Salt (I)

Table Salt – a mix of sodium and chloride ions.
And to think that a highly reactive metal and a very deadly gas combine to form harmless white crystals that we sprinkle on food. Actually, it is better than just crystals. Table salt is the only rock directly consumed by man. That’s right. Those tiny crystals we put on everything – rocks.

Salt composes about 3.5% of the salt water found in our oceans. Albeit a small percentage, drinking ocean water directly would be fatal. That is because no matter how much of the salt water you intake; there will never be enough water in the body to flush out the excess sodium. Eventually, the kidneys cannot filter properly and shortly thereafter you fall into renal failure, the central nervous system overloads, and your circulatory system goes into overdrive. Oh…and then you die. Interestingly enough, drinking sea water isn’t necessarily unhealthy. If you were actually stuck on a deserted island with limited freshwater supply, you can add 1 part sea water for every 3 parts of fresh water. Not only would you be extending the limited water supply, you would be making better use of it.

If you go way back to the times before sports drinks were aware of the effects of electrolytes, many athletes that suffered cramps or fatigue took salt tablets instead of drowning their kidneys with excess water. This was not only to retain the water in his system, but to increase his electrolytes – the electricity that fuels the nervous system. This method of treatment has long been executed as some athletes continued to intake more tablets, eventually leading to the opposite intended effect – dehydration (or more accurately hypernatremia) from too much salt.

Going back to the deserted island scenario, combining the 1:3 saltwater to freshwater ratio not only extends the supply of available water, but it forces your kidneys to retain water that could be lost to sweat. In effect, we would be making our own sports drink – and the central nervous system wouldn’t mind the small addition of salt.

To better grasp this concept, the nerves in our body are similar to little electric impulses. These pulses of electricity are carried by sodium and potassium ions. Both ions are needed to carry out an impulse. This is why some say that eating bananas before rigorous training helps prevent the likelihood of cramps.