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May 19, 2008 7:21 AM by
VARunnerGirl
200 posts since
Jan 17, 2008
May 18, 2008 4:11 PM
Salt?
I feel like this is a rather odd question, but here goes. When I do my longer runs, toward the end, I feel like I am entirely covered in a very salty film, like I just took a dip in the ocean. Is this normal or does anyone else experience this? Does this mean my salt intake is too high/too low? Is this something I should be concerned about as my training progresses? Any suggestions or feedback would be great!!
Shell
1,348 posts since
Aug 15, 2007
No odd questions 
I am salty... big old salt crystals. Curly actually just went to a nutrition clinic by a nutritionist who is frequently quoted in Runner's World and she reported that if you sweat salt then you actually need more salt than non-salt-sweat people. I actually have a triathlete friend who eats salt packets because she needs so much in her diet (I think she's a big outlier) and I always salt everything like crazy.... my body craves it. Granted, I'm young and healthy with good blood pressure, etc. but being salty isn't unusual.
3,138 posts since
Jan 18, 2008
I feel like this is a rather odd question, but here goes. When I do my longer runs, toward the end, I feel like I am entirely covered in a very salty film, like I just took a dip in the ocean. Is this normal or does anyone else experience this? Does this mean my salt intake is too high/too low? Is this something I should be concerned about as my training progresses? Any suggestions or feedback would be great!!
Shell
This is normal, varying in degree from person to person. Part of your sweat is salts/electrolytes. When your sweat dries, the salts are left on your skin. To compensate on long runs, eat or drink something with electrolytes, sodium and potassium in particular. Sport drinks, gels, pretzels all work. Some people carry salt packets (like you get in fast-food restaurants) and take them with water. There are also electrolyte capsules available, Endurolyte and Succeed S-caps are two commonly used. There will be more discussion of this as we get into long runs in hot weather.
608 posts since
Jan 19, 2008
The same thing happens to me too. I will usually take a salt packet along on any run longer than 15 miles and gulp it down with water. Yucky I know, but it's good to balance things out with some sodium.
1,628 posts since
Jan 19, 2008
I'm always kind of crusty after a run in hot weather or a long run in whatever weather, but I've never taken anything besides gu or hammer gel. I do drink electrolyte water on occasion and I hardly salt anything foodwise.
1,440 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
892 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
I remember there was a thread about this last year too. Apparently some people sweat out a lot more salt than other people Last year there were puns about salty sweaters, but we won't do that this year.
133 posts since
Oct 17, 2007
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