The Electrolyte Myth

As the Old Man Winter finally settles into its long solstice slumber, and the temperature and humidity have begun to rise, I've already started to hear runners and cyclist talking about how many electrolytes they need to consume per hour in order to not only prevent cramping, but to continue exercising at a high level of performance.

However, as is so often the case, it appears the belief that endurance athletes need to replenish electrolytes is a bit exaggerated.

Electrolytes are sodium ions and they make up the bulk of the “salty” non-water part of your sweat. Potassium is also excreted in sweat, but electrolytes are lost 10 times faster than potassium.

While electrolytes are lost when you sweat, sweating actually increases the concentration of electrolytes in your body. This is because when you sweat, you are excreting more water than electrolytes. Just as you don’t loose potassium and electrolytes at the same rate, you don’t loose water and electrolytes at the same rate. The result is, as you become dehydrated – meaning you have less water in your blood – the sodium to water ratio also changes, causing a higher concentration of sodium.

In fact, some research shows that even after exhaustive exercise, the amount of sodium lost is quite small. This was supported by double blind placebo test, which demonstrated that people who consume sodium-free (electrolyte-free) sports drinks performed at the same levels as those who received sports drinks with added sodium.

Furthermore, there is evidence that even electrolyte-added sports drinks cannot prevent a drop in blood sodium levels, because the drinks hydrate you more than they replace electrolytes. Again changing the sodium - water ratio in your body.

However, that doesn’t mean that sports drinks are completely worthless. Drinks like Gatorade have the simple sugars needed to help replenish the carbohydrates burned by the body during long periods of exercise as well as the water needed to help stave off dehydration. In a study performed at the University of Texas in Austin, they found that male athletes experienced a 6 percent improvement in sprinting (on a bike) when they consumed enough water to remain properly hydrated when compared to a group which drank water, but didn’t consume enough water to stave off  dehydration. This shouldn't be all that surprising... dehydration hurts performance. 

The final word: adding electrolytes does not appear to be needed, especially for performances that are less than 2 hours in duration. However learning to properly fuel your body is still an important and necessary skill, particularly when exercising in the heat. Experiment and find out what works for you. Even if the research doesn't support it, placebos can have a strong performance enhancing ability. Now go get outside!  

Brazier, Brendan, Thrive Fitness; The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness. Da Capo Press, 2009.

Burke, L. M.; et al., “Carbohydrates for training and competition.” Journal of Sports Sciences 2011, 29 (sup1), S17-S27.

Coyle, E. F., “Fluid and fuel intake during exercise.” Journal of Sports Sciences 2004, 22 (1), 39-55.

Gisolfi, C.; et. al. “Intestinal fluid absorption during exercise: role of sport drink osmolality and [Na+].” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2001, 33 (6), 907-915.

Larson-Meyer, D. Enette, Vegetarian Sports Nutrition: Food Choices and Eating Plans for Fitness and Performance. Human Kinetics, 2007.

(Note Runner'sConnect also has an article on electrolyte consumption, and they were kind enough to point me to some of the articles they consulted.) 

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

High Quality H20

I’ve wanted to do a post on this topic for a while and since school is finally winding down (you can practically start calling me master!) I figured there is no better time than now.

Since we were little, we’ve been told about the benefits of staying properly hydrated and as the weather gets warmer, we need to remind ourselves of this truism! Water makes up about 60 percent of our body weight. Our brains are nearly 90% water and every single system in our body requires water for proper function, maintenance and growth. Water can also help flush toxins from our kidneys and liver. It is hard to overstate the importance that water plays in our lives. 

While health experts cite 8 glasses of water every single day as the necessary amount needed to maintain a healthy level of hydration, the truth is that our bodies’ needs are more complex. According to MayoClinic.com, “your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live.” The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) also depends on gender. They state that the AI for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day while Women need slightly less, about 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. They further state, that perhaps the best way to judge your hydration, is by the color of your urine. While not the most pleasant way imaginable, you want your urine to be clear a pale yellow color.

There are several ways our bodies lose water. Most obvious; sweat. However, one way that we lose water, which is often overlooked, is from exhaling. Every time we breathe out, we exhale moisture from our bodies. Hence, during periods of intense exercise, we lose water both from an increased rate of exhaling as well as from sweating. This makes our need to replace those liquids more necessary. Also, after sleeping for 8 hours, (hopefully breathing the entire time) our bodies exhale a significant amount of liquid and as such we are typically slightly dehydrated upon waking. Try drinking a glass of water within the first half hour of waking up to replenish your fluids and jump start your day.

Vegan Ultraman Rich Roll rehydrating in Ultraman 2011 

Athletes should pay special attention to their hydration. Since water transports nutrients and oxygen into our cells, it is especially important to be well hydrated during and after exercise. It has even been shown that being well-hydrated will help not only performance but also recovery. Due to higher volumes of perspiration, endurance athletes may also want to replace lost electrolytes. If you choose to do this, add a pinch of salt and a few ounces of lemon juice to your workout drink to make sure you are replacing both the electrolytes as well as potassium and calcium to keep your bodies pH even.

Does adding a slice of lemon or lemon juice to water increase the benefits? Some claim, including vegan professional Ironman athlete, Brendan Brazier, that doing this helps alkalize the water, helping to raise and neutralize our bodies pH level. Some proponents go as far as claiming that this can neutralize acid in your bloodstream, boost your metabolism and help your body absorb nutrients more effectively while also helping to prevent disease and slow the aging process. However, according to Katherine Zeratsky, (RD, LD.,) researchers haven't verified these claims. As such, there is no real need to do this, although it does add some vitamin C to your beverage and can help improve the taste.

Vegan Ultramarathon runner Scott Jurek, double fisting!

Besides water, there are other ways to hydrate. Food, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables can have as much as 90% water per calorie weight. Many people get as much as 20% of their daily liquid needs from foods. Also, other beverages like tea are great ways to hydrate as they also contain powerful antioxidants and vitamins. That said, water has some additional benefits making it more valuable. First, it has zero calories and is relatively inexpensive. It has also been shown to help boost the metabolism, whiten and clean teeth, and even helps keep our skin healthy and young looking.

Carrying around a reusable bottle is a great way to always have fresh, clean water with you, making staying hydrated easy. 

Jurek again. He really does love promoting hydration! He also has a new book coming out soon!

I hope you will all join me and raise a glass... of water

see you out there.

alz