Innie Me: Confessions of a Salty Sweater

I love to run on trails. Trail running is not monotonous like running on the treadmill or out on neighborhood streets. I admire the wildflowers, listen to the sound of birds and squirrels, and feel connected to nature. I find the trails quiet and peaceful, unless I get stuck behind a bunch of non-stop talkers. But trail running on hills is hard, even with frequent walk breaks. It's rocky. It's harder to breathe. The heat makes the exertion even tougher. My spirit always feels refreshed after a run, but my body takes a pounding.

I confess that trail running in the heat makes me sweat - a lot. Although I sip water frequently from a CamelBak to hydrate and keep cool, when I exercise intensely in the sun, I sweat profusely. Underneath my CamelBak, the back of my shirt gets soaked with sweat. I put my hair in a ponytail to keep it off my neck but the hair gets as wet as if I had just showered. Sweating is my body's way of staying cool so I don't worry about how gross it is.

Not only do I sweat a lot, I am a salty sweater. After a hard run, I can feel the salt on my face, neck and shoulders - like a fine powder. According to Runner's World magazine, those of us "who drink more water and eat a fairly low-salt diet" tend to lose a lot of salt in our sweat. I do watch the amount of salt I eat. I tend to choose lower sodium alternatives when available. I have also noticed an increased sensitivity to the taste of sodium as I have gotten older.

Sometimes my muscles cramp after I trail run. After an intense trail run, I sometimes get cramps in my calves and feet; they usually hit me when I get home. I may drink some gatorade before I go to bed because I have learned to attribute the cramps to an electrolyte deficiency. The cramps from trail running are just like the charley horses I occasionally get while sleeping. When I get one at night, I immediately jump out of bed and stand up to release the cramp.

I admit that sometimes I trip on the trails, probably because I don't pick up my feet enough. A couple of Saturdays ago, while coming down a rocky section of trail near the end of a run, I tripped on a rock. As a trail runner, I've tripped so many times, my body automatically puts on the brakes to keep me from falling. This time when my calf tightened up to catch me, I had the worst charley horse ever. I was unable to stand on my right foot for about thirty seconds because I couldn't get the cramping in my foot and calf to stop. I stood on my left foot crying out to my husband to help me; it hurt so bad. My calf muscle was sore for four days.

I don't want to carry Gatorade on the trail. Having such a bad cramp during a run indicates that I ought to be consuming something while I am still on the trail. The problem is I don't want to put Gatorade in my CamelBak because the sugar increases the growth of bacteria. I also don't like the aftertaste. I prefer to drink unflavored water. I decided to research electrolyte replacement to see if I could find something besides a sports drink to replace the electrolytes I lose through sweat.

The article, Electrolytes: Understanding Replacement Options, lists electrolytes with symptoms that might indicate a deficiency. It says that muscle cramps are a symptom of low sodium and low magnesium. The electrolytes lost in high concentrations in sweat are sodium and chloride, found in common table salt. The article mentions the myth that low potassium causes muscle cramps; the amount of potassium lost in sweat is low. But the article also cautions against focusing on only one or two electrolytes because "all electrolytes work together to maintain fluid balance in the body at rest and during physical activity."

I admit that water is my crutch. Water isn't just my preferred way to hydrate, I use it to cool myself off. I get hot quickly even when it is not that hot outside. I take water with me even when I run short distances. I have three CamelBaks of different sizes and a couple of other hydration carriers. It's possible that I drink more water than I need but I almost always have water left.

I confess, it did not occur to me that there might be a connection between salty sweat and muscle cramps until I started reading about electrolyte replacement after the agonizing charley horse. I always attributed my muscle cramps to the myth that low potassium causes cramps. I tend to think of electrolytes as one homogeneous thing and not as individual nutrients. According to an article on the Running Planet website, the average daily sodium intake is 8 to 12 grams but the saltiest sweaters lose that much sodium in one hour!

I admit to being confused by conflicting information. The more I read about the possible connection between muscle cramping and electrolytes, the more confused I get. Some say to consume extra salt if you're losing it through sweat. Some say to consume sports drinks or other electrolyte supplements if you lose a lot of sodium through sweat. Some say that supplements don't do any good. Just listen to your body and drink when you're thirsty. Some say that muscle cramps are caused by low levels of sodium. Others say that muscles cramp because they're tired.

Here's a sampling of what I read about salty sweat, muscle cramps and electrolytes:

Consume a sports drink when running in warm weather. (Running Planet)
Experiment with electrolyte supplements such as EnduroPacks or Nuun tablets. (Runners Connect)
The electrolytes in sports drinks make little difference. (The Science of Sport)
There is no direct evidence that electrolyte supplements will help you avoid muscle cramps. (Ben Greenfield Fitness)
Consume salty foods or sodium rich sports drinks before, during and after exercise. (Active.com and Runners World)
If you have salty sweat, drinking plain water will further dilute the sodium concentration in your blood. (Running Planet)
If your sodium level drops, it is not because you are losing salt; it's because you are drinking too much. (The Science of Sport)
Your body is designed perfectly to regulate its internal environment. (The Science of Sport)
Sodium should be consumed with other electrolytes to maintain proper balance. (Runners Connect)
You should consume enough sodium to replace what is lost through sweat. (Human Kinetics)
Don't worry too much about what you drink. Listen to your body and drink to thirst. (The Science of Sport)
Cramping is the body's way of letting you know the electrolyte tank is empty. (Runners Connect)
Carbohydrate depletion also leads to muscle cramps. (Active.com)
Muscle cramps are probably caused by premature muscle fatigue. (Ben Greenfield Fitness)
Exercise-induced cramps occur in muscles that contract repetitively.
Drink pickle juice to treat muscle cramps (Women's Running)
Pickle juice doesn't help because of the salt. It tricks the brain. (Ben Greenfield Fitness)

I am my own test subject. The article that was the most dismissive of using supplements was also the most scientific. Yet even with its experiments on the differences in sodium concentration after drinking water alone or after drinking a sports drink, it did not convince me that there are no benefits to replacing electrolytes lost through sweat. Especially if you know that you are a salty sweater.

I have gone on a few trail runs in the heat since the day my calf cramped so badly. Now before I run, I drink about 12 ounces of Gatorade. Mid-run, I tried a sample Endurolytes capsule (Hammer Nutrition). I eat a small energy bar mid-run. I have not had muscle cramps again. Did the electrolyte supplements help or am I just getting acclimated to the heat? Or are my calf muscles getting stronger?

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