Quote Originally Posted by RockDoc View Post
Not so. There are a lot of deaths per year due to supplement use. They may help, or do nothing, but they can also hurt or kill.

Before going on supplements, it makes sense to get your electrolytes measured in the appropriate blood panel. However, supplementing one without the other may lead to drastic shortages, because the compounds work together in ways that are poorly understood.

You don't need supplements if you eat nutritionally dense food. Sorry, that's not Little Debbies, pop tarts, and Top Ramen. Rather than eating that garbage and adding supplements, a rational approach would be to rework the diet. It's not a mystery.
Glad to see this side of the issue being promoted (you and others). I've always felt the best way to get the nutrition we need is to eat the right foods. It just makes sense to me.

However, I've been following the discussion because I have concern that I need to do something different on trail. My hiking is typically just a weekend or a week, so it's not like I'm worried about a months-long nutritional deficit. The concern is that I sweat a lot, more than my husband it seems. It's not uncommon that I'll have salt crusted on my face at the end of the day. And with that I find that I feel vaguely nauseated and low on energy and with little appetite. Eating potato chips hasn't solved the problem. I'm about ready to try some Nuun or Pedialyte.