Want to Improve Workout Performance and Recovery… Use Salt!!

Did you know the best pre-workout ingredient is located right in your kitchen cabinet. And the amount of this ingredient needed to kick your workouts into overdrive costs less than pennies on the dollar per serving.

Salt is an important electrolyte that helps to regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve impulses. It also helps to maintain a healthy balance of sodium and potassium, which are essential for proper hydration and muscle contraction. By increasing your intake of salt before and during workouts, you can help to take your performance to the next level.

Salt can be added to your pre-workout meal or snack to help ensure proper hydration, electrolyte balance, as well as improve workout performance and the coveted muscle pump. Drinking a sports drink with electrolytes before and during your workouts can also help to replace any lost electrolytes.

Adding a pinch of salt to your post-workout smoothie or protein shake can also help to replenish lost electrolytes and help to prevent muscle cramps and soreness. This can be especially helpful if you are doing an intense workout and need to replenish your electrolytes quickly.

Finally, salt can also be used to improve recovery after a workout. Adding salt to a hot bath can help to draw out lactic acid build up and reduce muscle soreness. Also, adding salt to a warm compress can help to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Whether you are an athlete or just someone looking to improve their workouts, adding salt to your diet can be a great way to increase your performance and speed up recovery.

Dr. DiNicolantonio’s extensive research for his book The Salt Fix: Why the Experts Got It All Wrong–and How Eating More Might Save Your Life offers an extensive and holistic look at weight gain, hydration, aging, and more. Here are 5 reasons his research has shown salt to be beneficial before a workout:

• Improved Workout Performance
  Increasing salt is an optimum way to increase energy levels and boost overall performance in your workouts. When you stop restricting salt your insulin levels can drop, allowing your body to access it’s energy reserves – or fat. DiNicolantonio also notes that when you increase your salt intake to supply the body with energy, your salt retaining hormones go down, improving the sensitivity of your fat cells to insulin.
• Muscle Gains – When boosting salt intake to an appropriate level, our energy levels go up, our endurance boosts and the cardiovascular blood flow achieves new heights. All of these things lead to stronger, more efficient, and less exhausting workouts. Optimum muscle performance is one of the best side effects, allowing you to reach your goals in less time than you alternatively would have.
• Blood Flow – Blood volume drops in just 3 minutes when exercising vigorously. If you can increase blood volume prior to exercise by consuming more salt, it can help to increase cardiovascular blood flow. Without pre-workout salt consumption, your standard blood volume is primarily supplying your working muscles during exercise and does not have the blood volume it could also use to send to the heart.
• Body Cooling – Better blood flow equals better cooling! Improved blood circulation and water retention means your body cooling off faster and more effectively – leading to longer endurance and just generally feeling better during your workout!
• Reduced Risk of Hyponatremia – Did you know that the average person exercising loses over a quart of sweat per hour? Double that for intense or long-duration workouts, or for those who run. A condition called hyponatremia can occur when the sodium in your blood is abnormally low. The more you workout, the more sodium you lose and the more that sodium needs to be replaced in order to prevent the chance of hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is fairly common in adults who exercise regularly and can become quite severe if not monitored. The warning signs include nausea, fatigue, headaches, and confusion. The good news is that it has an easy fix! You guessed it – consuming salt before your workouts. It can also lead to a decreased risk for arrhythmias and cramps.

Dr. DiNicolantonio’s Recommendations for Salt Consumption Prior to Workouts

More information and detailed recommendations can be found on page 136 of Dr. DiNicolantonio’s book, The Salt Fix.

In Moderate Climates (below 80 degrees)

• ½ teaspoon of salt prior to exercise

In Hot Climates (80-89 degrees)

• ½ – 1 teaspoon of salt prior to exercise

In Very Hot Climates (90 degrees or above)

• 1-2 teaspoons of salt prior to exercise

What Are The Optimal Ways To Take Salt Before I Workout?

There are a few methods that we and Dr. DiNicolantonio recommend for salt consumption before working out. If you prefer to use what you already have on hand, grab your Redmond Real Salt (Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan Salt, or any basic iodized salt will do)  and measure your dosage to consume dry – then rinse your mouth with water or pickle juice. If going this route, it’s important to use Real Salt or another natural, unrefined salt that contains iodine.

I personally do not recommend the option above, but if hardcore is what you choose… then by all means go for it!.

If you’re looking for a tastier way to consume your pre-workout salt, we recommend adding salt to your pre workout powder/drink. Try it out… drop a comment to let us know what you think! Train Hard!!