EXCESS SODIUM NONSENSE
MEGA-SODIUM ELECTROLYTE PRODUCTS. NOT JUST UNNECESSARY, THEY’RE DANGEROUS!
BY HAMMER STAFF
“Sodium” and “salt” are oftentimes used interchangeably, but that’s not correct. Salt is 60% chloride and 40% sodium, and salt—from packaged or restaurant foods—is where the average American gets a whopping 70% - 75% of their daily intake of sodium. Only about 12% of the sodium in people’s diets is found naturally from whole food sources, with another 10% of so coming from cooking or via the saltshaker.
We bring this up because the average American (as of 2025) consumes approximately 3,400mg – 3,700mg of sodium every single day. That may not sound like too much, but that equates to 8,000mg to 9,250mg of salt… 8 to 9.25 GRAMS of salt! And believe it or not, that average intake includes children as young as 2 years of age. That’s right! Two. Years. Old. Our salt habit is obscenely high and it’s causing us to consume far too much sodium.
In 2010, excess sodium consumption was linked to approximately 100,000 deaths annually in the United States, mainly due to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. [1] Now, given that this data is 16 years old, how much higher that number of deaths must be.
As you can see, excess sodium consumption is a serious issue, with 90% (or slightly higher) of Americans consuming more than the recommended daily amount of 2,300mg of sodium per day (5,750mg of salt). Remember, however, that this “2,300mg of sodium per day” amount is the maximum recommended upper limit (Maximum! Upper! Limit!) for adults set by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. [2]
And though the American Heart Association (AHA) still recognizes the 2,300mg upper limit amount, back in 2011 they recommended a much lower amount of 1,500mg per day (3,750mg of salt). The AHA still recommends that amount, their rationale being because “since ~90% of adults develop hypertension, a 1,500mg limit is necessary for almost everyone, not just high-risk individuals.” [3]
Need more? Check out the articles Please Pass on the Salt and The quiet pandemic caused by consuming too much salt
Unfortunately, while excess salt/sodium intake is already a major problem, it’s gotten worse, thanks to many produced-for-sports electrolyte products that contain extremely high amounts of sodium—1,000mg to 1,500mg per serving— formulated under the belief that an athlete will deplete an average of up to 1,500mg of sodium per hour, or more, and thus needs to replenish that same amount. This, of course, isn’t true, as we discuss in our articles at:
Lower Sodium Intake for Better Athletic Performance & Health
What Are Your Thoughts on Sweat Tests?
In all four of these articles, and especially the latter two, we address the issues involved with the intake of excess sodium—both in diet and in exercise replenishment—and how they are detrimental to athletic performance. In a nutshell, excess sodium intake causes:
- Higher-than-normal sodium depletion, as the hormonal mechanisms involving sodium recirculation and conservation are essentially shut down
- Increased fluid loss, as the kidneys increase urination to remove excess sodium
- Extremely unpleasant and performance-inhibiting fluid retention/edema-like symptoms
Over several decades and in our studies (detailed in The Sodium War is Over!), we have found that that athletes who reduced their daily dietary salt/sodium intake, and also used one of the Endurolytes products—which contain a much more complete (i.e., full-spectrum) electrolytic mineral profile, as well as a far lower amount of sodium (nowhere 1,000mg – 1,500mg) during exercise—experienced a 40% reduction of sodium concentration in their sweat AND an average decrease in fluid loss of 30%. Bottom line is that this practice of decreased salt/sodium intake reduces the negative exercise and health issues associated with excessive sodium. As we are fond to say, Less is Best!
What is quite disturbing is that these “too high in sodium products for athletes” are now being peddled to non-athletes and occasional exercisers. For this group of people to use these ridiculously high sodium products on a regular basis—promoted by the absurd “they’ll keep you hydrated better” mantra—is downright dangerous! Look, you’re already consuming too much sodium in your diet to begin with and it’s unquestionably hazardous to your health. But now you’re to increase it by 1,000 to 1,500 per day or more when you’re out working in the yard or in the house, or casually exercising? That’s crazy! Yet, on an ever-increasing basis, we are seeing how ubiquitous these products have become; you can find them in hardware stores, garden centers, big box stores, and even supermarkets.
The truth is that salt/sodium alone does not hydrate you; water does. And while moderate sodium intake is suggested to aid hydration, by drawing water into the cells instead of urinating it out, the primary effect isn’t so much improved hydration but increased fluid retention. And remember the issues mentioned earlier involved with excess sodium intake.
And in the case of the athlete—but even more so the non-athlete, outdoor working, and occasional exerciser—the combination of high dietary sodium AND excess sodium from an electrolyte product, is going to create more problems than it will ever resolve. You’ll jettison excess sodium from your body, you’ll increase fluid loss, and you’ll end up with high amounts of unwanted and unpleasant water retention throughout much of your body. Not only is your body NOT going to be performing better, but you’ll also be greatly increasing your risk of the serious issues involved in excess sodium intake.
Dr. Peter Bastian states:
During exercise or sweating, not only water but also electrolytes like sodium are lost. Adding a small amount of salt to your drinking water helps replenish these lost electrolytes, promoting better water absorption and preventing dehydration. If you are dehydrated and need an extra boost, it should be just a pinch, not enough to taste. Considering the standard recommendation of no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, it's essential to be mindful of one's overall sodium intake to avoid adverse health effects.
Consuming too much sodium and salt can lead to negative health consequences, including high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. It's crucial to recognize that not everyone needs to add salt to their water. Most individuals can obtain sufficient sodium through their diet, and maintaining a balanced diet and drinking plain water should provide enough electrolytes for proper hydration. [4]
Jennifer Bruning, MS, RDN, LDN adds:
Your body needs to maintain and keep fluids and electrolytes balanced, but consuming too much sodium can cause health issues. [5] Most Americans get plenty of sodium in their diets, often more than is needed, so adding more salt to drinking water is likely to boost that amount even higher throughout the course of a day.
If you take in excess sodium, your body will hold onto water in order to try to reach that balance again. Retaining too much fluid can increase your blood volume, making it harder for your heart and blood vessels to work. Eventually, this can cause high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks.
Lastly, Michael F. Jacobson is the Cofounder of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and the intro to his book Salt Wars—The Battle Over the Biggest Killer in the American Diet provides the most “no pulling punches” statement about excess salt/sodium:
A high-sodium diet is deadly; studies have linked it to high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. It's been estimated that excess sodium in the American diet causes as many as 100,000 deaths and many billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs each year. And yet salt is everywhere in our diets—in packaged foods, fast foods, and especially meals at table-service restaurants. Why hasn't salt received the sort of public attention and regulatory action that sugar and fat have? [6]
THE ANSWER
First, keep in mind that our bodies store sodium extremely well. The average adult body stores a total of approximately 92 grams (92,000mg) of sodium. About half of that (46 grams) is readily available in extracellular fluid, 11 grams is found in intracellular fluid, and 35 grams is in the skeleton. Needless to say, you’ll start your workout, race, or indoor/outdoor activity with a plentiful supply of sodium ready to use.
Athlete or not, to feel your best, improve your exercise/activity performance, and to enjoy improved health, we highly recommend you adopt the American Heart Association’s recommendation and lower your dietary sodium intake as close as possible to 1,500mg a day (3,750mg of salt). You’ll want to increase your intake of whole food sources, especially vegetables—trust us, you’ll still get your sodium needs met—greatly limit-to-eliminate your intake of processed foods, and be cognizant of the higher amount of sodium when going out to eat.
Just as importantly, when an electrolyte product is needed, instead of inundating your body with harmful excess sodium—as is found in a number of mega-sodium electrolyte powders—use one of the Endurolytes Products, all of which contain a modest amount of salt (sodium chloride) in tandem with a balanced blend of all the necessary electrolytic minerals.
REFERENCES:
[1] https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa0907355
[2] https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
[3] https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/cir.0b013e31820d0793
[4] https://news.llu.edu/health-wellness/why-are-people-adding-salt-their-water-hydration
[5] https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/salt-and-sodium/
[6] https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262542821/salt-wars/
