[JoeOxfordCT]

Good Morning,

I am one of those guys who cramps alot and is always fumbling for salt tablets while on the bike. In the winter with full gloves I typically have to come to a full stop to get the container out to get to the tablets.

I stumbled across Saltstick and thought they had a really good idea with their dispenser as it applies to getting tablets into your mouth on the fly. However, Amazon has some decidedly mixed reviews of the dispenser.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with the Saltstick tablet dispenser or any other ideas on how to take pills of any kinds while on the bike ?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[siclmn]

If you have enough salt in your body before the ride you are not going to deplete your body of salt during the ride. It's not like water. I have never heard of this. Who told you to do this? People blame cramps on anything, I knew a guy who said that eating eggs before a ride caused his cramps, that is what he believed so it was fact for him.

 

[nOOky]

Gel flask full of pickle juice. Drink when needed. Or add a touch of salt to your water bottle or Gatorade whatever.

 

[looigi]

Check this page for some good info: Learn the connection between diet and muscle cramping

I don't take extra salt per se, but mix up my own sports drinks and add salt and potassium (salt substitute) if needed to get them roughly to the same as in typical sports drinks. It's not a lot.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Break them apart and put them in your water bottles, or use a drink mix that includes electrolytes, like Brawndo.

I use Skratch drink mix, and so far it works for me.

 

[uncrx2003]

When you say salt tablets, are you saying sodium or potassium? I would not take sodium tablets on a ride. That would make you even more dehydrated. I think potassium is probably more useful.

 

[Crab Balls]

For $5 at Tractor Supply you can strap one of these 50# blocks to your handlebars and keep on licking while your kicking away at the hills.

Seriously though, you might want to salt up prior to riding. I can't see having to satisfy the urge while riding.

 

[jjcools]

Taking salt tablets on the fly. Saltstick Dispenser ? Good Idea, Poor Executio

I second using a drink to substitute. I do know some riders that use tablets and sport legs but I don't really know that they help more that taking in the right foods and fluids.

 

[Kerry Irons]

If you have enough salt in your body before the ride you are not going to deplete your body of salt during the ride. It's not like water. I have never heard of this.

Just because you have never heard of it does not call it into question. There is a lot of research on the relationship between electrolytes and cramping. You belief that you cannot deplete your electrolytes is not grounded in reality. Long rides, high humidity, high temperature, high sweat volumes, and high salt content in the sweat can easily and significantly deplete stores of electrolytes.

 

[bigbill]

When I lived and trained in Hawaii, one of my water bottles always had some kind of electrolyte drink whether it was Amino Vital or something like NUUN. With the high humidity and warm temps, if all I drank was water, I'd be a ball of twitchy muscle after a few hours.

 

[nhluhr]

Just because you have never heard of it does not call it into question. There is a lot of research on the relationship between electrolytes and cramping. You belief that you cannot deplete your electrolytes is not grounded in reality. Long rides, high humidity, high temperature, high sweat volumes, and high salt content in the sweat can easily and significantly deplete stores of electrolytes.

What is that buffered sodium pill going to do to help you with phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, potassium, etc?

At least the Saltstick capsules seem to have a more broad spectrum mixture of electrolytes in them.

 

[UtahCyclist]

Gel flask full of pickle juice. Drink when needed. Or add a touch of salt to your water bottle or Gatorade whatever.

I agree with the pickle juice. This has helped save me on multiple occasions. I also tend to put electrolytes in every water bottle I have. I have some of the clear, non taste stuff that I put in my water and one bottle of Gatorade.

In my opinion it's better to stop cramping before it starts, as opposed to trying to stop it after it happens.