# Why do I crave salt after rides?



## Hippygirl (21 Aug 2016)

Hi there! I'm new to this site and was wondering if you guys could help me. After I ride, I average 20 miles per ride, I crave salt for a day or two. Sometimes, when the craving is bad and I ride the next day, I seem to bonk faster. I drink plenty of water before, during and after my rides. Any thoughts?


----------



## cyberknight (21 Aug 2016)

Do you sweat a lot ? Maybe its your body tryig to replace lost electrolytes , if i dont use the tabs in my water on long rides i tend to get cramp even if i use energy powder mix .
There are plenty about to choose from , i use high 5 neutral as i find anything with a citrus taste doesnt sit right on my stomach 
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...gclid=CMiq0KLq0c4CFVXGGwod9XMJ0A&gclsrc=aw.ds


----------



## AM1 (21 Aug 2016)

Hippygirl said:


> Hi there! I'm new to this site and was wondering if you guys could help me. After I ride, I average 20 miles per ride, I crave salt for a day or two. Sometimes, when the craving is bad and I ride the next day, I seem to bonk faster. I drink plenty of water before, during and after my rides. Any thoughts?



You seem to bonk faster???


----------



## CanucksTraveller (21 Aug 2016)

Yeah if it's a warm day you're likely to be losing sodium through sweating, I'd try just popping an electrolyte tab into your water, if you're not needing carbohydrate then something like High5 zero. Give that a try. Some put a pinch of salt in their water but I'm not quite that masochistic.


----------



## Fab Foodie (21 Aug 2016)

Bag of crisps when out or after the ride ... In fact any excuse to eat crisps is OK by me ....


----------



## Spiderweb (21 Aug 2016)

You are losing salt through perspiration, pop one or two of these in your water bottle;
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/high5-zero-electrolyte-drink-20-tabs/


----------



## Fab Foodie (21 Aug 2016)

20 miles though?
I'm an overweight sweaty boy, but 20 miles shouldn't need salt if you have a 'regular' diet.


----------



## numbnuts (21 Aug 2016)

On really hot days I put a pinch of salt in my drinks bottle


----------



## coffeejo (21 Aug 2016)

Fab Foodie said:


> Bag of crisps when out or after the ride ... In fact any excuse to eat crisps is OK by me ....


This thread was enough to make me crack open a packet.


----------



## slowmotion (21 Aug 2016)

I put dilute lemonade in my bottle with a level teaspoon of ordinary table salt.


----------



## EltonFrog (21 Aug 2016)

slowmotion said:


> I put dilute lemonade in my bottle with a level teaspoon of ordinary table salt.


Could you explain further please? Is it fizzy lemonade, diluted with water?


----------



## slowmotion (21 Aug 2016)

CarlP said:


> Could you explain further please? Is it fizzy lemonade, diluted with water?


Sorry, lemon squash, not lemonade, made with a lot of water.


----------



## EltonFrog (21 Aug 2016)

slowmotion said:


> Sorry, lemon squash, not lemonade, made with a lot of water.


Ah! That makes sense now.


----------



## Hippygirl (21 Aug 2016)

cyberknight said:


> Do you sweat a lot ? Maybe its your body tryig to replace lost electrolytes , if i dont use the tabs in my water on long rides i tend to get cramp even if i use energy powder mix .
> There are plenty about to choose from , i use high 5 neutral as i find anything with a citrus taste doesnt sit right on my stomach
> http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...gclid=CMiq0KLq0c4CFVXGGwod9XMJ0A&gclsrc=aw.ds


I do sweat quite a bit, yes. I had both my hips replaced last year and getting back in the swing has been more of an issue as far as balancing my nutrition. I feel like after a hot ride, I'm just missing something. Thanks for the tip. I'll try these.


----------



## Hippygirl (21 Aug 2016)

Fab Foodie said:


> 20 miles though?
> I'm an overweight sweaty boy, but 20 miles shouldn't need salt if you have a 'regular' diet.


I have a regular diet. Or rather, I'm eating what I'm cooking for my three teen football players, so it's not like I'm on a low sodium diet.


----------



## Hippygirl (21 Aug 2016)

Spiderweb said:


> You are losing salt through perspiration, pop one or two of these in your water bottle;
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/high5-zero-electrolyte-drink-20-tabs/


Thanks so much!


----------



## Hippygirl (21 Aug 2016)

AM1 said:


> You seem to bonk faster???


I should say, I have a greater chance of bonking. I haven't come up with the perfect pre-ride meal that doesn't either weigh me down or cramp my stomach so I go light on the pre-ride, have a snack mid way and then if I am hungry after the ride, I eat a meal. I might be going about it all wrong, but aside from the salt cravings, it seems to be working. So far no leg cramps. Just a total lack of energy and stamina on a day after a sweaty ride. And lately, they have all been sweaty.


----------



## Hippygirl (21 Aug 2016)

coffeejo said:


> This thread was enough to make me crack open a packet.


If I could, I would down a whole bag after every ride!


----------



## cyberknight (21 Aug 2016)

Spiderweb said:


> You are losing salt through perspiration, pop one or two of these in your water bottle;
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/high5-zero-electrolyte-drink-20-tabs/


@T.M.H.N.E.T to me


----------



## AM1 (22 Aug 2016)

Hippygirl said:


> I should say, I have a greater chance of bonking. I haven't come up with the perfect pre-ride meal that doesn't either weigh me down or cramp my stomach so I go light on the pre-ride, have a snack mid way and then if I am hungry after the ride, I eat a meal. I might be going about it all wrong, but aside from the salt cravings, it seems to be working. So far no leg cramps. Just a total lack of energy and stamina on a day after a sweaty ride. And lately, they have all been sweaty.



The term 'Bonking' has a whole different meaning here in the UK...


----------



## T.M.H.N.E.T (22 Aug 2016)

cyberknight said:


> @T.M.H.N.E.T to me


You may have got that game slightly wrong


----------



## Crackle (22 Aug 2016)

AM1 said:


> The term 'Bonking' has a whole different meaning here in the UK...


Rubbish. it's commonly used in bike riding terms and it's poor form to smutify the thread of a new member and a female one at that. Think on.


----------



## Hippygirl (22 Aug 2016)

AM1 said:


> The term 'Bonking' has a whole different meaning here in the UK...


Just looked it up. My bad! What is the term you use for hitting the wall?


----------



## Nibor (22 Aug 2016)

Hippygirl said:


> Just looked it up. My bad! What is the term you use for hitting the wall?


You are using a perfectly correct technical term we are just smutty sorry. +1 for electrolyte tablets in your drink bottle otherwise I also crave salt after a ride.


----------



## Nibor (22 Aug 2016)

You are likely to be experiencing significantly hotter weather than the majority of forum members who are mostly in the uk which will mean you are probably losing a lot of salts through perspiration.


----------



## Cuchilo (22 Aug 2016)

Hippygirl said:


> Just looked it up. My bad! What is the term you use for hitting the wall?


Stupid


----------



## Louch (22 Aug 2016)

I got this diagnosed after I got mad cravings for pickled onions after a ride


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (22 Aug 2016)

Hippygirl said:


> Just looked it up. My bad! What is the term you use for hitting the wall?


Don't worry, cyclists use the word ''bonking''. However, the meaning is not generally understood throughout most of the population, for whom it has a completely different meaning. Even if they know you're talking of bonking on the bike, they'll simply think you have a rather unusual fetish.


----------



## ufkacbln (22 Aug 2016)

You are a Salt Vampire

No Trekkie will cycle with you


----------



## ufkacbln (22 Aug 2016)

The lemonade isn't far out....

We used to have staff travelling abroad, and "dodgy tummy" was a Hazard

Most of the medicinal solutions used local water which itself is an issue

Coke ( and others) have. a recognised standard, so are safer

We used to recommend cracking a bottle to allow the gas to disperse then drinking it flat

Lots of electrolytes, sugars etc


----------



## ColinJ (22 Aug 2016)

Hippygirl said:


> Just looked it up. My bad! What is the term you use for hitting the wall?


We use it in both senses! 

If you start talking about cycling giving you a sore fanny though then you _would_ be using the wrong word for a UK audience, unless you really did mean genitals!


----------



## coffeejo (22 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> We use it in both senses!
> 
> If you start talking about cycling giving you a sore fanny though then you _would_ be using the wrong word for a UK audience, unless you really did mean genitals!


Does anyone still say bonking (as in sex)?


----------



## ColinJ (22 Aug 2016)

coffeejo said:


> Does anyone still say bonking (as in sex)?


Some people probably do ... 

It's not a topic of conversation that comes up very often in my solitary world!


----------



## Cuchilo (22 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> Some people probably do ...
> 
> It's not a topic of conversation that comes up very often in my solitary world!


No , that's wa


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (22 Aug 2016)

coffeejo said:


> Does anyone still say bonking (as in sex)?


Can't remember....


----------



## AM1 (22 Aug 2016)

Hippygirl said:


> Just looked it up. My bad! What is the term you use for hitting the wall?



Crashing, for example, I crashed when I hit the wall


----------



## ColinJ (22 Aug 2016)

Cuchilo said:


> No , that's wa


Actually, no kidding - I remember reading an article in American magazine _Bicycling_ about techniques for cycling up steep hills ... apparently, w*nking can really help!  (They were using it as another word for _zigzagging_! )


----------



## ufkacbln (23 Aug 2016)

The UK and the US
Two great nations separated by a common language


----------



## byegad (23 Aug 2016)

Both my father and maternal grandfather worked in Steel works. Both had what looked like peppermint tablets in a pocket on their work jacket. They were pure salt! I tried one once and couldn't even chew it, way too salty. They both said when working next to a blast furnace or soaking pit (Where they kept ingots of steel at near white hot.) they could chew them like sweets. 

If you crave salt it doesn't revolt you, if you don't, it isn't something you'd chew from choice!


----------



## cyberknight (23 Aug 2016)

T.M.H.N.E.T said:


> You may have got that game slightly wrong


Probably  
I said the OP might need electrolytes and posted a link to high 5 , @Spiderweb did and posted a link to the same product ...............


----------



## Hippygirl (24 Aug 2016)

Thanks everyone. I found a local product that seems very similar to high5. It was only 82* today, so not as hot as it has been, but it worked like a charm. I appreciate the help!


----------



## Hippygirl (24 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> Actually, no kidding - I remember reading an article in American magazine _Bicycling_ about techniques for cycling up steep hills ... apparently, w*nking can really help!  (They were using it as another word for _zigzagging_! )


I'm not even going to look that one up!


----------

