Every summer I get chronically electrolyte depleted. I use the gatoraide etc but it doesn't keep up with my rate of sodium, potassium loss. Does anyone use an electrolyte replacement tablet? I've seen and used some but they are expensive, rediculous, you can buy a pound of salt for a buck! I tried straight salt in my water but that is gross. Anyone have any suggestions?
Electrolytes
- Thread starter Boomer-61
- Start date
I know a few people that swear by Pedialyte.
I use endurolyte tablets as well as sports drinks. I also make sure to get a lot of calcium in my diet. You lose calcium just like you do mg and na but since your body has a bunch of it in your bones you'll never really notice it missing but long term calcium loss can cause a drop in bone density. After a long ride I will sometimes eat a few antacid tablets for the calcium.
Yeah, I saw the post about the 50 miler where a guy recommended calcium tabs. I have noticed on long rides my gut begins to ache on a steady diet of Cliff bars and gels. I tried the calcium and it helped. The question is, how much sodium and potassium is necessary? I would think you need to start with a baseline amount and work up from there. No good way to know without a lab analysis. I'm just trying to avoid that light headedness for a couple days after a hard workout. Then I go out and do it all again. I just ordered some generic electrolyte tabs from: Readykor.com/medicine/electrolytes. You can get 500 two tab packets for $14.50. Each tablet contains: sodium chloride 250mg; potassium chloride 15mg, and calcium carbonate (the buffer) 18mg. It'll be a week or so until I get them but when I do I'll post an update.
I had someone suggest 'fake' salt(potassium chloride) or sea salt which has more trace minerals -- teaspoon in 3 liter water or so.
a couple hours before a long ride, eat a banana, drink 12oz of V8 and 12oz of OJ. Not at once cuz that's disgusting 
You definitely need magnesium, potassium and calcium, but (I THINK) the average person burns through sodium a LOT more than those three.
The average amateur athlete can burn through as much as 2 GRAMS of Sodium per HOUR of intense exercise. Considering you need like 4gms just to get through a normal day, you can see how you can quickly go into eletrolyte imbalance.
EDIT:
The aveage person consumes 4-5 grams per day, but the RDA is no more than half that. LINK
EDIT 2:
You definitely need magnesium, potassium and calcium, but (I THINK) the average person burns through sodium a LOT more than those three.
The average amateur athlete can burn through as much as 2 GRAMS of Sodium per HOUR of intense exercise. Considering you need like 4gms just to get through a normal day, you can see how you can quickly go into eletrolyte imbalance.
EDIT:
The aveage person consumes 4-5 grams per day, but the RDA is no more than half that. LINK
EDIT 2:
That's too little for me. I know, I've gone into serious imbalance.
Boomer-61 said:
Everyone loses different amounts in their sweat so it is tough to provide a guidline. An electrolyte drink is fine for some people, I need more. I usually have one endurolyte for every bottle of sports drink.
The upset stomach could be from things other than electrolytes. Taking in large amounts of simple sugars can cause your stomach to absorb water from the rest of your body through osmosis. This can cause bloating and indegestion. Try avoiding simple sugars that come in most sports drinks like Gatorade. The hammer gel people have some drinks that are high in carbs but have no simple sugars. Expensive but works great for the long rides.
pm echo, or do a search in the lounge. I know he had something that he swore by, I just don't remember what it was.
Seems like everything that works is expensive, why is that?
I read your post about V8, OJ and bannanas. Yes in deed they are inexpensive. I try to eat early on the day of a ride so that by the time I'm riding my food has digested and I don't have a lump of undigested food competing for space in my abdominal cavity. I need that space for lung expansion. During my ride I nibble on something like a Cliff bar about every thirty minutes to keep the flow of nutrition steady. I use Cliff bars because they give me a good level of nutrition for the amount of weight. I tried bannanas but I don't like the bulk, the weight, the stickiness or having to deal with the peel. Hence the search for a light and simple tablet.
Tenchiro said:
pedialyte is a good choice. things used in medicine to restore volume and electrolytes to dehydrated and sick kids generally are better choices than any banana + V8 + whatever other nasty mix you can come up with on your own (in terms of osmolality, glucose vs. fructose, etc.).
for the technically minded you want something that has low osmolality, high sodium and glucose (since they are transported into cells together), low fructose.
Ok, the word from Echo is some stuff called Elete. It has 30mg of magneisium, 95mg of sodium, and 95mg of potassium and lots of other wierd stuff in one tab. A 90 tab bottle will run you $9.95 bofore shipping. They can be reached at: www.paklyte.com. Anyone else out there use this stuff?