Electrolyte supplements don’t prevent illness in athletes

See us on twitter See us on youtube See us on linkedin See us on instagram - Researchers found that supplements did not appear to protect endurance athletes from illness caused by electrolyte imbalances. They also found that hot temperatures are a risk factor. Electrolyte supplements popular with endurance runners can't be relied on to keep essential sodium levels in balance, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and their collaborators. Rather, longer training distances, lower body mass and avoidance of overhydration were shown to be more important factors in preventing illness caused by electrolyte imbalances, the researchers found. Their study also showed that hot weather increased the rates of these types of illnesses. "Electrolyte supplements are promoted as preventing nausea and cramping caused by low salt levels, but this is a false paradigm," said Grant Lipman , MD, professor of emergency medicine at Stanford and director of Stanford Wilderness Medicine. "They've never been shown to prevent illness or even improve performance - and if diluted with too much water can be dangerous." Lipman is the lead author of the study, which was published online Feb.