What do you use to keep electrolytes in check in hot weather?

[Dogwood]

BTW, as much as avoiding dehydration ALSO avoid water intoxication, - hyponatremia- where you drink too much water too rapidly flushing electrolytes out of your system. I did that to myself on the PCT. Not a two day experience I wish to repeat.

[peakbagger]

I have been using Nuun for several years and its the only thing that keeps me from getting leg cramps. I also on occasion use Morton lite salt with enough kool aid to give it some taste. I am staring to hear folks who are using magnesium supplement. Nuun is handy and does knock out some of the taste of pond water.

[tiptoe]

In addition to staying well hydrated, I carry a very small vial of salt. While hiking in the South this summer, when I started to feel a little unfocused and slightly dizzy, I just downed some salt. Instant relief.

When I dehydrate food, I generally don't salt it much, but when dining in town, I do reach for the salt shaker and use it liberally.

[Rebeka]

I have been wondering about sprouting while walking! Cool, I use glass jars at home, what do you use on the trail?

Received a Outdoor Herbivore sprouting kit as a gift that I appreciate so much on trail. It is EASY, very light wt, and provides FRESH HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS sprouts to my trail food offering many health/nutritional benefits. I clip the dampened hemp pouch with sprouting seeds to the back of my backpack giving the emerging sprouts an occasional rinse with fresh water and ouila. Easy peasy!

http://outdoorherbivore.com/trail-sprouts/

Nice, I'm going to make one, thanks! I was thinking I would have to use plastic. Hemp fabric, duh, I wouldn't have thought it. Brilliant!

Never Give Up

[Pedaling Fool]

While on a crazy, long and hot hike this summer in Baxter State Park I covered 18 miles in record high temp for Maine! I filters water every chance I had and tanked up on water before leaving each water source. Still after drinking a ton of water my urine was still dark yellow! Once I got to camp it was not until morning until it was clear again! I have been thinking of trying Nuun tabs during warm weather hikes! Any experience?


Canadian_Hiker
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another thing to consider is to train for these conditions. There is evidence that high-heat training is just as effective as high-altitude training. BTW, that's not to say to not take precautions during a hike, like always having water and electrolytes, but there seems to me to be times to push it, so the body adapts. I've always disagreed with those that promote taking a "siesta" during the hottest part of the day.

http://www.thanyapura.com/stories/he...tude-training/

Excerpt:

"As you are probably aware, the most commonly known method of adaptation training is at altitude. Here the oxygen level in the air is considerably lower, the decreased amount of oxygen in high altitudes stimulates the body into the production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) made in the kidneys. EPO then triggers the production of more red blood cells to transport sufficient oxygen to make up the deficiencies at altitude. More oxygen delivery to the muscles can increase aerobic capacity and thus endurance performance is improved. There is a widespread acceptance that altitude training improves performance both at altitude and at sea-level. So to maximise performance get training in the mountains! Simple, right? Well not exactly….

Previous theories on altitude training have been challenged, showing limitations to the old classic paradigm. Recently the England football team were criticised for using high altitude training following their failure at the 2010 World Cup. In the same year of England’s failure an interesting study from the University of Oregon on the benefits of heat training was published, turning more than a few heads (more on this later). This has sparked sports scientists into studying the benefits of heat training on performance. Many athletes are spending time in hot conditions to prepare for their upcoming event. So what is all the hype about? Why are more and more athletes looking to train in the heat?"




And it seems like to get the most benefit comes from not staying 'well' hydrated, forcing the body continue without as much water as you'd like...

http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-sc...of-dehydration



Excerpt:

(2) One of the key signals that tells your body to adapt may be dehydration. So if you do the heat acclimation but are super-careful to stay hydrated, you miss out on the benefits. In the New Zealand study, the athletes were allowed 100 mL of water during the 90-minute bouts -- enough to stave of the feeling of being super-dehydrated, but not enough to stay hydrated. The benchmark some athletes are using: if you're not at least 2% dehydrated, you drank too much; 3% is good; 4% is too much. (Note: this is just for the heat acclimation sessions, not a universal rule for all training sessions!)

[4eyedbuzzard]

BTW, as much as avoiding dehydration ALSO avoid water intoxication, - hyponatremia- where you drink too much water too rapidly flushing electrolytes out of your system. I did that to myself on the PCT. Not a two day experience I wish to repeat.

People actually die from this every year at stupid water drinking contests. They drink so much water that they drop their electrolyte levels (especially sodium) to such a degree that they can have brain seizures, heart palpitations, and even death in extreme cases.

[Odd Man Out]

Other factors can turn your urine dark. Try a B complex vitamin sometime - within a couple hours your urine will be dark yellow.

Kind of freaked me out the first time that happened until I realized what was going on.

-FA

That is the riboflavin (vit B2). It is yellow. The yellow color in urine is normally bilirubin. This is the byproduct of breaking down the heme from your hemoglobin from your red blood cells. Your RBC have a limited lifespan so when they break apart the heme is broken down and excreted (the protein part of the hemoglobin is recycled). The yellow bilirubin is water soluble and excreted in the urine. Brown bilirubin is not water soluble and excreted in the feces.

[Odd Man Out]

Pringles work well for salt, you can use Lays chips if you prefer.

For drinks I often add a 1/4 teaspoon of Morton's Lite Salt per liter to whatever flavored drink I'm drinking. The lite salt is largely potassium.

I've used this before too. Used to to spike my trail mix, for example. Be aware that Morton's makes two products. Lite Salt is a 50/50 mix of sodium chloride (regular "salt") and potassium chloride. Their Salt Substitute is 100% potassium chloride. If following a recipe, make sure you use the correct one.

[Two Speed]

Been using Emergen - C the last several years.

Used it successfully on my first century on a bicycle on the Silver Comet Trail a couple of years ago. That ride was during June, and to put it mildly the temperatures and humidity in middle Georgia were extremely high, sweating like a maniac, slugging lots of water to stay hydrated and putting one pack of Emergen - C in every other water bottle. Exhausted at the end of the ride, but recovered nicely the next day, no cramps during or after, so I've been sold on it as an electrolyte replacement ever since.

Cheap, no added sugar, available at Kroger and gets the job done.

[Starchild]

It appears like your problem is not with electrolytes, that does not mean they can not help but... Dark urine is more of symptom of dehydration, vitamin supplements and the like. Low electrolytes usually results in not being able to hold water, so clear urine, and frequent right after drinking.

I feel you have misplaced this one, but all the luck and best wishes that electrolytes will help.