The Guide to Salt Tablets for Runners

Most runners know they need electrolytes as part of their hydration plan. However, not all runners like the typical sports drinks to get their electrolytes. Salt tablets for runners are an alternative to sports drinks. Salt tablets may also be helpful for runners who cramp, even though sodium levels are not the sole cause of muscle cramping. This article delves into how and when to use salt tablets for running. 

Do I Need to Take Salt Tablets?

What are salt tablets? As the name implies, salt tablets are capsules or chews that contain a concentrated dosage of sodium. Salt pills for running are meant to replace sodium lost in sweat.

Serum sodium loss rates vary significantly amongst runners, with heavy salt sweaters losing ~1600 mg per liter of sweat. For those runners, traditional sports drinks may not provide enough sodium to replace their losses. Salt tabs for runners can provide additional sodium with the sports drink. If you are a salty sweater, start small when introducing sodium supplements in addition to a sports drink. (There are some sports drink with higher sodium levels. Before supplementing with salt tablets, always check the sodium levels in your sports drink.)

Some runners prefer the taste of plain water to sports drinks. However, plain water does not provide electrolytes. In order to get electrolytes, these runners need to rely on other sports nutrition products. Electrolyte capsules provide the sodium and other electrolytes you would normally get in a sports drink. (Read more here on why you want electrolytes as part of your hydration plan.) 

If you are not an excessively salty sweater, do not experience cramping (see below), and use a sports drink that works well for you, you likely do not need salt tablets. However, if you are doing an ultra-marathon or multi-stage race, it may be useful to bring salt tablets in case you run out of sports drinks. 

Not all runners will respond positively to salt tablets. For some runners, salt tablets may alter blood pressure and make them feel “off.” Others may notice that they feel overly thirsty from salt tablets. (This is a logical consequence, as sodium stimulates the thirst mechanism). 

Related: How Much Water Should You Drink While Running?

Will Salt Tablets Stop Muscle Cramps?

Cramping is multifactorial and difficult to measure in scientific studies. When you conduct a scientific study, you need to control as much as you can to understand the relationship between the intervention (salt tablet) and outcome (cramping). While that seems simple, many confounding variables can occur. Serum sodium loss rates will vary tremendously based on individual sweat rates and ambient temperature. Cramping may be caused by multiple mechanisms, with sodium as one of many tipping points. Some runners are more prone to cramping. All in all, cramping is difficult to study.

We do know that cramping is not exclusively caused by serum sodium levels. A 2019 review in Sports Medicine defined exercise-induced muscle cramping as a multifactorial phenomenon. The causes may involve altered neuromuscular activity along the spinal reflexes, hydration/sodium balance, and others. 

However, so many runners report that the usage of salt tablets reduces cramping during long-distance races (often ultra-marathons or Ironmans). For those athletes, low serum sodium may be the tipping point that allows the perfect storm of neuromuscular excitability and dehydration to cause muscle cramps. 

With any supplement, you want to weigh the risk and rewards. Salt tablets are not guaranteed to stop muscle cramps. However, they are also a relatively low-risk supplement (assuming you purchase them from a reputable brand and follow usage instructions). If you chronically suffer from muscle cramps, it may be worth trying salt tablets.

Related: How to prevent and treat muscle cramps

Benefits of Salt Tablets for Runners

Salt tab for runners are not necessary – but they can be beneficial. There are other ways to get enough sodium during your runs, such as sports drinks. However, for runners who need more sodium or do not like sports drinks, salt tablets can be a nutritional game-changer.

Salt Tablets Allow Scalable, Customizable Sodium Intake

As mentioned throughout this article, sodium needs will change throughout the year. You will likely need more sodium on summer runs than in winter. Salt tablets allow you to adjust your salt intake easily without changing the sports nutrition products you use.

Additionally, salt tablets allow you to customize your salt intake during runs carefully. Sports drinks cannot always be scaled to tailor individual needs. With salt tablets, you can adjust your intake to meet your exact needs, whether that’s 300 mg or 1000 mg per hour.

Salt Tablets are Easy to Carry

Salt tablets can be very beneficial due to their portability. They are small and lightweight, which makes them easy to carry during runs.

For example, if you are doing a race and you do not like the sports drink provided by the race, you will need to bring your own electrolytes. You could carry a handheld bottle or wear a hydration vest with your preferred sports drink. However, some runners do not like carrying stuff while racing. Salt tablets make it easy to get electrolytes during your race (with just taking water on course), without requiring a handheld or vest.

How to Use Salt Tablets for Running

Consider Your Total Sodium Intake

If you are using gels or other sport nutrition products, it is likely that salt pills are not your sole source of sodium. Most gels contain sodium; however, the exact amount of sodium in running gels varies widely. (Here’s a breakdown of the sodium in popular running gels.)

When planning on many salt tablets to take, check every sport nutrition product you are taking. For example, Maurten gels contain only 20 mg of sodium each, so you may need to take two to three Salt Stick capsules (190 mg each) per hour. In comparison, Huma Electrolyte gels have 240 mg of sodium, so you may only need one pill per hour (or none, depending on your sweat rate).

Dose Salt Tablets for Your Individual Needs

Your usage of salt tablets will likely vary based on weather, intensity, and the duration of your run. Start by aiming for a sodium intake within a normal range (350-700 mg per hour). From there, adjust your sodium intake based on how you feel. If you feel thirst despite taking water, increase intake; if you feel cotton-mouthed, decrease sodium intake.

Stay Hydrated While Taking Salt Tablets

Salt tablets are meant to be taken with water. You can still experience fluid imbalance with salt tablets if you under-hydrate for your needs. Similar to your sodium needs, fluid needs will increase in hot weather and during longer or high-intensity workouts. Most runners need 10-24 oz of fluid per hour during runs. However, some runners have higher sweat loss rates and, therefore, higher fluid needs. You can use a sweat test to determine your fluid needs. (However, only special sensors can determine both sweat loss and sodium loss rates.)

The Best Salt Tablets for Runners

As with any supplement, salt tablets should be purchased from reputable manufacturers to ensure quality and purity. The salt tablets for runners that I recommend as a sports nutritionist are:

• Salt Stick Fast Chews (50 mg sodium per tablet)
• Salt Stick Capsules (190 mg per capsule)
• GU Roctane Electrolyte Capsules (140 mg per capsule)
• Precision Hydration Electrolyte/Salt Capsules (250 mg per capsule)

Alternatives to Salt Tablets

Salt tablets are not the only means of sodium replacement on runs. The choice of salt tablets, sports drinks, or high-sodium gels comes down to personal preference and individual sodium needs. Theoretically, you could use salt packets (250-300 mg per serving), but swallowing a large bolus of salt during a run isn’t exactly appetizing.

Salt Tablets vs Sports Drinks

Sports drinks can also provide sodium. The sodium amounts in sports drinks do vary. Sports drinks such as Skratch Hydration, Gatorade Endurance, Nuun Endurance, and GU Roctane all provide sodium to meet runners’ needs, and can all be used as alternatives to salt tablets.

If you are comparing salt tablets vs Gatorade Thirst Quencher (the type you get at the drugstore), salt tablets may support the sodium needs of runners better. If you compare salt tablets vs LMNT, salt tablets may be preferable for many runners, since LMNT has a very high sodium content.

Salt Tablets vs Running Gels

Another alternative to salt tablets is high-sodium running gels. Not all gels have enough sodium. However, some gels such as Huma Plus and Neversecond do contain higher amounts of sodium. If you take two to three of these gels per hour, you can reach your hourly sodium goal.

Related: The Best Running Gels for Sensitive Stomachs

Precautions and Potential Side Effects

When taking salt tablets, avoid excessive intake. Follow the instructions and do not take them more often than recommended. (An exception is if a registered dietitian individually recommends otherwise.) You may need to experiment to see how often you need salt tablets within the recommended range.

One concern with sodium supplementation is hypernatremia (high serum sodium levels). A 2021 observational study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine demonstrated no direct causation of sodium supplementation to hypernatremia. Instead, dehydration and hot weather are triggers for high sodium levels. A 2018 study in BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine found that 7% of runners finishing a half marathon in warm, humid conditions had high sodium levels – all due to low fluid intake during the race.

Signs of hypernatremia include:

• extreme thirst
• restlessness
• muscle weakness
• fatigue
• confusion
• seizures
• irritability

Salt Tablets for Runners, Recapped

In conclusion, salt tablets can significantly benefit runners who struggle in races due to sodium loss. Salt pills for running allow you to customize your sodium intake for your individual needs. You can easily carry salt pills during races or long runs.

Want more science-backed advice, on everything from sodium to muscle cramps and more? Listen to the Tread Lightly Podcast! With weekly releases, the podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Google Play.

Disclaimer: I have an MS in Applied Exercise Science with a Sports Nutrition concentration and am an ISSN-certified sports nutritionist. However, the above is not medical advice. If you have special concerns such as hypertension or certain medications that alter sodium levels, consult a registered dietitian or a medical professional.