On the sodium/salt question -
I’m planning for a 7-8 hr ride, I’m playing with the Saturday app. I’ve indicated above average sweat rate the app comes back with 20g salt required in addition to the fuelling drink powders and gels. Seems like a lot - in electrolyte/salt pill form that’s munching through around 20 during the ride.
Yeah, that’s a lot. Have you been using that same hourly dosage on any shorter rides?
Ive always been a heavy sweater (Florida) and started consistently adding sodium and at a higher 750mg (picked randomly at first) and it was amazing how I felt after rides, and it cut my water consumption in half (maybe too much, because I only needed about 20oz/hr, but it was winter). Then I did my first longer (6.5hr) ride with the new intake last month, but backed off to about 500mg/hr (but was paying close attention to how I felt and carried extra). I survived, and drank a more appropriate amount of water, and didn’t want sodium in a couple sag stop bottles. And my legs were still holding a lot of water the next couple days. I guess I’m saying, be willing to adjust on the fly, based on how how feel, and if that prescribed amount is significantly more than you usually take in (and isn’t based on testing), you may want to ramp up your intake. I knew I could survive on much less, because I had done it a number of times, but it wouldn’t feel good.