salt and sweat and cycling

[Abitrary]

I'm trying to cut down on my salt intake the last week because I pretty much pour it on (I open big macs and put salt on the burgers).

I had some gut wrenching cramps at first - which I guess is just the withdrawal.

However, the strangest thing is that after a strenous hilly ride on sunday, once the sweat had dried, the straps on my helmet straps were caked in salt. I've also noticed it on t-shirts after commuting as well.

Why if I'm taking in less salt, I'm outputting more?

 

[got-to-get-fit]

you put salt on your big mac.....whoooaaa. Thats a serious fondness for the white stuff.

Glad you decided to cut down.

maybe the salt you are seeing is your body purging itself of the excess salt that was in your body.

 

[Abitrary]

maybe the salt you are seeing is your body purging itself of the excess salt that was in your body.

I thought about that, but why would it not purge it steadily anyway?

My conclusion at this point is that too much salt makes you drink a disproportionate amount of water, which would dilute the sweat and not leave salt marks.

 

[johnnyh]

you put salt on your big mac.....whoooaaa.

you eat that stuff in the first place... whoooaaaa

 

[Abitrary]

you eat that stuff in the first place... whoooaaaa

I am a bad person but I am still a child of the universe and thus deserve succour.

Are you going to answer the salt thing now?

 

[bonj2]

simple answer - there's not just one type of salt

 

[Abitrary]

simple answer - there's not just one type of salt

ah, I see I have created a box that someone has decided to think outside of.

But then, why can I see salt, of whatever type for the first time? Do you get salt stains?

 

[montage]

ah, I see I have created a box that someone has decided to think outside of.

But then, why can I see salt, of whatever type for the first time? Do you get salt stains?

I don't think it stains but it certainly increases fading.

 

[Ashtrayhead]

You probably take in sufficient salt in what you eat so you'll always have some to sweat out.


I don't add salt to anything, even when cooking, and haven't done so for over 30 years but I still get the sweat stains on my caps and headgear. I go by the theory that there's enough added salt in foodstuffs without needing any more added.

 

[Abitrary]

You probably take in sufficient salt in what you eat so you'll always have some to sweat out.

But why when I was taking at least twice the salt I am now, didn't I get salt cake everywhere?

I'm not worried about the health and moral issues of all this - I just want to understand the science in order to give me some logical closure on the matter.

 

[Dave5N]

No you don't. You're just attention-seeking again. If you wanted to understand the physiology you'd google it or, better still, ask your doctor. Not ask on a cycling website.

 

[Andy in Sig]

But why when I was taking at least twice the salt I am now, didn't I get salt cake everywhere?

I'm not worried about the health and moral issues of all this - I just want to understand the science in order to give me some logical closure on the matter.

At a guess your body had probably adapted to the higher than natural salt levels you were chucking at it and so had reached some sort of equilibrium. Perhaps now that you have cut back your body is trying to get down to and stabilise at, normal levels by chucking out the excess.

 

[dudi]

it's just the weather... It's a tad warmer and drier, so you sweat more and it evaporates faster so the salt marks are more concentrated, and more noticable.

I get these salt tide lines, but not in the winter. Had some yesterday in fact.
In the summer I will get crusty straps and a fairly thick film of salt over parts of my face, chest and back after a long hard sweaty ride.

 

[bonj2]

ah, I see I have created a box that someone has decided to think outside of.

But then, why can I see salt, of whatever type for the first time? Do you get salt stains?

sodium chlroride is your standard, but then there's potassium chloride, branch chain amino acids (are they a salt?), etc etc...

 

[bonj2]

ah, I see I have created a box that someone has decided to think outside of.

But then, why can I see salt, of whatever type for the first time? Do you get salt stains?

I can't say I've ever noticed, no.
I don't ever purposefully add extra salt to food, though, except maybe a tiny little bit on rice sometimes and a tiny bit in cooking (casserole type dishes). it's worth remembering most foods naturally contain some type of salt - so if you eat a normal balanced diet then you get enough, both in quantity and variety, of salts through this.

Maybe you should ask Rhythm Thief if you can accompany him to one of his Saltoholics Anonymous meetings?