Salt-stained kits: some riders get them, some don\u2019t. So what gives?<\/p>\n
In episode 51 of the Ask a Cycling Coach<\/em><\/a>, a rider submitted a question to the podcast<\/a> asking if he could prevent salt buildup on his black kit. Compared to his buddies he rides with, he gets a lot of it and finds it to be a bit embarrassing.<\/p>\n Firstly \u2014 there\u2019s no reason to be embarrassed about salt stains!<\/em> It\u2019s a sign of your hard work. Be proud of that. Secondly, you\u2019ll soon learn the composition of your sweat is out of your control, which means any time spent worrying about your salty kit is, well, pointless.<\/p>\n To help explain why, our Head Coach Chad referenced Skratch Lab\u2019s Dr. Allen Lim 2015 Endurance Coaching Summit video<\/a> in the podcast. Here are the key points Lim shared in his presentation:<\/p>\n Sweat loss is a type of dehydration that happens when you exercise or experience a heat load. When you sweat, all that fluid comes from inside your bloodstream. Any electrolyte loss that occurs is a reflection of what\u2019s in your bloodstream. The electrolyte content of your bloodstream is almost entirely sodium-chloride \u2014 that\u2019s the fancy term for table salt. When we say \u201calmost entirely,\u201d we\u2019re talking roughly 90 percent of our electrolyte loss through sweat is table salt.<\/p>\n Not everyone loses the same amount of salt when they sweat! Sweat sodium is extremely variable when you compare person to person. Some athletes lose as little as 300-400 milligrams per liter of sweat, whereas other might lose as high as 2,000 milligrams per liter of sweat. The primary reason for this is genetics. Genetics, above all else, play the largest role in determining how salty your sweat is.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s nothing you can do about genetics, there are a handful of outside factors that can marginally affect how much salt you lose when you sweat.<\/p>\n Sweat rate \u2014<\/strong> I.e. how fast your body releases sweat from its glands. When you sweat less, you lose less salt. Sweat rates can get as high as 4 liters\/hour depending on your environment, the intensity of the exercise you\u2019re doing and your body\u2019s shape and size. If you\u2019re a tall and slim person, your body does not need to sweat as much to cool itself compared to someone with a shorter, stockier build. This could mean you find your kit\u00a0to be far less salty (if salty at all) than your riding partner\u2019s kit.<\/p>\n Adding to the list of things that affect sweat rate is your fitness. Different levels of fitness lead to quicker and more profuse levels of sweating. This reason for this is our bodies get better at thermoregulation as we become fitter. Some riders will notice at the start of their training after time of the bike it can take them most of their warm up to work up a sweat. Once they\u2019re reasonably race-fit, however, they\u2019ll start sweating in the opening five minutes or so of ride, despite how easy their workout may be.<\/p>\n Sodium intake \u2014<\/strong> This one\u2019s straightforward. The more sodium-rich foods and drinks you consume, the more sodium loss you\u2019ll experience.<\/p>\n Heat acclimatization \u2014<\/strong> When your body adjusts to the heat conditions, your sweat naturally becomes more dilute.<\/p>\n Gender \u2014<\/strong> Females tend to lose less sodium than males. This could be because men tend to have a higher sweat rate.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re curious to learn how much sodium your sweat contains, there are a couple tests you can take. The first is the patch test, also referred to as a sweat test. Most commonly used to test for cystic fibrosis, the sweat test uses a piece of gauze to grab a sample of a person\u2019s sweat. Once the sample is taken, it is weighed and measured for salt chemicals.<\/p>\n A more advanced method to analyze sweat for sodium is to use a Macroduct collection system. This is what Lim and his team at Skratch Labs use. This method produces more accurate results as it ensures there is no evaporative loss in the test process.<\/p>\n It turns out the those salty sweat stains on your kit\u00a0are not preventable. You\u2019re either a super salty sweater or you\u2019re not. You can thank genetics mostly for that. In either case, don\u2019t sweat it!<\/em> (Yup, that pun was intended.)<\/p>\n The cycling experts at TrainerRoad discussed why some riders experience salty bibs on last episode 51 of the Ask a Cycling Coach<\/em> podcast<\/a>. Listen below to hear exactly what they had to say.Why We Lose Salt When We Sweat<\/h2>\n
Everyone Loses Different Amounts of Salt When They Sweat<\/h2>\n
How to Determine How Salty of a Sweater You Are<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
Listen to Experts Discuss This Training Topic and More on the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast<\/h2>\n
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