Training & Nutrition - adding salt to gatorade

On a long hot 100 mile ride, I don't think I get enough sodium from gatorade.

Do any of you add salt? If so, how much?

Or is it better to bring pretzels or wheat thins?

If you add enough salt to match what you really need the drink would become unpalatable. Gatorade endurance formula has about as much as you can add and still drink it. All gels have some sodium, but the Powerbar brand ones have the most at 200mg.

V8 juice, beef jerkey, pickles, salted snacks like nuts or pretzels work well too. Or you can buy overpriced salt in the form of electrolyte tabs.

If you add enough salt to match what you really need the drink would become unpalatable. Gatorade endurance formula has about as much as you can add and still drink it. All gels have some sodium, but the Powerbar brand ones have the most at 200mg.

V8 juice, beef jerkey, pickles, salted snacks like nuts or pretzels work well too. Or you can buy overpriced salt in the form of electrolyte tabs.

Excellent reply.

I just wanted to add the Discovery Team tried adding salt to the drinking water of their riders
and the stuff became undrinkable. As Enthalpic mentions, Gatorade and Gatorade Endurance
are basicaly the same except for the salt content. If you want more salt drink the Endurance
formula.

Or save your coin and buy the regular stuff. I add 1/8 tsp of Morton Lite salt to mine. The difference in taste is negligible.

Or save your coin and buy the regular stuff. I add 1/8 tsp of Morton Lite salt to mine. The difference in taste is negligible.

Almost what I do. I use Hawaiian sea salt, the orange color crystals. Its supposed to have trace minerals too. It does taste salty but heck, its what the body needs when you're sweating and riding a few hours.

Try Endurolytes Powder....great stuff and easy to use.

Total electrolyte powder.

I've done it when I'm out of Accelerade, and just kinda wing it. --I start with Gatorade mixed at about 1/2-2/3 strength, then probably a tsp or so of salt. Drinkable, and does alright. I wouldn't try RAAM on it though.

On a long hot 100 mile ride, I don't think I get enough sodium from gatorade.

Do any of you add salt? If so, how much?

Or is it better to bring pretzels or wheat thins?

You probably aren't getting enough. I wrote this last week:

http://riderx.info/blogs/riderx/archive/2007/08/17/the-importance-of-staying-salty.aspx

As for getting extra sodium, you can get it from whatever source works well for you. Adding it to the drink probably doesn't get you there without making it too salty.

Are you using water with your gatorade? Standard gatorade is sweet enough that you probably don't drink enough to satisfy your water needs.

Drinking salt water will kill you because it makes your brain swell. Thats why my science teacher told me =(. I think he was talking about ocean water though. Why is adding salt to water like the Discovery team did different and not harmful?

^^ Uh, no. Perhaps you weren't paying close enough attention that day.

I also thought it dehydrates you and is harmful drinking salt water not properly mixed. I found this information ..humans can't drink salt water because the kidneys can only make urine that is less salty than salt water. Therefore, to get rid of all the excess salt taken in by drinking salt water, you have to urinate more water than you drank, so you die of dehydration.

Or save your coin and buy the regular stuff. I add 1/8 tsp of Morton Lite salt to mine. The difference in taste is negligible.

+1 for me on this one :D

Check out:

http://www.ultracycling.com/nutrition/electrolytes.html

There are other pages on this site that address the sodium issue.

I also thought it dehydrates you and is harmful drinking salt water not properly mixed. I found this information ..humans can't drink salt water because the kidneys can only make urine that is less salty than salt water. Therefore, to get rid of all the excess salt taken in by drinking salt water, you have to urinate more water than you drank, so you die of dehydration.

We are talking about much lower concentrations than seawater (brine).

Seawater [Na] ~ 10,800mg/L
Gatoraid [Na] ~460mg/L