PROLYTE: Salt intake is a very personal thing. A recent article in one of the triathlon magazines cited research that a person who eats a salt heavy diet probably sweats more salt out than someone who eats a low-sodium diet. Some people are more affected by salt loss than others, and for those people we recommend they try adding a little more salt to their ProLyte in leiu of taking tablets. This way, it is absorbed along with the other nutrients and electrolytes that aid in each other's absorption. It's hard to make a blanket statement on this because everyone's needs are different. Keep in mind that you're sweating out more than just salt!

ULTIMA: The sodium dosage in Ultima Replenisher is 40 mg/16 oz. Serving. The proper sodium dosage is accomplished with sodium chloride, which is almost 100% absorbed. The average American diet contains more than enough sodium and one can always add a little salt to their food when temperature and humidity readings are high. Sodium is needed in the formula, but higher levels are not required for proper body function. Ultima Replenisher does not add nutrient components to the formula for taste as most companies do. Personally, I do not recommend taking salt tablets during long runs or races. I am against this practice because it loads the system with a high level of one electrolyte, which disrupts the body’s normal balance. When sodium is provided in a well-absorbed hypotonic solution, it will keep blood values within normal limits.

ELOAD: The staff at e load™ believes very strongly in several physiological principals, one of the most important being that you must replace electrolyte from sweat at the same rate at which you are losing it. Obviously, thousands of triathletes all over the world feel the same if the sale of salt tablets is any indication of this. This advice is contrary to traditional thinking regarding electrolytes, which says that one’s diet should be enough to supply all of your sweat electrolytes lost during training and competition. WE DISAGREE! Since each of us loses electrolyte in sweat at varying rates, we also believe that you should be able to customize the amount of electrolyte ingested.

So, the questions are:

1. Where should you be getting your electrolytes from?
2. Why might you need salt tablets?

The simple answers are that during training and competition, you should be getting your electrolytes primarily from your sports drink, and you are not, which is why you may have needed salt tablets in the past. (e load has at least 2-3 times the amount of electrolyte, especially sodium, then any other drink currently sold)! e load™ has developed the first customizable electrolyte loading sports drink system, effectively replacing the hit and miss approach of using low electrolyte drinks plus salt tablets. The e load™ system uses a BASE formula plus separate ZONE CAPS™ to achieve this. We also believe that if you give your body more of what it is losing in the way of electrolytes, it has to work less to maintain normal hydration and electrolyte levels. The energy your body would normally use to fight dehydration and falling electrolyte levels can then be used for other things, like training and racing!

ECAPS: The human body needs very minute amounts of sodium to function normally. We need only 250 mg of sodium each day, athletes maybe 500 mg., which is easily supplied by natural, unprocessed foods; however, the average American consumes approximately 6,000 to 7,000 mg per day. The average athlete stores at least 8,000 mg of dietary sodium in tissues.

Most athletes perform successfully using from 80-300 mg sodium per hour in prolonged endurance events. Mechanisms regulating sodium excretion in kidneys are very complex and lengthy. Sweat losses generate large losses in sodium and chloride, which are re-circulated by a positive feedback loop monitored closely through hormonal receptors throughout the body. Rapid replacement of sodium neutralizes the body's hormonal defenses, allowing water replenishing to dilute sodium content. A high sodium electrolyte supplement is temporal and contradictory to natural physiological serum electrolyte control. One reason salt tablets were eliminated from professional athletic training kits is that shortly after a sodium-depleted athlete would slug a few salt tablets, stomach cramps would bend them over double. If the athlete overdoes it in regards to sodium intake, he/she will be interfering with normal/natural body mechanics, the hormonal and enzymatic functions. If an athlete starts going heavy on the sodium, replacing it too rapidly, he or she had better stay heavy on it because he or she is over-riding normal body functions.

Salt stains on jerseys and shorts are NOT an indication that the athlete is sodium-depleted. Rather it is the body excreting excess amounts due to an overabundance in the body (which is why dumping more sodium in the system is extremely counterproductive). ENDUROLYTES is a low-sodium approach to electrolyte replacement that emphasizes a balance of essential minerals that cooperatively enhance the body's natural hormone and enzyme mechanics. In essence, we want to work with our body, not against it.

GATORADE: Gatorade has always had a higher electrolyte content than most other sports drinks because we know the value it provides to athletes. Excessive sweating and net dehydration can diminish body sodium levels, especially in athletes who excrete unusually high amounts of sodium in their sweat. In some cases, high sweating rates and excessive sodium loss have been linked to severe muscle cramping. In this special circumstance, increasing the intake of dietary sodium (i.e., salting foods, consuming salty snacks) and maintaining adequate hydration have been important preventative measures. Exercise induced hyponatriemia, or low blood sodium levels, is being reported with increased frequency. This condition may arise as a result of excessive water intake to offset the massive sweat losses associated with extraordinary physical efforts, such as the Ironman triathlon. Indeed it is critical to consume beverages that contain sodium during such events, especially when performed in the heat. Research has recently shown that blood sodium levels were maintained when consuming Gatorade during three hours of cycling exercise performed in a hot environment1. Water ingestion during the same exercise resulted in a progressive decline in blood sodium1.

1, Vrijens, D.M.J. and N.J. Rehrer. J. Appl. Physiol. 86:1847-1851, 1999

GPUSH: The important thing is to understand the role of sodium and to ensure that enough is getting in to carry out this role. Sodium tablets are like Gu gels, in the sense that they isolate one nutritional aspect for supplementation, but at the same time they require other nutrients (like water) to be effective. Both Gu and salt tablets exist in isolation because up until now it has been difficult to get products that contain sufficient sodium and carbohydrate (for the gel) in an acceptable sports drink format.

G-Push believes that it is preferable to take the sodium (and the carbohydrate) in the right combined nutritional amounts, as this guarantees that your body gets what it needs. You really do not need athletes playing hit and miss by trying to get the right mix of nutrients in their body during an event.

We include high levels of sodium in all our products. As a result we took more than 18 months of flavour work development – in order to ensure that we could offer this high level and still offer a highly palatable drink.

The inclusion of common salt (NaCl, sodium chloride) in all our formulations is essential and based on five principal reasons.

1. Sodium ions are used in sodium co-transport of galactose (and glucose) and so are necessary for rapid movement of carbohydrate (i.e. energy) from the gut to the bloodstream (Solberg & Diamond, 1987).

2. Sodium ions are used in sodium co-transport of galactose (and glucose) and as such are necessary for rapid rehydration of the body. The quickest and most effective mechanism of water gain by the body is that associated with this process (Wright et al., 1997).

3. Sodium ions are lost in sweat and inclusion of sodium ions in the formulation act to replace those lost and restores normal sodium balance and homeostasis (Hubbard et al., 1990).

4. Sodium ions are included to aid retention of absorbed fluid. It is well established that supplementation with sodium ions decreases fluid losses by unwanted diuresis (e.g. as with plain water) and increases the net gain of absorbed water, especially after exercise (Maughan et al., 1998). drinking plain water with no added sodium will simply dilute the already depleted sodium in blood plasma. If the concentration of minerals becomes further diluted, more water would be excreted and lost. Therefore, both sodium concentration and fluid volume interact to affect the rehydration process.

5. In addition, if sodium stores are not replenished, hyponatremia – a condition that may be far more dangerous than dehydration, may result. Hyponatremia, if left untreated can lead to muscle cramps, cold pale skin and severe alterations in cerebral function

Therefore, we suggest the use of sodium ions in all formulations designed to aid performance during exercise. However, it is important to ensure that the addition of sodium ions does not compromise osmolality (the desired solution osmolality is different for the cases of pre/during and post event supplementation – see above) yet is adequate to address all four situations detailed above. This is done by inclusion of sodium ions at a concentration of approximately 35 mmol/L.

In our formulations rapid rehydration and optimum delivery of carbohydrate is ensured.

Scientists believe that optimum sodium levels are above about 170-180 mg sodium per 8 fl oz. G-Push products provide 170 mg sodium per 8 fl oz serving, compared to the leading national brand which provides only 110 mg sodium per 8 fl oz serving. In fact, we know of no other sports drinks on the market to contain the optimum amounts of sodium, due to the difficulties of disguising its taste.