mrbUSA

In reference to recovery drinks, where most contain high sodium, is there conflict with HBP? Considering hot Florida rides, averaging 20-miles, the sweat is pouring off me. Am I doing harm by drinking them? Or is there a trade of due to the salt I lost during the ride? Anyone with HBP in the know?

ri_us

Check with your doctor. The problem with the sodium is that it might make you drink a lot more than you would hours after your ride is over. This can increase the volume of your blood and raise the pressure on your arteries.

My doctor explained the subtle ways that some of them can interact with my medications so I decided against using them. Instead, I'm careful to hydrate for about 2 hours before each ride and start drinking early on in my ride. It gets pretty hot and humid (during the summer) here and that has covered me pretty well.

drdhsimon

it's unclear how this would affect you. Not all people with hypertension are salt-sensitive. In other words...if you're hypertensive and greatly decrease your sodium intake, you may not have an appreciable change on your blood pressure. In this case, you (and all of us) need a degree of sodium replacement while exercising. As long as you replace (and not over-replace) your sodium, you should be fine. You may or may not be salt sensitive. Always take your meds, and of course, speak with your own doc.

DocRay

what he said^^^

Many sports drinks avoid the use of sodium salts. They should be using potassium phosphate salts.

I've read many people in BF land making their own sports drinks by adding sodium chloride to sugar water: they don't understand that "salts" lost in exercise are not table salt.

Bacciagalupe

Another vote for "talk to your doctor." Because 1) a web forum is a terrible place to get medical advice, and b) other people may have the same condition, but with different medications, different levels of severity etc etc.

pharmboyrx

If you're following a low sodium diet and taking your medications routinely, I wouldn't see it as a big problem. If you're drinking them while riding, you're just replacing lost electrolytes. Although increased sodium intake is associated with an increase blood pressure, everyone needs some sodium. I wouldn't drink them as a casual beverage though. That's not really what they were made for to begin with anyway.

Monitoring your blood pressure at home is a good thing because you can then use your daily numbers to show trends.

drdhsimon

not always...