Electrolytes, Are They Worth Their Weight?

I don’t usually do hot and dry, but I do sweat A LOT. I find keeping ahead of electrolyte problems, usually with Nuun or equivalent, really keeps the cramps at bay. Before trying this, I could expect a bout of cramps at least once on a week-long trip, but now I rarely have any problems.

Duration and the food you are eating has a lot to do with “supplementing”.  A good gage is the amount of water you are consuming, as each liter of sweat pushes out about 1 gram of sodium.  Of course you start your day with plenty, but after hour 3 or 4 you need to pay attention to maintaining your sodium balance, especially if it is going to be a 12+ hour day of high output and a lot of water along the way. Solid food can contain a lot of sodium, but more than likely you will be operating at a deficit.

Only field testing will determine what works best for you.

There are extensive threads here on electrolytes and how to manage them.

I’m confident I experienced hyponatremia on a long, hot hike where I decided to bring only raw almonds and dried cranberries for food. My doctor and WFA instructor agreed based on the symptoms I experienced (nauseau, muscle weakness, headache, fatigue). I’m a fairly strong hiker and know what is normal for me. I could hardly walk 100 yards at a time that day. Very scary

I now carry electrolyte packets and have a couple electrolyte tablets in my FAK. My $.02 is that it’s a good idea to carry a tablet or two with you and be sure you eat some salty snacks or a NUUN tablet every now and then, particularly when sweating a lot. It seems like cheap insurance.

The “00”, when filled with table salt will  hold about 500mg of sodium, which is the amount lost through 0.5 liter of sweat.  (The gel cap costs about 5 cents, the table salt under a penny.)

A single “Nunn Active” tablet contains  360 mg of sodium.

One ounce of Lays Stax Potato Chips contains  449 mg of sodium. ($1 for a 5.34 oz can.)

Ignore the marketing, read the labels, do the math. Learn how much water you consume.  Test before it matters.

I don’t know if the type of electrolyte matters or not, but I try to find the ones with a large amount of potassium and that also have magnesium and calcium.

I had a long discussion with a friend of mine who is a nephrologist.  Electrolyte expert, in other words. His summary is that unless you are eating nothing and perspiring tremendously for a long period of time, you do not need any electrolyte supplements.  This assumes you are eating SOMETHING.  Even a hand full of processed food in our culture supplies plenty of electrolytes, especially sodium, the main problem.

I find them very helpful in maintaining my need to eat.  Without, I’m not hungry at all during the day and evening and find myself not eating enough.