Electrolyte power/tabs

[Hunter6]

So I'm really staring to get addicted to working out everyday. I also work outside. This is causing a lot of sweating in between work and play (especially during the warmer months).
I have recently begun trying to drink at least a gallon of water a day. I have heard on multiple podcast and from my friends that I might want to start adding some electrolyte/ vitamin power/tabs to some of the water I drink.
So I have seen doing some google research and I'm overwhelmed at all the options and the price on some of the tabs.
So what do you fitness savvy rokslide members say. Also I'm open for options and reasons why you chose your product.

Thanks




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[JP7]

Check out hydrate & recover from wilderness athlete.


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[Hunter6]

Check out hydrate & recover from wilderness athlete.


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I saw those and was hopping for something alittle cheaper. Hydrate and recover comes out to .83 a serving (not including shipping).



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[Akicita]

Let me start by saying my recommendation is coming from subject matter experience of my age, physique and experience.

The science I know is that the body requires the following sources of electrolytes - sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphate , bicarbonate (HCO3), and sulfate. Sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium are the four major electrolytes that maintain the body’s fluid balance. With good diet and a daily vitamin / mineral supplement this is all that is needed unless you are undergoing extreme physical activity resulting in high fluid loss through sweat. Even then my experience is that the level of high physical activity needed to require electrolyte supplementation or boosting is not as frequent as most of us think. With good diet and consistent hydration throughout the day I don’t typically need to supplement even under very heavy activity. It doesn’t mean I don’t supplement from time to time when I don't get good nutrition or hydration but I feel it is important to know when to supplement rather than just supplement because I think I need to. I try to be conscious of my urination and what it looks like. If it is a pale yellow or straw color I know I am maintaining good hydration and electrolyte levels and don’t typically need to supplement even under the highest levels of activity. If it is dark in the morning or dark any time during the day I know I need to increase hydration and supplement the big four. When engaging in an activity that will require re-hydration with high levels of perspiration I will try to hydrate with a half a liter of water a few hours prior to that activity and maintain hydration during constant activity with a quarter liter or so every 20 minutes to half hour. Now let me say I engage in some very strenuous activities over several hours to several days, and only during times that I notice darker urine or the onset of weakness, spasms, side stitches, dry mouth or achy joints do I use a supplement. When I do, I like “Enduro Packs” - It’s an all-natural liquid electrolyte supplement with no sugar added. I mix it with my water during high activities when those symptoms arise. I also will drink a Gatorade to do the same thing I just don’t like all the sugar. Don’t get to hung up on the hype. . . Look for a supplement that replenishes the four major electrolytes and forget all the other nonsense they may add and that may increase cost.

Hydrate and eat right and I feel you will be able to endure extreme activities without supplements.

 

[Brendan]

If you're exercising with a lot of sweating, especially in the warmer months, you need to make sure you're replacing the electrolytes you're losing through sweat. If you drink just water - in extreme circumstances you can dilute the electrolytes in your body and cause a condition called hyponatremia, although that's probably on the extreme end. But, in hot weather exercise when I'm getting ready for hunting season, I 100% notice the difference in whether I'm adding Electrolytes to my daily regimen when I have a lot of sweat inducing activity.

On a day to day basis - check out Nuun. I like Hydrate and recover when I'm going out on hunting trips because I just pre-mix everything, but Hydrate and Recover is more than electrolytes - amino acids, vitamins, and I think a small amount of carbs.

 

[Akicita]

Hyponatremia - You would have to drink liters upon liters - or - gallons upon gallons in a short amount of time in order to dilute sodium in your body enough for this to happen. Your kidneys can only process around a half a liter of water an hour so if your drinking more water than your pissing out you need supplementation of intelligence not electrolytes.

 

[Brendan]

Hyponatremia - You would have to drink liters upon liters - or - gallons upon gallons in a short amount of time in order to dilute sodium in your body enough for this to happen. Your kidneys can only process around a half a liter of water an hour so if your drinking more water than your pissing out you need supplementation of intelligence not electrolytes.

You're ignoring sweating entirely. If you're sweating out, and pissing out water fast enough (with sodium) and only replenishing the water - it does the same thing. You're right though, most will never get that far - but many will encounter degraded performance, cramping, etc.

The simple fact of the matter is that with hard exercise in hot weather electrolyte supplementation as you rehydrate will allow you to perform better for longer. And, for most people on this forum, we're not talking "typical" across the general public. The exercises and activities we're talking about are often not going to be replenished timely enough by just eating a balanced diet.

 

[jmez]

You also can't ignore that tap water also contains Na, Ca, and Mg.

 

[Akicita]

You're ignoring sweating entirely. If you're sweating out, and pissing out water fast enough (with sodium) and only replenishing the water - it does the same thing. You're right though, most will never get that far - but many will encounter degraded performance, cramping, etc.

The simple fact of the matter is that with hard exercise in hot weather electrolyte supplementation as you rehydrate will allow you to perform better for longer. And, for most people on this forum, we're not talking "typical" across the general public. The exercises and activities we're talking about are often not going to be replenished timely enough by just eating a balanced diet.

Fair point. . . And it would also be fair to point out that I know what typical and non-typical is when offering advice to anyone on this site based on my experience, conditioning, training and mindset. . . I still feel it is more important to have proper balances of electrolytes prior to exertion and knowledge to recognize when to supplement rather than supplement unnecessarily which can have alternative metabolic effects.

My sincerest apologies if my recommendations were ambiguous in this regard.

Respectfully,
Akicita

 

[jmez]

Hyponatremia is poorly understood and multifactorial. Overhydration can be related but it occurs with equal frequency in those consuming regular water and those consuming electrolyte rich fluids. It also mainly occurs in extreme endurance athletes, not guys working outside all day and then exercising.

Electrolyte balance is a complicated subject and most everyone other than extreme endurance athletes need no more supplementation than what a balanced diet and normal hydration status offer. You then add in a 1.2 billion dollar a year supplement industry with zero regulation and one of the most effective propaganda machines in modern times and it just further muddies the water.

 

[Hunter6]

I know this site has more than 4 people with options about this



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[Titan]

I have quite a bit of experience with most sports drinks/electrolyte mixes, etc. You want to do your research on sites for running/biking/triathlon.

All of these products are beneficial but your enemy will be avoiding consuming a lot of sugar. For the past few years, I mainly use a custom nutrition company that tailors each product specifically to your body...but I think that is a little overkill for everyday stuff.

Gatorade has some elecrolytes, but the sugar content is off the charts. For an everyday drink I like coconut water in a can. If you have a sprouts, they run them for $1 a piece.

Here are some products that I either use or have used:
Skratch Labs - great product, good ingredients. They have an every day mix and a regular mix. The matcha one with caffeine is delicious. A little pricey, but the bag goes further than it states.
Nuun Tabs - Less than $0.50 per serving at full price. 3 types of tabs - everyday, normal, caffeinated. Great for on-the-go.
Gu tabs - basically a more expensive Nuun tablet and harder to find
Cytomax - Super sweet, seems to creep out of the container and turn to super glue on everything you own. Pretty sure it is equal in strength to gorilla glue. Also expensive.
Gatorade endurance - I was given 2 cases of this stuff and couldn't use it up. No way I would pay 2Xs as much for it.
Cliff Hydration - expensive and tastes just like gatorade. Only had free samples. Not sure what the sweetener is.

Go to a local bike shop and they should have most of these options. I would suggest checking out the Nuun tablets and Skratch Labs. Pretty easy to get them on sale as well.

 

[sdfuller]

So I'm really staring to get addicted to working out everyday. I also work outside. This is causing a lot of sweating in between work and play (especially burning the warmer months).
I have recently begun trying to drink at least a gallon of water a day. I have heard on multiple podcast and from my friends that I might want to start adding some electrolyte/ vitamin power/tabs to some of the water I drink.
So I have seen doing some google research and I'm overwhelmed at all the options and the price on some of the tabs.
So what do you fitness savvy rokslide members say. Also I'm open for options and reasons why you chose your product.

Thanks




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Follow me on Instagram @hunter_hindman

Just ignore the marketing & bro science and listen to your body. If you're not already, try using my fitness pal or similar app to track what you eat and you'll soon see that if you're eating even somewhat close to healthy you don't need supplements. During the dark months the only thing I take somewhat regularly is vitamin D since I work inside


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[mtwarden]

for "normal" exercise, even in warm weather, I think electrolyte issues are a pretty much a non-issue; if you start to migrate towards longer and longer runs, then it will be something that needs tending to

on runs longer than 10-12 miles, I'll bring some electrolyte caps- Saltstick and Hammer Endurolytes- usually one an hour (switching them), two an hour in warmer weather

I'll also take them on long adventure races when the mileage gets into the 30-40+ mile range/day

I've found for me, if I stay ahead of the hydration and electrolyte game- I do much better; if I get behind, typically I'm screwed

again, for me anyways, electrolytes are only an issue for longer, endurance endeavors

 

[cuerro viejo]

Hyponatremia - You would have to drink liters upon liters - or - gallons upon gallons in a short amount of time in order to dilute sodium in your body enough for this to happen. Your kidneys can only process around a half a liter of water an hour so if your drinking more water than your pissing out you need supplementation of intelligence not electrolytes.

It's a mute topic until you have a friend that pushed it to hard and dies from it.

It's real and happens every year. Grant it I'm in Texas so prevalence is probably much higher then up north. But none the less a real risk. If people want to be proactive and it fear it, hats off to them for being smart.