Salt is an essential nutrient, that means the body can’t generate salt by itself, it needs to come from an outside source. The term “essential-nutrient” really doesn’t do salt the justice it deserves.
Here are some of the benefits of Salt consumption:
- Improved body hydration
- Enhanced body cooling
- Improved circulation and tissue oxygenated blood flow (better pump at the gym!)
- Decreased tissue acidosis/hyponatremia (which leads to arrhythmias, cramps, fatigue)
- Improved cartilage health
Cool benefits, right? I have some bad news. Without an electrolyte drink like Salties, you can quickly lose more than an entire day’s worth of salt intake in just one hour of exercise. If you’re exercising or in a hotter climate while consuming the recommended daily amount (RDA) of 2,300 milligrams [1], you won’t reap these benefits. On average, you’ll sweat out 1,437 milligrams of sodium per hour when exercising in a moderate climate. If you’re in a hot environment, it’s double that. In a study on soccer players, one player lost 6,000 milligrams in one session. [2]
This is your body deprived of salt:
- Hormonal stress on the body with spikes in insulin and aldosterone
- Your blood pressure lowers, your circulation goes down, your organs are working harder
- The oxygen and nutrient supply to your organs is down (Ex. Kidney-strain; your kidneys will step up their sodium reabsorption efforts)
The good news is this. There’s an easy (And delicious!) remedy, and that’s Salties. Each 12 oz can will provide you with a jolt of precious wcarbonated electrolyte water. So what are you waiting for? Reclaim your hydration today.
[1] CDC: Sodium and the Dietary Guidelines
[2] Sharp RL. Role of sodium in fluid homeostasis with exercise. J Am Coll Nutr. 2006;25(3):231-239