Electrolytes for Endurance Athletes

Do you need electrolytes?

Endurance athletes lose on average 1.3L of sweat and 937mg of sodium per hour!

That’s equivalent to:

-1/3 tsp salt

-1 ½ medium water bottles (900mL)

 

Sodium (salt) is the main electrolyte we lose in sweat and the most important one for exercise performance. You may have noticed your sweat tastes salty, burns your eyes, or leaves marks on your skin and clothes. Endurance athletes lose on average 1000mg of salt per hour of exercise which is equivalent to 2-3 electrolyte drinks. So if your recovery day is an easy hour of exercise where you only drink water, you’re putting yourself in an electrolyte imbalance for the next day, which is typically a harder training session.

 

Not having enough electrolytes can:

• Increase the risk of cramping and muscle injury
• Cause your heart rate to be higher for the same effort
• Increase risk of gastrointestinal issues
• Increase perception of effort and pain
• Reduce endurance capacity

What you can do to get more electrolytes is:

• Add some salt to your food
• Incorporate fruits and vegetables to your diet high in potassium (like bananas, potatoes, leafy greens)
• Get yourself some electrolyte drinks before and after training sessions (as well as during if the sessions are longer than 60mins)

 

Contact us now to start your journey!