Sodium and Sports Nutrition

Sodium (salt) is an important electrolyte that plays an essential role in the regulation of body fluids. While too much sodium can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, kidney stones etc., the body requires more than 500 milligrams (min) per day to function properly. The amount of sodium in the body determines the amount of water the body stores. High intakes can cause body tissues to swell up. A normal diet usually contains enough sodium, but be careful not to limit your sodium intake too much in order to achieve more definition. If your sodium intake is too low, your body will turn on protective mechanisms which cause sodium and water retention. Find more sports nutrition related topics at nutrition main.

Description

  • Functions:
    • Water household
    • nerve impulse transmission
    • muscular contraction
  • More info:
    • The average adult athlete needs 2300 milligrams of sodium per day.
    • When you sweat you lose sodium, magnesium, calcium and other minerals.
    • If you want to know how much salt a food contains but only know the amount of sodium, multiply the grams of sodium by 2.5.
    • Sodium is a main component of blood plasma.
    • It also helps keep the blood from clotting.
    • In the digestive system, sodium helps in the process of metabolizing foods into energy.

Foods: Sodium and Sports Nutrition

  • Salt
  • Salty foods such as: potatoe chips, popcorn, big mac
  • All kinds of canned food
  • Salted butter or margarine
  • Cheese
  • Buttermilk
  • Fish
  • Fruits
  • Meat
  • Milk
  • Olives
  • Sauerkraut
  • Spinach

Advice: Sodium and Sports Nutrition

  • Too much sodium is just as bad as sodium deficiency.
    Avoid too many salty snacks, but don't try to avoid salt in general.