Sodium consumption for runners: Take it with a grain of salt?

Q: I’m lazy with tracking my sodium intake. I’ve always felt that since I run, I sweat it out anyway and therefore don’t need to be concerned about high sodium. Am I right in making this assumption?

A: Not exactly. Being a runner isn’t your free pass to consume all the sodium you like. You’re right in recognizing that yes, as a runner, you do lose a lot of sodium through sweat but this does not mean that a diet extremely high in sodium won’t impact your health. Running simply means that your daily sodium intake can be higher than the non runner. That has a cap though. It’s a similar concept to caloric intake in that you can get away with consuming more calories because you run, but if you consume more calories than necessary, you’ll still gain weight despite the mileage. Consume more sodium than what you sweat out and you can still end up with high blood pressure.

When considering your sodium intake, note factors that influence your sweat rate. You lose more depending on time of year, climate, how much you ran and how much effort it cost you. Also, keep in mind that while you don’t want a high sodium diet, your body still needs it for hydration and nerve and muscle function. Generally those who are over 50 or who have diabetes or kidney disease have to monitor the sodium levels more carefully.

Another thing to remember: eating foods rich in potassium helps flush out excess sodium. But that shouldn’t be used as a way to think that by eating a banana, you can erase the high sodium food court meal you had at lunch!