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20 Replies Last post: Jun 21, 2007 3:02 PM by dg12002   Go to original post 1 2 Previous Next
Click to view Linda Patch's profile Legend
Linda Patch
254 posts since
Sep 26, 2007
15. Dec 22, 2007 4:23 AM in response to: kristine25
Re: Where to buy salt tabs?
quote:<HR>Originally posted by marathonrnr262:

Salt, even in a sprint, can be needed depending on the athletes sweat rate and if they are salty sweaters. It seems odd that you, and jr would say it's so 50 years ago, yet countless companies make them and have done countless amounts of research to get the ingredients right.

Sheldon

<HR>


Amen. Every body is different. That's why after assessing info, there's only so much we all can advise people about what to do. You' have to assess for yourself, research, test, try again, rule out, try another, test again and find out what works or doesn't work for you. It takes work, it takes time, it's part of training. Succeed Caps work best for me, Elete Water is good too, whereas Thermolytes do absolutely nothing to help me. Some may find they need nothing at all.

All I can say, jroden, is that salt is actually what saves me from nauseau and vomiting. When my body needs it, and I take a Succeed cap, it perks me right up as if I ate a Gu or something. Maybe you don't need it, if that's how your body works. All I know is that it absolutely saved my Ironman training when things got insane, and it was a god send to me on race day. I also know that the claims that there is enough salt in sports drinks is definitely not true for me in the least.

http://This message has been edited by RunLin (edited Jun-20-2007).

http://This message has been edited by RunLin (edited Jun-20-2007).
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Click to view juliemboyle's profile Legend
juliemboyle
1,028 posts since
Nov 17, 2007
16. Jun 20, 2007 6:57 AM in response to: kristine25
Re: Where to buy salt tabs?
Kristine: I couldn't find them anywhere and bought them on line.....just go to any tri website and they'll have them.
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Click to view jroden's profile Legend
jroden
1,683 posts since
Dec 11, 2007
17. Jun 20, 2007 7:35 AM in response to: kristine25
Re: Where to buy salt tabs?
quote:<HR>Originally posted by RunLin:
All I can say, jroden, is that salt is actually what saves me from nauseau and vomiting. When my body needs it, and I take a Succeed cap, it perks me right up as if I ate a Gu or something. Maybe you don't need it, if that's how your body works. All I know is that it absolutely saved my Ironman training when things got insane, and it was a god send to me on race day. I also know that the claims that there is enough salt in sports drinks is definitely not true for me in the least.

<HR>


Having spent a couple days in a coma, I appreciate the need for maintaining the sodium balance. One thing I have noticed from doing lots of long bike races with the same guys week after week is the tendency for some people to sweat huge amounts of salt, week after week. Even when we all eat together, the same individuals will dump way more salt than another rider with the same weight and fitness, so like you say, it's really an individual thing. I'm somewhat prone to cramping in the heat, so I have tried some of the electrolyte tabs and they might have helped, I did not really use them enough to get a sense.

For me, normal enough food and drinks during long races in the heat seem to help, plus more water than many of my peers, perhaps due to my higher weight. In general, I struggle with the heat more than smaller people
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Click to view snigglefritz's profile Pro
snigglefritz
105 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
18. Jun 21, 2007 9:52 AM in response to: kristine25
Re: Where to buy salt tabs?
quote:<HR>Originally posted by RunLin:

All I can say, jroden, is that salt is actually what saves me from nauseau and vomiting. When my body needs it, and I take a Succeed cap, it perks me right up as if I ate a Gu or something. Maybe you don't need it, if that's how your body works. All I know is that it absolutely saved my Ironman training when things got insane, and it was a god send to me on race day. I also know that the claims that there is enough salt in sports drinks is definitely not true for me in the least.

<HR>


I completely agree. I never needed these when I was training for and competing in shorter races but when I am on the bike for 6-8 hours (yes, I am slow) and it is 85 degrees they are life-savers! I am one of those people that come off a long ride completely white and crusty. I get huge white lines on my bike shorts and shirt so I know I am putting out a ton of salt. If I don't take the tabs I find that any water I drink ends up sloshing around in my stomach. I can't drink Gatorade and I use a very concentrated solution of Infinit that I just take small sips of. Then I drink water and take 1 lavasalt an hour. Perfect!

On long runs I use water, gels and salt tabs. I have been having some trouble with gatorade lately (lands me in the little blue stink houses) so I have opted to go with water and tabs instead. Seems to be working ok. I think everyone is different and the main thing is that everyone needs to find what works for them.

I think we need to be careful in this forum about making blanket statements about stuff like this since there are a lot of new people here that are looking for information about training and nutrition.

Sorry for the long post, IMLP is 1 month away and I have been thinking about this stuff alot lately
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Click to view duhdoorunrun's profile Amateur
duhdoorunrun
19 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
19. Jun 21, 2007 2:34 PM in response to: kristine25
Re: Where to buy salt tabs?
Kristine: the only salt tabs that I have ever seen in a store are Thermotabs, which are salt tablets (not capsules). A couple of my local independent drug stores (the ones that are left!) carry them (or will order them for me), none of the chain drugstores carry them. The good/bad thing with Thermotabs is that they crumble and dissolve--good if you want to put them ahead of time in your water bottles to have a salt mix handy, bad if you want to carry them with you in tablet form--I did that once in a marathon and wound up with a pocket full of salt dust. Now if I'm "carrying", I use Succeed capsules because they have more sodium per capsule than some other brands, and I was able to order them on lline without any problems (though I don't remember where from).
If you can't get anything quickly and just want to have salt mixed in your water bottles that you are carrying on your bike this weekend, table salt will do. Most of the tablets/capsules that we are talking about have a mix of sodium and other electrolytes, but I know for myself that I'm a lot more deficient in sodium than other minerals (I don't ordinarily add salt to my food, and I'm a vegetarian who eats a lot of high-potassium foods).
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Click to view dg12002's profile Legend
dg12002
622 posts since
Aug 26, 2003
20. Jun 21, 2007 3:02 PM in response to: kristine25
Re: Where to buy salt tabs?
I've liked Endurolytes and am testing Thermotlytes and will test Elyte tabs in the future.

After been dehydrated 5-6 too many, it's exremely important to maintain electrolyte balance. I know too many ultra runners that do marathons and I trust their knowledge and judgement on these things.
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