THE IMPORTANCE OF SODIUM
Mar 27, 2023
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DEMONIZE SODIUM
The diet industry loves to pick a demon. Today, it’s carbs. In the 80’s and 90’s, it was fat. Who knows what will be next?
Fortunately, as time passes and science catches up, we know now that not all fats are created equal (trans fats vs. saturated/unsaturated). And we’re starting to learn the same is true for carbohydrates (refined sugars vs. fruits & whole grains).
But one industry “demon” that’s still very misunderstood is sodium.
WHY THE WAR ON SALT?
The anti-salt movement happened as a result of a few studies in the 1970s that claimed a direct link between sodium and high blood pressure. But as time has passed, that data isn’t exactly holding up. More recent studies can’t actually validate these claims, so we don’t really know that salt is the main driver of HBP/hypertension.
Of course, too much of anything can cause problems, and the World Health Organization still recommends reducing salt intake for individuals with high blood pressure.
But if you’re a generally healthy person, drastically reducing sodium intake might actually do more harm than good. Especially in athletes or highly active people.
🧂Sodium is an important mineral in the body. It's crucial for balancing fluid levels, sleep, digestion, and plays an important role in muscle & nerve function.
🧂The FDA recommends keeping sodium intake under 2,300 mg per day for the average person. However, active individuals need more sodium than people who are sedentary -- closer to 3000-5000mg, as a lot of sodium is lost through sweat while training.
🧂If you’re an active person and you neglect to replenish sodium levels (and other electrolytes), you might experience muscle cramps, slower recovery, decreased performance, headaches, low energy, weakness, and in more severe cases - hyponatremia (dangerously low sodium in the bloodstream).
🧂While it’s important to be mindful of sodium intake, a lot of people think that consuming less sodium will result in weight loss or an improvement in health. However, there is no real data to support this assumption.
🧂Most high sodium foods are the obvious ones: packaged/highly processed foods (i.e. Cheetos, ramen noodles, etc.), and restaurant foods. So if you’re cooking most meals at home and eating whole sources of food, there’s no reason to fear the salt shaker. In fact, I would make sure you're adding salt to your food.
TIPS FOR ACTIVE PEOPLE
Adequate sodium replenishment after training is essential!
Be sure to replenish with sodium/electrolytes and rehydrate with plenty of water so that you can return to your next training session with optimal energy & strength.
My go-to is for quick electrolytes is LMNT !
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