Essentials of Nutrition for Sports

Product

Serving

Sodium

Carb

Fat

Protein

Calories

mg

gm

gm

gm

Salt, table

1 tsp.

2,200

0

0

0

0

Soy sauce

1 tbs.

1,300

0

0

0

0

Soup, instant

2 oz. dry

1,300

44

2

7

220

Chex Mix

1.75 oz

610

35

6

4

210

Pizza

3 oz slice

500

20

6

6

160

Pretzels

10

500

22

3

1

120

Pasta sauce

4 oz.

450

7

4

2

72

MetRx

8 oz

195

12

1

18

130

Spizerinctum

8 oz.

133

44

2

8

233

Fig bars, no fat

2

115

23

0

1

100

Gatorade

8 oz.

110

14

0

0

56

PowerBar

2.25 oz.

90

45

2

10

225

Exceed

8 oz.

50

17

0

0

70

Apple juice

8 oz.

15

29

0

0

116

Bananas

1 med.

0

30

0

1

125

Table 32. Sodium and energy (caloric) content of selected foods.

(^) Many foods are available with high- and low-salt choices. In
general, for good health, choose low-salt. To replace sodium lost in sweat, choose high-salt.
Product
Serving
Sodium milligrams
Salt milligrams
Tomato juice, salt added
1 cup
880
2,200
Tomato juice, no salt added
1 cup
20
60
Potato chips, salted
8 ounces (1 bag)
1,300
3,300
Potato chips, unsalted
8 ounces (1 bag)
20
50
Table 33. High vs. low salt. Similar products, dissimilar sodium content.

Salt

1 teaspoon contains 2,200 millig

rams of sodium and 3,300

milligrams of chloride. Supplements

The general population does not need supplements. Those with

medical problems occasionally need to have electrolyte correction through intravenous solutions or to have their medications adjusted. Otherwise, if sodium or chloride le

vels are low, simply adding salt to

food is simple and inexpensive.

Aerobic endurance athletes may occasionally profit from the use

of sodium supplements, although, again, table salt is always the least expensive alternative, and when added to foods, stimulates thirst more appropriately than tablets or capsules.

Table 34

lists selected sodium supplements, as well as the number

of servings (capsules or tablets) required to replace the 1,000 milligrams of sodium typically lost in one quart (liter) of sweat.

Several hours of exercise in the heat can result in more than 5

quarts (liters) of sweat; all-day exercise more than 10 quarts.

It takes roughly 250 Endurolytes capsules to replace the sodium

lost in 10 quarts of sweat; it ta

kes about 1½ tablespoons of salt.

Product

Manufacturer

Sodium Per Serving, milligrams

Servings Per Quart Sweat

Endurolytes

Hammer Nutrition

40 per capsule

25

Lava Salts

Lava Sports

110 per tablet

9

Succeed! Capsules

Succeed

341 per capsule

3

Thermolytes

SportQuest

150 per capsule

7

Thermotabs

Numark

180 per tablet

6

Table salt

2,200 per teaspoon

½

Table 34. Selected sodium supplements marketed to athletes.

Nutrition for Sports, Essentials of 163