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[RC] elytes again - Linda DeweesI've been very interested in the elyte topic. All I can say is I admire all you endurance riders for learning and listening to your horses.I haven't even gotten as far as the starting line of an endurance ride(did an LD once,) but I'm an ultra-runner. Even though I can FEEL the inside of my own body I'm still pretty clueless when it comes to electrolytes! I know humans and horses are different, but here are some random observations that have no point what-so-ever. --I have been advised to use elytes on hot ultras, so I take one Succeed Capsule every hour or so (each contains 341mg sodium, 21 mg Potassium) I know I've felt fatigue from low elytes, but it's hard to differentiate from just plain fatigue. :-) But I think they have helped me. I run in the hot, dry west. I don't usually take any on cooler runs. --I also eat salty foods and Gatorade at aid stations, but that doesn't add up to that much sodium. (one pretzel stick has 11 mg sodium. Gatorade has some sodium, I think about 100 mg/cup, but mostly I drink it for the carbs) --I don't think I've mastered staying fully hydrated yet, but I'm close. I don't pee very often after the first 5-10 miles. It feels like I sweat out what I drink in. --My husband rock climbs and he tries to be as light as possible on a climbing day. So the day before he eats very little salt. If he eats salty pizza or spaghetti the night before, he says he'll weigh 3 lbs more the next day from retained water. I like those foods the night before an ultra so I'm full of water to start the run with. --I've heard of runners who actually gain weight by the end of an ultra, and apparently this is bad. They are holding too much water for some reason (too much salt??? Or kidneys not working??) and they aren't peeing. They're supposed to take a diuretic right away to get their kidneys going. Beer is a diuretic I've seen given! I think I don't pee enough because of mild dehydration. Never weighed myself right after a race, but I'm going to try my first 100 this year and you have to be weighed before and during the race to see how you're doing. If you've lost too much weight you're advised not to continue till you've rehydrated. --Then there's hyponatremia which happens when runners consciously try to drink a lot of water, but don't take in enough salt, then get severely out of balance. It can be life threatening. See, I think it's hard figuring out my own body. You guys really have your radar up to figure out your horses. It's not easy! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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