Electrolyte Replacement

[postholer.com]

electolyte tab of choice plus potato chips...

Ditto on the chips.

If you're eating your proper daily trail calories, in most cases you won't need any special electrolyte replacement. Plenty of sodium/potassium in your food already.

-postholer

[hikingshoes]

I use EFS and love it. I don't have leg cramps after hiking all day.

[TrippLite]

Here is another product you may want to consider... HEED by Hammer
Great results, the lemon lime and melon flavors have a subtle taste, nothing you would want to order and sip while sitting poolside on a cruise. Downside is it does not dissolve very well, you will have to shake constantly.Easy on the stomach however.

Previous poster mentioned pedialyte..
I have used pedialyte mixed with sprite while recovering from flu like symptoms and dehydration in the past with great results..

[Starvin Marvin]

Powerade Zero Drops.

[ralph23]

You really don't need any form of electrolyte replacement for your average day of trail hiking. Some of the products that have been mentioned are gimmick products that are marketed toward endurance athletes. The credible products mentioned are generally used by elite level athletes who are working very hard for many hours per day. We are talking long course triathletes or NFL players. My guess is you are not breaking that much of a sweat in a day of hiking. (Nor would you want to break that much of a sweat while hiking)

Also, lets consider your sodium intake from most of the prepared trail foods. Backpackers pantry averages 1400-1500 mg of sodium per package. Thats more than half of your daily recommended amount (2,300 mg) in one meal. Now add in your other two meals and all of your trail snacks and you are way over the limit. No need to supplement.

Want a boost of energy on the trail? Deprive yourself of caffeine for two weeks before heading out to reset your tolerance. Then supplement with caffeine as needed in tolerable amounts.

[colorado_rob]

... Now add in your other two meals and all of your trail snacks and you are way over the limit. No need to supplement.

Want a boost of energy on the trail? Deprive yourself of caffeine for two weeks before heading out to reset your tolerance. Then supplement with caffeine as needed in tolerable amounts.

Well, there is more to electrolyte replacement than just salt, hence why I carry g-ade powder, modest amounts.

Agree on the caffeine thing! This trick really works (I use it for big climbs), though the 2-weeks of pre-hike/climb "de-tox" is tough...

[Malto]

You really don't need any form of electrolyte replacement for your average day of trail hiking. Some of the products that have been mentioned are gimmick products that are marketed toward endurance athletes. The credible products mentioned are generally used by elite level athletes who are working very hard for many hours per day. We are talking long course triathletes or NFL players. My guess is you are not breaking that much of a sweat in a day of hiking. (Nor would you want to break that much of a sweat while hiking)

Also, lets consider your sodium intake from most of the prepared trail foods. Backpackers pantry averages 1400-1500 mg of sodium per package. Thats more than half of your daily recommended amount (2,300 mg) in one meal. Now add in your other two meals and all of your trail snacks and you are way over the limit. No need to supplement.

Want a boost of energy on the trail? Deprive yourself of caffeine for two weeks before heading out to reset your tolerance. Then supplement with caffeine as needed in tolerable amounts.

Whether you need electrolytes will depend greatly on the type of hiking you do. Those that do long 30+ mile days are doing an activity more like an endurance event then a stroll through the woods. As far as salt in your meal, RDA is meaningless even with typical mileage done while backpacking. RDA works well for typical activity levels not for moderate backpacking. Case in point, go knock out consistent 20 mile days eating the RDA of calories. Don't think that would work all that well.

finally, agree on caffeine, although I'm not sure you need the two week break. I take a caffeine pill every four hours while hiking and it makes a world of difference.

[ChuckT]

There's RDA then there's my-DA and (sadly) never the twain will meet

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[Odd Man Out]

You really don't need any form of electrolyte replacement for your average day of trail hiking. Some of the products that have been mentioned are gimmick products that are marketed toward endurance athletes. The credible products mentioned are generally used by elite level athletes who are working very hard for many hours per day. We are talking long course triathletes or NFL players. My guess is you are not breaking that much of a sweat in a day of hiking. (Nor would you want to break that much of a sweat while hiking)

Also, lets consider your sodium intake from most of the prepared trail foods. Backpackers pantry averages 1400-1500 mg of sodium per package. Thats more than half of your daily recommended amount (2,300 mg) in one meal. Now add in your other two meals and all of your trail snacks and you are way over the limit. No need to supplement.

Want a boost of energy on the trail? Deprive yourself of caffeine for two weeks before heading out to reset your tolerance. Then supplement with caffeine as needed in tolerable amounts.

I agree that with the salt in my diet, I may not need electrolyte drinks and don't plan on using them routinely (planning a 6 day AT hike in VA in July). But given it is VA in July, it could be brutally hot and humid, so I am making some of the homemade electrolyte solution to take, more of as a first aid item, in case I feel it's needed. We may not want to or like to break that much of a sweat, but stuff happens. I'll use this recipe, but use glucose instead of sugar (i.e. sucrose).

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recip...recipe=1254151

Also, I am of the opinion that caffeine gives you the illusion of an energy boost, since it has no calories.

[Weather-man]

http://www.amazon.com/Drip-Drop-ORS-...drop+hydration

Developed by a Mayo-trained physician, Drip Drop ORS is a new medical grade hydration solution that is changing the way people think about effective treatment and prevention of dehydration. Dehydration is a prevalent medical condition that deserves an effective and convenient go-to solution. Proven worldwide in the most challenging circumstances, Drip Drop has won early adoption by a broad spectrum of users including top hospitals and physicians, elite athletes, U.S. Special Forces, humanitarian workers, pharmacists, and patients with chronic illness. Drip Drop is a great-tasting rehydration solution that, when mixed with water, delivers 2-3 times the electrolytes of sports drinks and 25% more than pediatric alternatives. The patented solution delivers better fluid retention than other alternatives -- which means one can drink less fluid and stay better hydrated. Drip Drop is based on Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT), a medically recognized, optimal way to treat dehydration. Drip Drop delivers the proven science behind ORT with a revolutionary taste that is similar to a sports drink. Drip Drop is a patented, FDA-approved medical food, with an ingredient profile categorized as Generally Recognized As Safe (G.R.A.S.). At Drip Drop, we're on a mission to improve the way the world hydrates. Drip Drop is working with leaders across many industries to reduce dehydration's impact on health, performance, and safety.

[TOW]

I typically hike with powdered gatorade, as I find water and food alone is not enough. I need some type of electrolyte replacement.

I find the gatorade powder a little heavy.

I was looking at something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Emergen-C-Supe.../dp/B00016RL9G

Just wondering what other people use as an electrolyte replacement.

When you come to a town get some fresh lemons and cut it quarters and squeeze that off into an 8 ounce glass of water. That will really help replace the Vitamin C that your body uses regularly. Also take some Vitamin B12

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[Odd Man Out]

http://www.amazon.com/Drip-Drop-ORS-...drop+hydration

This one has Sucralose in it. I am trying to avoid those.

[bangorme]

You really don't need any form of electrolyte replacement for your average day of trail hiking.

I know this not to be true in my case. I perspire A LOT, and my skin is flaky with salt at the end of the day. I usually suffer from severe leg cramps through the night (getting in and out of the bag is torture). Additionally, I have a hard time eating "trail food" during the first two or three days. I'm going to try some of the products mentioned to see if they help.

[Cookerhiker]

I've used these, most recently on a hike into the Grand Canyon. I also fill up on salted peanuts and cashews.

[gof]

Except that what you really need is energy and sodium, which this product specifically leaves out????

Understood. But the topic was "Electrolyte Replacement", not energy and sodium replacement. I know sodium is a primary electrolyte, just adding my .0000000000001 cents worth.

[magneto]

bangorme:

With you on your post. I have the same problem. Esp. The debilitating leg cramps. It gets worse the more plain water you drink, as you flush out the minerals.

The key is not to get behind. Add the supplements to every liter. The problem is they are heavy. But using them will make a huge difference.


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[bflorac]

Propel powder: good, light
Mio Energy products: lots of caffeine!
Gatorade Energy Chews: I found these worked great! A few chews would give the juice to finish out a long day of hiking. However they are not "ultralight"

[bigcranky]

I've used these, most recently on a hike into the Grand Canyon. I also fill up on salted peanuts and cashews.

Hey, cookerhiker, thanks for this. I compared the ingredients to the Gatorade packets I was using, and just ordered a bunch of these Electromix packets for a hike this summer. They have 5x the potassium, and I'm getting both sodium and carbs from the snacks I eat while drinking the mix.

Hoping to help prevent the awful leg cramps that I was getting at night while hiking, like bangorme.

[bangorme]

bangorme:

With you on your post. I have the same problem. Esp. The debilitating leg cramps. It gets worse the more plain water you drink, as you flush out the minerals.

The key is not to get behind. Add the supplements to every liter. The problem is they are heavy. But using them will make a huge difference.


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Which ones do you use personally? I'd like to avoid as much sugar as I can.

[magneto]

I had been using "nuun" tablets in a green bottle:

http://shop.nuun.com/nuun-active-hydration

Not sure about the sugar but they do work. They are heavy, though.

A slight effervescent lime flavor. Very palatable.




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