According to a study by Spanish researchers from the Camilo José Cela University who have analyzed the effects of salt on sports performance in triathletes, those who included this supplement in their usual hydration routines during competition took 26 minutes less to complete an average test distance than those who only drank sports drinks. And it is that maintaining an adequate balance of water and electrolytes (mainly sodium and chlorine) is essential for the proper functioning of all organs . Normally, most of us compensate for the daily loss of hydration with water and salts provided by food and beverages in our diet.
But in cases of endurance sports and physical exercise carried out in conditions of high temperatures, the regulation of water and electrolytes can be compromised, according to Juan del Coso Garrigós, researcher at the Camilo José Cela University (UCJC) and author main of this study on the effects of salt on athletic performance. Among other things, the scientists involved in the study from the UCJC Exercise Physiology laboratory have analyzed the impact of the salt capsules during half Ironman, a long-distance triathlon event, consisting of 1.9 km of swimming, 90 km of cycling and 21.1 km of athletic running .
During the investigation, a group of triathletes ingested, in addition to the rehydrating drinks they used to drink, 12 capsules of salt divided into three doses during the competition, with the aim of replacing 71% of the sodium lost through sweat. Then the results were compared with those of another group of triathletes of the same age and experience, but with better previous marks in that test, and who during the competition drank sports drinks and capsules filled with a placebo. That meant they only replaced 20% of the sodium lost .
Well, the athletes who took salt significantly improved their performance in the bicycle and running sectors, and finished the half Ironman 26 minutes earlier, on average, than the other competitors. This positive effect on performance is related to an increase in the concentration of electrolytes in the blood, which prompts you to drink more during the race , since the salt stimulates thirst and improves the balance of water and electrolytes during the competition. And it is that sports drinks do not replace 100% of electrolytes lost by sweating, although in most sports disciplines of less than two hours, those they contain are enough to maintain performance. Sweat is the main mechanism for cooling and losing body heat. The sweat glands filter plasma from the blood – which contains sodium – to obtain a hypotonic fluid, sweat, which dissipates heat as it evaporates through the skin.
On the other hand, with sweat, body water and electrolytes are lost, so the main objective of rehydration in sport is to replace these substances. If you only drink mineral water, which contains very little sodium, hypotonicity can be generated, since only liquid is recovered since the concentration of sodium in the blood would progressively dilute. Sports drinks are designed to replenish lost fluid and electrolytes , but even the best out there only have a sodium concentration close to 20 mEq / L, about half of what is lost through sweat.
According to del Coso, it may be necessary to eat foods that contain high amounts of salt, such as fruits or nuts, or even salt capsules to reduce the effect of electrolyte loss on physical performance.
