When you are an aspiring bodybuilder or an athlete, you have to be very dedicated and careful as well. When you monitor your exercise routine as well as your diet pattern, you are bound to see results. Many of us ignore this aspect or do not seek information from reliable sources. Today, we are going to talk about salt and bodybuilding.
It is a religious practice by bodybuilders to cut down on their salt intake to avoid water retention and get lean. But, this is a myth and many professional bodybuilders and dieticians have negated it. Salt does not lead to extensive water retention if you increase your water intake. And your body will balance with your intake of salt and water in less than a week. Also, some experts suggest that when you are trying to build more muscles, some water retention is good.
When you are on a low salt diet
Here is what happens to your body when you are on a low salt diet:
When you are on a low sodium diet, it activates the aldosterone of the body. It is a hormone that plays a key role in regulating the blood pressure, potassium, and sodium levels in the body.
Also, aldosterone begins to retain sodium pass out potassium via urine. It requires more water for it and that’s why there is a lot of water loss.
Blood pressure is affected when the body fluids are depleted.
These conditions lead to triggering vasopressin, a hormone that tries to retain water when the body fluid levels are decreasing.
Benefits of Sodium in your Diet
Let’s know about how sodium in your diet can assist your bodybuilding journey:
Boosts blood volume you have a pre-workout supplement that contains salt, it gives your body the extra jump in blood volume that would improve your workout strength. Blood is made up of blood plasma and red blood cells. They assist in the movement of amino acids, hormones, glucose, and other nutrients in your body. When your blood volume increases, sodium helps in the fast delivery of these muscles.
A study that took place in New Zealand’s University of Otago revealed that runners who drank a beverage with high-sodium amount ran longer than those who consumed a low-sodium beverage. They also retained fluid that allowed for the lower temperature of the fitness body.
Triggers thirst
Salt stimulates thirst and this way, it forces you to drink more fluids. Fluids are important to enjoy plenty of exercise-related benefits. Your kidney maintains proper electrolyte levels when your body is hydrated. Also, it helps in boosting blood volume when you are exercising.
This ensures that you do not lose your strength or endurance. It prevents dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and muscle cramps.
Boosts Nutrient Distribution
With sodium, you can increase the nutrition delivery in the cells. Your body needs amino acids, electrolytes, fatty acids, glucose, and water to boost exercise performance. But they can only work if they enter the muscle cells. Sodium helps with nutrient delivery to assist them in passing through the cell walls.
The Acceptable Amount of Sodium
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy diet should have less than 2300 milligrams of sodium intake daily. Sometimes, one cannot exactly count how much salt your diet contains. See that you fulfill your salt requirement via canned beans and veggies, chips, soups, whole-grain crackers, and pretzels. Or else you will end underestimating your total.
The best way to ensure that you are getting enough sodium in your diet is by checking your pee color. If there is no color and it looks like you are peeing water, this means that there is a lot of water drinking and you need more sodium. It could also point towards hyponatremia. It occurs when you have too low levels of sodium in your body due to not drinking enough fluids or a pre-existing medical condition. Symptoms of hyponatremia are fatigue, headaches, and nausea. Severe cases lead to coma and seizures.
If you pee a dark shade, like apple cider, this means that you should start drinking more fluids as you are dehydrated. Aim for a pale or lemonade shade of yellow, which indicates you are well-hydrated and get enough amount of sodium in your diet.
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