As a triathlete, you sweat plenty. You not only lose fluids when you sweat, you lose electrolytes. Electrolytes are dissolved minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium that circulate in your bloodstream and are part of the fluids that flow inside and outside your cells. Maintaining proper electrolyte concentrations in your bloodstream is important to performing at your best as an endurance athlete, as well as for overall health.
The electrolyte lost in the greatest amount in sweat is sodium; losses of other electrolytes are much smaller in comparison. It's primarily sodium that needs to be replaced, along with fluids, during exercise. Consuming sodium during endurance exercise is important because it helps you maintain a proper sodium concentration in your blood. This in turn helps maintain your drive to drink during exercise, which helps you to stay properly hydrated.
Just like your sweat rate probably differs from that of your training partners, so too is the sodium concentration in your sweat different from your buddies'. Your sodium lost can range anywhere from 460 to 1840 mg per liter of sweat. Frequently you will see a range of 500 to 1000 mg per hour as a starting point to gauge sodium intake per hour for more intense endurance events, even though there is no exact intake of sodium to recommend during exercise. Instead, make sure that your sports drinks and energy gels contain substantial quantities of sodium. As a point of reference,
Ironman PERFORM™ sports drink provides 475 mg of sodium and 42 grams of carbs in 20 fl. oz.(600 ml).
PowerBar® Energy Gels provide 200 mg sodium and 27 to 28 grams of carbs in each packet. The sports-drink-and-energy-gel/water combination is designed so that the elements can be substituted for each other during training and competitions without sacrificing sodium or carbohydrate intake.
Another electrolyte-related topic of interest to triathletes is heat cramps. Heat cramps are different from fatigue cramps. Localized muscle cramps that are attributable to fatigue or to doing too much for your level of conditioning can be relieved by stretching, ice, and massage. Heat cramps occur during prolonged exercise in hot conditions and may have more to do with large losses of fluid and sodium due to heavy sweating.
Heat cramps often start out as twitching in the calf or quadriceps. You might notice them during a break in training. However, within 20 to 30 minutes, the symptoms can increase to full-blown cramps, wherein a few muscle fibers contract at a time. Then they can spread or seem to wander to nearby body areas. Triathletes who suffer these types of cramps tend to have extreme losses of fluid and sodium when exercising in the heat. Again, losses of other electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, and calcium don't seem to be the issue; however, the exact cause and remedy of heat cramps have not been conclusively determined.
If you have a heavy sweat rate when working out in the heat, or you notice that salt seems to collect on your skin, what you think are muscle cramps could be heat cramps. If so, experiment with the following strategies:
- Monitor your weight during exercise sessions to ensure that you're not losing too much fluid, and hydrate with a sports drink or energy gel/water combination that provides sodium. Ironman PERFORM sports drink and PowerBar Energy Gels are good choices.
- After exercise, gradually drink 16–24 fl. oz. of fluid for every pound (1000–1500 ml per kg) of total body weight you lose during exercise, and make sure that you consume sources of sodium at the same time. Your sports and recovery drinks should be good sources of sodium. Salty, high-carb snacks like pretzels are good sodium sources as well.
- If heat cramps do recur, at the first sign, try consuming a high-sodium solution such as half a teaspoon (2 grams) of salt mixed into 20 fl. oz. (591 mL) of water. This high-salt solution is designed to help prevent the development of full-blown heat cramps.
About PowerBar
PowerBar is committed to helping enhance the performance of athletes by providing cutting-edge sports nutrition products, information, and tools. Backed by decades of sports nutrition experience, PowerBar's product line includes a full spectrum of great-tasting food and beverage options developed to meet the nutrition, hydration, and recovery needs of athletes. PowerBar proudly sponsors Ironman
® Triathlon events worldwide. To learn more about PowerBar, go to www.powerbar.com.
References:
American College of Sports Medicine, Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, Maughan RJ, Montain SJ, Stachenfeld NS. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007; 39:377–390.
Cramping in team and racket sports. In: Burke L. Practical Sports Nutrition. Human Kinetics. 2007; 255–256.
Maughan R. Fluid and CHO intake during exercise. In: Burke L, Deakin V. Clinical Sports Nutrition. 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill. 2006; 385–414.
Murray B. Fluid, electrolytes, and exercise. In: Dunford M, ed. Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetic Practice Group. Sports Nutrition — A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4th ed., American Dietetic Association. 2006; 94–115.
Topics:
Hydration, Research, Endurance, Nutrition advice, Performance, Sports nutrition, Training
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