Hi Steve,
In preperation for a little birthday challenge in July, I've been increasing the time of my weekend long run to where I'm now out for about two and a half hours. I have always perspired rather profusely and always leave very prominent salt stains on my shirt and shorts. I don't salt my food heavily, and eat no processed foods at all. I started to add a powdered electrolyte mix to the water that I bring with me that contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese and chromium--no sodium. I make it a point to start to get well hydrated by Thursday mornings and don't allow myself to get too thirsty while running. I have a good idea what I weigh before I run and usually only weigh about one pound less after. This past weekend I gained six or seven pounds from the time after the run until Monday morning.It's nearly gone now, Tuesday evening, but I am a little concerned about this. As soon as I started to get over an hour and a half of running this retention thing started. If I'm only losing a pound of water, have you any thoughts on why I would have a net gain of five or six? Should I stop the electrolytes and take in even less sodium? The retention makes for a few uncomfortable days and I have scheduled for this weekend a three and a half hour slog and would like to avoid the after effect if possible.

Thanks for all of your help, and best regards,
Philip

Hi Steve,
Things turned out a little differently on
Saturday. I aknowledge at the start that I don't know what I'm doing and feel like I'm reinventing the wheel when you or Denis probably already know what to do.

Two weeks ago my long run was 10.5 miles. A week ago,12.5 miles and this Saturday I thought I would try 20 miles to see what was possible. As soon as I hit 15 miles(out about three hours--I know--really slogging)very bad cramps hit the top of my calves, behind my knees. I was able to walk quite quickly without cramps, but no running at all. I walked the last five miles back to my car at a good pace and my planned 3:30 turned into 4:16. I felt strong, not fatigued at all during and after the run. I drank 2 twenty oz. bottles of water before the cramps and one bottle of gatorade after the cramps started. I had nothing to eat since the previous evening until eating a Clif bar and some dried fruit after the first hour. Have you any thoughts, other than that I'm a jerk, on how to endure longer. I want to be able to slog out about six hours on my 49th birhtday.

Thanks and best regards,
Philip

Philip,

Sorry, man! I should have been here sooner. Eat some SALT!!!! You need it! When doing any longterm exericise salt ingestion is vital and it should be at least 2:1 ratio to potassium. No salt is very dangerous and will lead to something know as hyponatremia

Here's a bit on hydration and proper electrolyte replenishment from Dr. Bill Misner of Hammer Nutrition.

Steve Born raised an excellent point, suggesting monitored control of
SODIUM EXCESS yesterday. May I add more to expand his comment?
Hypernatremia is not as likely as hyponatremia, though both are
serious health-debilitating and perfromance-inhibiting conditions
which must be avoided. Hyponatremia, a life-threatening medical
emergency, results when electrolyte intake is imbalanced,
insufficient typically occurring when excess fluid intake exceeds
over 1 liter per hour during hyperthermic conditions. Hypernatremia
or too much sodium intake with adequate or excess rehydration
generally results in stiff, swollen hands, feet, and face [especially
under the eyelids]. This may be calculated by weighing before
exercise and afterwards. A 2-hour workout with adequate rehydration,
electrolyte intake, and minimal fuel reloading should result in a 1-
2% weight loss from glycogen expenditures resulting in fluid loss
through sweat-enhanced evaporative cooling. If post-exercise body
weight is the same or more, either fluid excess or a combination of
fluid excess with too much sodium intake has imposed increased fluid
edema stores.

A 1000 milligram unit of table salt generates roughly 400 mg sodium
and 600 mg chloride. A 1000 milligram unit of STP within a single
serving size of 6000 milligrams RDB contains 193 milligrams sodium.
Most American [non-vegetarian] athletes consume between 6000-8000
milligrams sodium from their food. The recommended upper level for
sodium is 2400 mg per day. You can potentially lose up to 2000 mg
sodium per hour in hyperthermic conditions, the average athlete
requires between 300-600 mg sodium with other electrolytes during a
hot or humid endurance exercise outing in order to avoid electolyte
depletion, which as you know contributes to malaise, muscle failure,
cramps, or premature fatigue. The sodium-intake range known to
support hyperthermic endurance exercise for most athletes is from as
low as 100 mg to as high as 1000 mg every hour. If you have
determined the exact number of Endurolytes to which your physiology
responds best, for example, at a rate of 3 per hour, then 300 mg
sodium is the optimal level garnered positively contributing toward
your performance results. It is not suggested that Endurolytes be
replaced by RDB. Excess sodium intake may or may not be a factor to
reduce performance, depending once again on individual physiology. If
one consumes 1 serving RDB per 24 fluid ounces energy fuel, then
cutting back 1 Endurolyte per hour is rational. This should always be
proven in training trials at aerobic race pace.

What happens if I take too much sodium? If sodium levels become
excessive during a hot endurance session, the body will give the
kidneys orders to filter it and/or perspire it at an increased rate.
Athletes want their body to hormonally direct the kidneys to
recirculate existing sodium. This implies that by keeping sodium
intake at the optimally lower levels, such as the dosage presented
in the Endurolyte formula, the body then recirculates diminishing
sodium levels and postpones fatigue significantly longer than
the "HYPERNATREMIC" [high sodium-consuming] athlete.

If RDB is used prior to or during an endurance workout, reducing
Endurolyte intake by 1-2 Endurolytes per hour may have merit.
Weighing before exercise and after is a means of confirming adequacy
of fluids to electrolytes if a 1-2% loss in bodyweight occurs in 2+
hours aerobic endurance exercise. Glycogen fuel expenses result in an
increase H2O release from this fuel in metabolic transition, which
accounts for the modest 1-2% weight loss. Losing more than 2% weight
loss indicates dehydration and the call for increasing modestly fluid
intake with electrolytes to reduce potential performance-inhibiting
or unhealthy dehydration outcome. In the final analysis, each
individual has to toy with these applications in training, then what
works in training may be refined in the crucible of racing all-out.