The taste of salt in the athlete’s soup: a short update with practical recommendations

The general recommendation for daily sodium consumption is about 6 g/d, as a higher intake was associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular mortality in individuals already suffering from hypertension. However, this recommendation is not necessarily valid for athletes as they often experience high sweat and sodium losses during exercise. While it is well-known that a balanced hydration status and fluid replacement are important factors to maintain an adequate exercise performance, the importance of salt losses during exercise seems to be often underestimated. This short update will focus on the role and impact of salt or sodium ingestion before, during and after exercise and its implication on performance. Pre-exercise ingestion of highly concentrated sodium solutions (164 mmol/l) induces a plasma volume expansion leading to a performance enhancing effect. Sodium intake during exercise of more than 60 min helps to prevent from or compensate dehydration. Sports drinks ingested during exercise commonly contain a sodium concentration of 30-50 mmol/l, whereas a higher concentration might be advantageous for so called salty sweaters or athletes prone to heat cramps. For a fast rehydration after exercise, drinks with a sodium concentration of around 100 mmol/l were found to be most effective. In any case, taste preference and gastrointestinal discomfort have to be considered individually and the amount of salt or sodium to be ingested in the different exercise settings depends highly on the desired goal. Finally, the timing of salt or sodium intake as well as the right dosage are of high importance to successfully influence exercise performance.