6 Signs You Might be a Salty Sweater

 

Your sweat rate can vary greatly depending on factors such as temperature, intensity of activity, and many others. We've found that sweat rates can differ by as much as 5 to 6 times among athletes. Sweat concentration is something that very few athletes have a firm grasp on. It is entirely dependent on how much electrolytes, particularly sodium, you lose in your sweat and is often more stable than your sweat rate (largely determined by genetics).

At Precision Hydration, we've tested athletes who lose less than 200mg of sodium per litre (32oz) of sweat and we've also seen athletes losing well over 2,300mg per liter! Our data suggests the average athlete loses around 950mg/l, which tallies with other large scale studies. But how do you know how much sodium you're losing in your sweat? Getting your sweat tested is the easiest and most accurate way, but it is possible to estimate your losses and use this to optimize your hydration strategy. In fact, recent research (which we contributed to) found a strong correlation between what how much sodium athletes'

 

 

 

This is another tell-tale sign that your sodium and fluid losses could be on the high side.

 

 

 

That's because taking in sodium is crucial if your body is to preserve homeostasis (a balanced state), and in our evolutionary past, salt was not as freely available as it is today. So, we have a deep-rooted craving to replace lost salt when our levels get low.

 

If this article describes your experiences to a tee (at least 5 apply to you) then it's highly likely that you're losing a large amount of salt in your sweat (and/or a lot of sweat period!). If that's the case, trying a more aggressive sodium replacement strategy might be a very good idea indeed. Try upping your sodium intake before, during and after periods of prolonged sweating. You can do this by adding more salt to your food / eating saltier foods or by reaching for an electrolyte supplement or sports drink. Keep in mind that of the most famous supplements don't contain enough sodium to replace what the average person is losing, let alone the losses of a salty sweater. Look out for the stronger electrolyte drinks containing at least 1,000mg of sodium per litre (32oz).