champ and feeling like garbage”.
But… do we know what they are? Do we know what they do? There hast to be more than one of them since the word is plural, so, which ones are they?
According to Medlineplus.gov, “Electrolytes are minerals in your body that have an electric charge. They are in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids. Electrolytes are important because they help balance the amount of water in your body, balance your body\’s acid/base (pH) level, move nutrients into your cells, move wastes out of your cells and make sure that your nerves, muscles, heart, and brain work the way they should.”
As you can see, you don’t need to be much of a scientist to realize these are important elements to keep well stocked and balanced within your body, not only during long runs but during your daily life.
Your body can and should take in electrolytes during the day through the foods and drinks you consume. You don’t need to drink Pedialyte all day to keep them topped off.
As you can see in this graphic, there is way much more than water in your sweat.
We need to be careful with electrolytes as we may run into trouble not only if we run low, but we can also break homeostasis if we consume too much of them. Have you ever washed an electrolytes tablet with Gatorade in the latter part of a long run? Believe me, you don’t want to know.
It all has to do with the delicate balance of water your body requires to function properly. Tipping such balance either way will affect the electrolyte concentration and could have you either dehydrated or overhydrated. None of these options are good.
The key electrolytes to keep your eye on, are:
Sodium and chloride: maintain fluid balance and nerve function.
Potassium: prevents cramping.
Calcium and magnesium: control muscle contraction and heart rhythm.
Phosphate: Used as a building block for the substances used by the cells for energy, cell membranes and DNA
According to hydration experts, during your running the most common electrolytes you sweat are sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl). These are the two elements that form common table salt (NaCl). This comes to show that replenishing basic electrolytes can be as basic and cheap as having a plan to do so before you get into trouble. Other elements like potassium, magnesium and calcium are sweated in lesser amounts but shouldn’t be overlooked.
There are many electrolyte options in the market to keep yourself properly hydrated and balanced throughout your day and long runs. Personally, I am not a fan of Gatorade because of the excess sugar, which causes a spike as soon as you ingest it, but it is followed by a crash. That is why I no longer take it even during races.
My electrolyte choice for the last couple of years has been the Nuun tablet. I also consume Hammer Endurolytes as an alternative and they both have worked like a charm for me. I have also experimented with Generation UCan hydration with solid results but no longer use it. Coconut water is amazing but since it is not easy to carry around and it is not offered during races, I had to stop using it.
None of these products endorses me. There are plenty of other options in the market. The ones I mentioned are based on my individual experience. Visit your local running store and ask for help, they should be able to offer you choices based on what type of runner you are.
Keep yourself hydrated and your electrolytes well balanced so you can safely enjoy the countless benefits of a long run.