Salt. Your opinion?

[gritbox]

What's everyone's thoughts on consuming salt?

Some folks act like salt is the devil, others say the whole thing is blown way out of proportion.

Not gonna lie, I love salt. I probably get 5-6 grams of sodium a day, so like 15g of salt. I just feel way better when my sodium's up, especially since I sweat a ton doing cardio. The UK says to keep it under 6g of salt, but honestly, I'd feel like trash on that. I eat a lot of veggies and fruit, so my potassium's high too. I use that Lo Salt stuff sometimes, the 50/50 sodium and potassium one, maybe 2-3g a day for a bit of extra potassium.

My blood pressure's usually around 110/70. If I cut salt too low, it tanks and I just feel wiped out.

How much are you guys getting in a day? Anyone else feel better with more salt, or nah?

I use Celtic sea salt, not the regular table stuff. Even the fancy salts are pretty cheap. Anyone got a go-to brand?

Thanks

 

[talktomybiceps]

i don’t go that high, probably 3 to 4g sodium a day, and i feel fine

 

[sarahjanex]

Your numbers make sense to me. Low-ish blood pressure plus lots of sweating is the profile where more salt tends to help, and a high-potassium diet softens the effect on blood pressure. Just know that 15g of salt is well over the usual guidelines.

 

[gritbox]

i don’t go that high, probably 3 to 4g sodium a day, and i feel fine

Do you sweat a lot or train in the heat?

 

[mikefromgym]

Sodium is important but 5-6g daily sounds pretty high. Gotta watch BP too.

 

[marko_23]

Not all salt is the enemy haha. I think consistency matters more than randomly cutting it out, especially for people who train hard.

 

[Sarah_lifts]

It’s a smart way to get potassium, but if you have kidney issues or take certain BP meds (ACE inhibitors, for example), potassium can build up.

 

[Pnut]

I think salt gets a worse reputation than it deserves, especially for people who train hard and sweat a lot. But 5-6g of sodium daily is still pretty high, even with normal blood pressure. I'd be careful assuming you need that much just because you feel better with more salt.

Also, Celtic sea salt isn't really any healthier than regular table salt when it comes to sodium. The trace minerals are pretty insignificant. Iodized table salt is probably the more practical choice for everyday use.

The potassium salt is worth being careful with too, especially if someone has kidney issues or takes certain blood pressure medications. Have you ever actually measured how much sodium you're losing through sweat, or are you mainly going by how you feel during training?