Sweating/Salt!

4 watchers

Dirk Jun 2013 9:48am, 28 Jun 2013 913 posts	0 Dirk So I went for an hour run yesterday at about 7:50 pace with a mate and wasn't pushing to hard but did sweat quite a bit. By the time I'd finished the run I had dried salt down both sides of my face!!! It was quite a humid day but this doesn't normally happen (it has only happened once or twice in a half mara race). So of course I Googled it last night and there was lots of scaremongering about how this can be potentially dangerous because you are either under/over hydrated and drinking more water can be worse. Also mentioned that it could be a sign of a lack of sodium and that you should replace it quickly. Has/Does anyone else have this happen to them? Should I be concerned? What do you do? Thanks!
Son of a Pronator Man Jun 2013 9:50am, 28 Jun 2013 7,190 posts	0 Son of a Pronator Man Sounds fairly normal , based on my own experience.
mblnFERCr Jun 2013 10:04am, 28 Jun 2013 506 posts	0 mblnFERCr Yep, pretty much any hot race day. Tim noakes reckons it just means you have too much sodium in your system, and homeostasis I'd just evening you out.
Dirk Jun 2013 10:21am, 28 Jun 2013 914 posts	0 Dirk hmmm...didn't know who he was! Googled him now. He seems to have wrtten all about it! Does say it can be potentially serious though depending on how hyponotreamic you become. What would be good afterwards then do you reckon? doesn't sound like more water is any good....
Craig_ Jun 2013 10:33am, 28 Jun 2013 659 posts	0 Craig_ I think it's to do with the fat layer/cells below the skin containing salt/sodium - when you sweat, it just brings a bit through the pores and when the sweat evaporates, it leaves the salt on the skin. It's pretty normal on long runs in hot weather - you may not be dripping in sweat so you may not notice the fluid loss but just keep hydrated as usual. A good rule of thumb is, for up to a 10k you can drink just water - for a half-marathon add isotonic/electrolyte drink - for a marathon add energy gels, for a ultras add solid fuel (food).
FreshStart Jun 2013 10:37am, 28 Jun 2013 1,287 posts	0 FreshStart nuun.co.uk
mblnFERCr Jun 2013 10:55am, 28 Jun 2013 507 posts	0 mblnFERCr From the little I know the homeostasis bit its the most important. Your body wouldn't give the salt if it couldn't afford to.
wiener dog Jun 2013 10:58am, 28 Jun 2013 1,228 posts	0 wiener dog I wear a dark blue cap to run in & it often gets a salt ring around the bottom of the brim - I have never had any issues from the loss of salt, I thought it was pretty normal.
Roma Jun 2013 11:05am, 28 Jun 2013 356 posts	0 Roma IMHO it would seem the important thing is how you re-hydrate after sweating, hence the hyponaetremic risk. I often have salty face, knees etc after a long run on a hot day. It's my excuse for a bag of crisps