20 years ago when I was in my twenties I had a border line pressure in the 130s/90s.
The doctor had no advice for me at the time. Now, at almost 43 I have identified a salt
sensitivity that sends my BP way up. So, I'm in the midst of a lifestyle/ diet change.
Yesterday, I read of a study that showed a 4 to 5 year reduction in life expectancy for even
moderately elevated BP over a twenty year period ( one similar to that I had in my twenties ). For all our younger people out there be aware. Hypertension is prevalent in the American population. Quiz your doctor and live long.

garager

Hey garager,
Thanks for the advice. My dad has high BP and cholesterol - genetics and I'm sure bad diet too. He's been on blood pressure pills at least since I've been alive, maybe longer. Definitely something to keep track of and watch out for. I hope your lifestyle/diet change is successful.

the thing that is shocking me is the amount of salt in everything.
One brand of soy milk has 6mg of sodium another has 100mg.
Most cereals are loaded. And a lot of active people use them as
a high quality snack or extra meal. At least I used to.

garager

Twenty years ago my legs starting hurting all the time; especially when I got up in the morning. They felt dead when I ran; putting an end to my daily runs. Ten years later, I figured out that salt was a big part of the problem. Processed foods are almost always loaded with salt. Even canned vegetables! Buy frozen, instead. Fresh, of course, is even better.

Watch out for the label too, for misleading information. I once had a small frozen pizza, and couldn't walk the next day. It turned out that the 750 mg of salt on the label was "per serving," for 4 servings! Now I make my own.

thehitman

thanks for the advice...here's something new, (if you haven't heard) they are changing the normal B/P to less than 120/80

Yes, I read that too. My doctor here in Osaka, just like the one in America twenty years
ago says 130/90 is no real problem. My sister says you just have to tell them what to
do and they will do it. So, I will probably soon go on medication to get it down to 110/70.

garager

I thought endurance athletes needed more sodium to make up for sodium depletion during workouts and excessive sweating. I have high blood preasure, but also hear I need more sodium too.

Let me ask a question. After many of my workouts, I have this white crusty paste all over my face and body that tastes like salt...does that mean I need more salt or less???

I worry in this regard.

Tim G

The typical American diet is super-saturated with sodium --- what? ten times the recommended level?

It's no wonder your face is caked with salt!!! And the solution is to take more? I don't think so.

I've eliminated salt from all of my cooking, and my daily intake is easily under 3,000 mg. I've never had a problem with cramping.

When you sweat, your body cannot distinguish between sodium and the other electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, etc.). So when you're profusely sweating -- in part because you've retained so much water because of your high salt intake -- your body is eliminating ALL electrolytes, not just the sodium.

My suggestion -- eat a healthy, low sodium diet; further balance your electrolytes by increasing potassium consumption (bananas and potatoes, for example). During the race, drink fluids with a good electrolyte balance. It works for me.

thehitman

I only eat healthy foods because I am a person who has lost almost 100 pounds eating right and working out and I am going to keep it that way.

It's just that other atheletes tell me I need more sodium when they see the white paste on me which was also what I was taught in high school ahtletics too....RE: salt tablets.

Salt coming through in your sweat is usually a bad sign. You need to replenish with sports drinks or some people do use salt tablets. But as others have stated, be sure this is the right mix for you as too much salt in the system is bad as well.

Here are some articles I Googled which may help explaining both loss of/too much sodium.

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/ultra-endurance.html
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/aa030101a.htm
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/hydration/index.htm

I will try and make some sense of an issue that didn't seem like a big deal until now.

Buy the way, this white paste only happens in the summer when it's really hot.

Ya, typically I see it most in Hawaii. I'll try to do some more research as well and maybe tap some of the contributing coaches for additional insight.

It's funny, lots of medical guidelines have different blood pressure goals and they call normal <120/80. And literature as of late is showing the lower the better in terms of decreasing risk of cardiac events... I know where I want mine to be!

There are lots of studies to support sodium supplementation and also against it.

When you exercise hard and long, especially in hot weather, you tend to sweat a lot, and sweat always contains electrolytes. How much you excrete is a function of how much you sweat, which is a function of the weather, your conditioning and your work rate. The longer you exercise, the more likely it is that you will need some salt supplementation during the exercise, no matter how salt-rich your diet is.

On a daily basis your kidneys do a good job of excreting any excess sodium even if you don't exercise, so obviously you don't want to eat too much because it makes your kidneys work overtime which is why those with high blood pressure are admonished to decrease their sodium intake. But as you add exercise to the mix, it's possible your kidneys are now throwing off even more sodium, regardless of your daily intake. This is why Gatorade has sodium in it. It's also why salty chicken broth is served during the marathon of most Ironman races.

There are recommendations on sodium intake per hour in sports nutrition books. When using them, you need to account for all the sodium from all sources you are taking in. For example, let's say you race on Gatorade and gels. Add up the total sodium per hour from those sources and supplement, as necessary.

When you become sodium depleted, you may experience nausea, vomiting and impaired performance. So each of us needs to find what works best for us.

My personal findings are that when I'm exercising >2 hours in heat that in addition to the sodium in Gatorade, I take one Succeed capsule per hour. When I do an Ironman race and it's hot, I increase it to 2 capsules per hour. When I do < 1/2 Ironman, salt becomes optional for me, but I may still take 1 capsule before the race starts, just in case.

Unless you go overboard with your sodium intake, your body will get rid of what it doesn't need. If you find that during exercise > 1.5 hours your stomach is not feeling right, it may just be that you need some salt.

The amount of salt cake on someone's clothing depends more on how much that person sweats (and hence electrolyte excretion) than how much salt is in their diet. So just because someone has white streaks doesn't mean they are low on sodium.

If you're like me, after a good 2+ hour workout, I crave salt immediately afterwards. Why? Because I just lost a bunch, over and above what I took in already during the day.

TIM G,

Congrats on the Weight Loss... I've lost 85 pounds, through eating the right foods, and exercise... I don't have the salt issues you mentioned, but I do try to keep myself hydrated by using Electrolyte Drinks, and lots of water while I'm out running or on the bike...

Enjoy the new you, I'm enjoying the new Me!

I am soooo thankful that I somehow came to my senses and lost my wieght....plus am a triathlete at 45 years old. Your about the same age as me huh?. It's feels great doesn't it?

I actually thank my ex wife that I was married to for 20 years that left me for a good friend of mine.....I WON!!!!!!!!

Tim G

You'll be happy to hear of one study that reports that "caking" is most prevalent on lean, well-conditioned athletes! Congratulations!! They also advise sodium supplements during exercise.

Listen to your body, not some guys with questionable advise. If it works, do it.

Kona mentioned Suceed tablets, which have both sodium and potassium. A another product that is now on the market is Endurolytes, which have all the electrolytes, at a lower "dosage."

And by the way, is that any way to treat your friend?

thehitman

I think you are right because even though I might have this white salty crust on me, I am usually the one who kicked butt or held my own during my workout or race against my buds. I mostly experience this during my 75 mile or more training rides or above a 10 mile run.

By the way...my ex has gained twice the weight I lost. I'm sorry....but that's funny!!!!

Things have a way of evening out!

You wouldn't believe! I took a couple of herbal sleeping pills before I went to bed the other night and shazam! Now, as I go to bed I take one or two and get some deep sleep. It is apparent that I was seriously neglecting my sleep and that was seriously effecting my BP. Yesterday it was 115/75!

garager