Pass the salt - why athletes need more than average
Its not a secret, salt makes a lot of foods taste better. We've all had those cravings for a salty bag of chips and we've all indulged. But once we have licked our fingers instantly feel like yuck and wish we hadnt. If only there was a salty snack that could satisfy that salty craving and give you lots of added bonus all that's where BUFF comes to the rescue. Yes it has all natural ingredients and is 100% bison -but it also has sea salt. Its a necessary part of the curing process and yes it makes it taste super yummy, and can be a part of a post work out routine that will help you rehydrate.
The Canada health food guide recommends that adults 14-50 years old consume 1500-2300mg per day. And if you are an active athlete you need a little more. Why do athletes need more than the average person. They sweat...a lot!
FYI - Salt is made up of two electrically charged particles: sodium and chloride -- also called electrolytes. In your body, sodium helps keep the right amount of water inside and outside your cells and in your blood.
"In warm to hot conditions, most adult athletes lose between 1 and 2.5 liters of sweat during each hour of intense competition or training. Sweat is, of course, mostly water, but it also contains a number of minerals in varying concentrations (Costill, 1977). As with fluid losses, several factors dictate the varied concentration of minerals in sweat, but most people lose far more sodium and chloride than any other electrolytes. Well-conditioned athletes who are fully acclimatized to the heat often have sweat sodium concentrations in the range of 5 to 30 millimoles per liter (i.e., 115-690 milligrams of sodium per liter of sweat) (Wenger, 1988). On the other hand, athletes who are not acclimatized to the heat typically lose much more sodium from a given volume of sweating (e.g., 40-100 millimoles or 920-2300 milligrams per liter)." (Michael F. Bergeron, 2014)
So think about that. How many work outs can you go back to in memory and think "I was dripping in sweat" and then think "did I rehydrate properly?". I love to work out, HITT, crossfit, hiking, biking etc. I am not alone in this but I feel I am the WORST at stretching and doing any recovery work. I am on a time line and gotta get it all in. Although I do suffer from DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) I do not suffer from other sodium deficient post work out problems (maybe Im not sweating as much as I thought!!) but endurance athletes and other high intensity training can cause cramping in the legs or Hyponatremia (low sodium levels in blood) "An athlete might experience nothing more than fatigue, apathy, slight nausea, and a headache and in extreme cases can lead to incoordination, confusion, and seizure, and is a dangerous threat to any athlete" (Michael F. Bergeron, 2014)
So according to Dr. Bergeron if you were in good shape and did a fairly intense work out you would sweat out approx 115-690mg of salt in an hr. So to get back that sodium into your body to rehydrate properly It needs to be done with food or drink. BUFF sticks have 282mg of sodium (sea salt) per ounce or stick. So having a twin pack with some good water after a work out is a great way to properly rehydrate as well as feed those hungry muscles with 16g of protein!!
On the flip side if you are not an ultra endurance, high intensity athlete and you may be watching your salt in take. BUFF's 282mg per stick is on the low end of "ssimilar" products that tote 380mg, 590mg or 740mg per oz. Ouch!! BUFF's got you covered either way!
Stock up on BUFF at www.BUFF.ca . Any comments or questions can be directed to Heather@buff.ca or 519-375-6668
Michael F. Bergeron, P. F. (2014). Sodium: The Forgotten Nutrient. Sports and Science Exchange, 78.
