How much sodium?

During one of the pre-race interviews during IMAZ, Paula Newbie Frasier gave a quick Q and A and one of the questions was about taking salt tablets during the race. She highly recommends it. I don't remember the exact amount she said in mg per hour but she said it helps with cramping, stomach aches, stabilizing the body like when you get cold but it's warm outside, etc. She said also it's one of the few things that you don't have to train with and can use new on the course and still be ok.

Where did you read this information? Your body regulates salt the way a thermostat regulates the temperature in your house. There is a level that your bloodstream likes. Eat less salt and your kidneys retain the sodium to keep the level from dropping. Eat too much salt and the kidneys dump it out for the same reason. Drink lots of water without adding salt to your diet (or teh water), and in the process of your kidneys getting rid of water, extra salt (possibly too much) can go along with it.

It's not a matter of training your body not to lose salt, those are normal hormonal reactions.

If you are referring to the loss of sodium in hot enviroments that's a totally different physiologic adaptation for another post (that I've probably already written on here before).

Edited by AdventureBear 2007-04-17 9:28 PM