# The importance of electrolyte in the body



## johnnyb47 (5 Aug 2019)

Hi again. 
About three years back i took up cycling again. Initially it was just simply to get out from the four walls and rediscover myself. Cycling was by and large, nice steady rides taking in the view's and a chance to unwind and escape some bad things that were going on at the time.
Over the three years though, my cycling has somewhat mutated to a higher plain. The weight has dropped off and I've been cycling further and faster as times gone by. It's now turned into something where I'm striving to get stronger and smash personal goals and compete with club members. I've done a couple of century rides this year and numerous +60/80 mile rides. The encouragement and advice has been fantastic by fellow cyclists but im still on a learning curve. 
This year in particular though I've really struggled in the recovery from bike rides. Most bike rides ive do im nearly always spent. If I do a short ride, i always put in a high intensity workout, but whilst the longer ones i pace them slower but still give it all i can to the end.
Im absolutely drenched with sweat after each ride to the point my helmet straps and clothing are white with salt. 
Lately I've been feeling really unwell of late after a good hard bike ride. For days after ive been feeling sick, tired, weak and very difficult to sleep at night. 
This is were the learning curve of cycling comes in. Ive been completely ignorant to the importance of rehydration during exercise. 
To me rehydration meant drinking plenty of water, but to my cost this is not what it means. 
Blissfully ignorant i thought throwing back bottles of water was all that was needed to keep everything tickety boo, until the other week a fellow cyclist pointed out water does not replace your lost salt levels. After a little thought and research it made perfect sense to why I've been feeling so rough the last few months. 
So these last few weeks ive been dropping electrolyte tablets in my water bottles and it's been a revelation from virtually day one on how much better I've felt. 
As the cycling has ramped up from leisure rides to hard rides ive failed to compensate for the loss of salts, which has resulted in feeling really under the weather. 
Most of you good fellow cyclists, most probably all ready know about this, but if like me and you've never considered this importance i hope it's use of some help to you. 
Anyway all the very best to all..


----------



## Edwardoka (5 Aug 2019)

johnnyb47 said:


> Hi again.
> About three years back i took up cycling again. Initially it was just simply to get out from the four walls and rediscover myself. Cycling was by and large, nice steady rides taking in the view's and a chance to unwind and escape some bad things that were going on at the time.
> Over the three years though, my cycling has somewhat mutated to a higher plain. The weight has dropped off and I've been cycling further and faster as times gone by. It's now turned into something where I'm striving to get stronger and smash personal goals and compete with club members. I've done a couple of century rides this year and numerous +60/80 mile rides. The encouragement and advice has been fantastic by fellow cyclists but im still on a learning curve.
> This year in particular though I've really struggled in the recovery from bike rides. Most bike rides ive do im nearly always spent. If I do a short ride, i always put in a high intensity workout, but whilst the longer ones i pace them slower but still give it all i can to the end.
> ...


Yes, I completely agree. I never really had issue with salt depletion on big rides until one very hot ride in the south of France completely broke me. I thought it was heat exhaustion at the time, I was wobbly, had tunnel vision, I was in a truly terrible state and had to abandon the stage 10km from the end. I drank a ridiculous amount of water on the ride to try to cool myself off but that only made it worse.

Thankfully the group I was with knew better than I did about such things, a fellow rider gave me a salt tablet the following day and it completely solved it. Now I don't go anywhere without one, just in case.


----------



## IanSmithCSE (5 Aug 2019)

Good morning,

Unfortunately you are not alone.

People in endurance events have been making this mistake for a while despite the death of a 2007 London Marathon runner which was attributed to drinking so much water that he diluted he body salts down to a lethally low level (hyponatraemia). 

This individual was reported as being a fitness instructor.

Whilst very uncommon this is not a one off case and what is worrying is that there is a suggestion here https://www.mdalert.com/article/eve...-are-injured-by-hyponatremia-than-dehydration
that taking salt tablets is less effective than might be thought at first glance. 

I am really unsure if what I am saying is correct but my understanding is that the sodium levels within a cell are balanced with sodium levels in the body's overall water mass, so in extreme cases you don't need to take just enough salt to top up the deficiency within the cells but to top up the whole body's water mass. 

Bye

Ian


----------



## Racing roadkill (5 Aug 2019)

It also used to be an issue when ecstasy was a big thing on the dance music scene. People chugged far to much water, and ended up in a coma, or dead, due to hyponatremia.


----------



## sleuthey (5 Aug 2019)

Also explains why a portion of chips with salt and vinegar is a good hang over cure!


----------



## Ming the Merciless (5 Aug 2019)

Salted chips are the best container of your salt and carbohydrate needs on a ride. Always have some salted chips in your back pocket.


----------



## midlife (5 Aug 2019)

Back in the 70's we bought some green salty stuff in a bottle and added a couple of spoonfuls to our water bottles. The name evades me but was meant to replace salts. Tasted shocking lol. I wondered if the name ended in...ade?

I wonder if it's in the Holdsworth catalogue?


----------



## vickster (5 Aug 2019)

Gatorade?


----------



## Dogtrousers (5 Aug 2019)

I sometimes get headaches the day after a hot ride, possibly due to water/salt balance. I have a fairly haphazard approach to what I drink. Normally water mixed with and whatever takes my fancy along the way Ribena, iced tea OJ etc.

Possibly if I had a more scientific approach this wouldn't happen. A friend of mine carries sachets of diarrhoea rehydration salts for hot day refills. Maybe I should try that.


----------



## midlife (5 Aug 2019)

vickster said:


> Gatorade?



I'm sure that's green as well . The powder / granules I'm thinking about had a cheesy pun type name and I only ever bought it once lol.


----------



## Crackle (5 Aug 2019)

A while ago I linked poor sleep after exercise to electrolytes. I now stick a Zero5 tab in my bottle and have another when I get home. It seemed to mostly cure my bad sleep.


----------



## Dogtrousers (5 Aug 2019)

vickster said:


> Gatorade?


I remember finishing a tough half marathon one hot day and going to the sponsored Gatorade stand and drinking my fill.

It stayed in my stomach for about a minute.


----------



## si_c (6 Aug 2019)

Most rides under 50 miles I just carry water, but anything over that and I carry a bottle with at least two High5 Zero tabs in. It definitely reduces cramping post-ride and it also seems to reduce the effect of sun exposure on me as well.

Edit: I carried two bottles on a hot +35° ride this year and it was barely enough, each had three zero tabs in - both got refilled at one point or another and one had two more tabs added. And that was for a 90km ride so for even hotter weather it's important for me to replace the salts and electrolytes, other people may vary.


----------



## Blue Hills (6 Aug 2019)

Whatever works for you slc, but that seems a high dosage. I thought it was usually one tab per bottle.

I sometimes use half, depending on the ride but I think 1 is probably better - have hit cramps after the ride once or twice.


----------



## si_c (6 Aug 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Whatever works for you slc, but that seems a high dosage. I thought it was usually one tab per bottle.
> 
> I sometimes use half, depending on the ride but I think 1 is probably better - have hit cramps after the ride once or twice.


Partly I just like the flavour, but I tend to carry one bottle with and one without. I've experimented over a couple of years and found what seems to work for me. I do tend to overheat though when riding, even in winter, so I adjusted my intake upwards to match.


----------



## Shortandcrisp (6 Aug 2019)

When in hospital recovering from my little shunt over the handlebars , a concerned nurse asked me if I’d been ill recently because my sodium levels were very low. I replied that sweaty winter nights on the turbo probably accounted for that. So, to add to my woes, I spent the next week or so on a saline drip!


----------



## Trevrev (8 Aug 2019)

This thread has opened my eyes, as to why i might be suffering after long runs and hard gym sessions. I sweat buckets and drink lots of water and feel like crap for days.
This could be my saviour.
This might be a stupid question. Whats the difference between these High5 Tabs, that are quite expensive, to Basic Rehydration packs you can get from Boots and Tesco for Diarrhoea and prevention of Dehydration?


----------



## Blue Hills (8 Aug 2019)

Not sure but i didn't think anything was cheap from boots. High5 tabs are quite often available at half price or so so i stock up then. Never pay full price. Aldi now and again do things that i think are pretty similar, maybe around £3 a tube.


----------



## vickster (8 Aug 2019)

The basic Boots stuff tastes foul (as does the cheaper Superdrug stuff...and at £2 for 5 vs £3.50 on special for 20 high5, there’s not much difference) (that said for me only the grapefruit high5 are vaguely palatable).

On sale at Halfords in various flavours 
https://www.halfords.com/cycling/training/sports-nutrition/high5-zero

You could also try just adding a bit of salt and squash (with sugar) to your water


----------



## Blue Hills (8 Aug 2019)

I do like berry high5.
Must say I do think the things work on hard rides.
Now and again if I'm not careful after a hard ride I get cramp in the middle of the night I stagger downstairs and chew on a tab. Has always brought immediate relief and a trouble free night. Seems odd - ,,too fast - possibly a placebo effect but works for me.


----------



## BurningLegs (9 Aug 2019)

I suffer with cramp quite badly if I don't use a salt tablet for a hard turbo session. I normally drink two bottles on the turbo - one with a salt tablet and the other just plain water.

I only like to use as little as possible - don't want to go overboard and have a stroke later in life!


----------



## sleuthey (12 Aug 2019)

There was a program on channel 5 last night called "the big fat lies about diet and exercise". They said the main 2 electrolyte needed are potassium and sodium. If you look at the ingredient for Lo Salt this is exactly what it contains and is allot cheaper than zero tablets


----------



## Heltor Chasca (12 Aug 2019)

I sweat too. Tidal marks are the new rage you know.

The offerings from SIS work best for me and they often discount down by 50%. I use their hydro tabs and the powder with carbs. Great products and easy on the gut. 

In hot weather on long rides I use Salt Sticks Fast Chews. Those have conquered nausea and cramp in the past.


----------



## Fab Foodie (12 Aug 2019)

Too many people only consume sweet stuff on rides. Bananas are great for Potassium but savoury foods such as pork pies, pepparami, sausage rolls, crisps etc provide both energy, protein and salt. On long rides I can start hallucinating pork pies....
So, eat diverse with a smattering of salty snacks.


----------



## Blue Hills (12 Aug 2019)

sleuthey said:


> There was a program on channel 5 last night called "the big fat lies about diet and exercise". They said the main 2 electrolyte needed are potassium and sodium. If you look at the ingredient for Lo Salt this is exactly what it contains and is allot cheaper than zero tablets


Interesting.
Do you use it?
Anyone else use it?


----------



## sleuthey (12 Aug 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Interesting.
> Do you use it?
> Anyone else use it?


I get it on prescription in the form of Dioralyte and yes it prevents head aches in the warmer months


----------



## LeetleGreyCells (12 Aug 2019)

Once I discovered electrolyte tabs they made a very large difference to how I felt towards the end and after a ride. I get the lime flavour from Decathlon. My daughter tried it and wanted to try the berry flavour. She had a much better, longer ride and there was a definite reduction in the amount of moaning (she's 8 and moaning appears to be a new favourite hobby currently - she enjoys cycling, but enjoys moaning more...), and far more smiles. I call this an excellent result.


----------



## Blue Hills (12 Aug 2019)

sleuthey said:


> I get it on prescription in the form of Dioralyte and yes it prevents head aches in the warmer months


I thought Losalt was just some product you picked up at the supermarket, not a medical product as such?


----------



## tincaman (12 Aug 2019)

These are often in Home Bargains if you have one near, I always stock up when I see them.
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/hydration-tablets-3270676


----------



## sleuthey (12 Aug 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> I thought Losalt was just some product you picked up at the supermarket, not a medical product as such?


LoSalt you get in supermarket and is 66% Potassium, 33% Sodium. Dioralyte you get in a chemist and contains Potassium, Sodium and a couple of other chemicals.


----------



## Nibor (12 Aug 2019)

midlife said:


> Back in the 70's we bought some green salty stuff in a bottle and added a couple of spoonfuls to our water bottles. The name evades me but was meant to replace salts. Tasted shocking lol. I wondered if the name ended in...ade?
> 
> I wonder if it's in the Holdsworth catalogue?


Gatorade


----------



## vickster (12 Aug 2019)

sleuthey said:


> LoSalt you get in supermarket and is 66% Potassium, 33% Sodium. Dioralyte you get in a chemist and contains Potassium, Sodium and a couple of other chemicals.


according to the MHRA http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/spcpil/documents/spcpil/con1419832696764.pdf
_Each *sachet* contains glucose 3.56g, sodium chloride 0.47g, potassium chloride 0.30g and disodium hydrogen citrate 0.53g. The other *ingredients* are saccharin sodium, silicon dioxide and natural flavour_


----------



## sleuthey (12 Aug 2019)

vickster said:


> according to the MHRA http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/spcpil/documents/spcpil/con1419832696764.pdf
> _Each *sachet* contains glucose 3.56g, sodium chloride 0.47g, potassium chloride 0.30g and disodium hydrogen citrate 0.53g. The other *ingredients* are saccharin sodium, silicon dioxide and natural flavour_


Yep, you've found it, thats the stuff!! All I did was moan to my GP about headaches after exercise and she prescribed it. As I have a pre-payment card anyway its free!


----------



## vickster (12 Aug 2019)

Good old NHS 

May well end up being one of the growing list of OTC products no longer accessible on prescription


----------



## iateyoubutler (13 Aug 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> I sweat too. Tidal marks are the new rage you know.
> 
> The offerings from SIS work best for me and they often discount down by 50%. I use their hydro tabs and the powder with carbs. Great products and easy on the gut.
> 
> In hot weather on long rides I use Salt Sticks Fast Chews. Those have conquered nausea and cramp in the past.


We should start a photo thread on the most impressive salt stained kit


----------



## ColinJ (14 Aug 2019)

iateyoubutler said:


> We should start a photo thread on the most impressive salt stained kit


I've never taken a photo of my face on a very long hot summer ride, but I have often come home with salt crystals all over it. The first time it happened I didn't know if the crystals WERE salt or not, so I tasted them to confirm that they were indeed salt.

This has made me think that I really ought to take in extra salt on such rides. The only food I ever add salt to is chips and that would only be 4 or 5 times a year.

I have now bought salted peanuts and crisps for a longish ride later in the week. I like both but usually avoid them because they are too more-ish and everybody normally goes on about avoiding excessive salt intake. It will be interesting to see if they affect how I feel on the ride. (I have been getting a bit light headed on long rides recently.)


----------



## tincaman (14 Aug 2019)

I proved to myself years ago that the Hydration/Electrolyte tablets worked for me after using them post squash matches, the cramp I suffered for years disappeared straight away (not literally after playing, just stopped me getting it)


----------

