Depending on what article you read from who ever, the dailey limit is recommended to be around 2300 to 2500 max a day. This is for a healthy male who doesn't excercise a whole lot. How does the max apply to a hard training male, weights and cardio 3 times each a week. I've been keeping sodium intake between 2500 to 3000. On cardio days sometimes I go a little over. I would think that the max is a bit higher. Really hard to keep sodium intake low. Used to love stopping at Dunken Donuts on Friday mornings and getting a sausage egg & cheeze on a crossant. Totally delicious but even more totally bad for your health. Now that I'm back big time into getting healthy I took a good hard look at my eating habits. I was turning into doctor evils henchman fat bastard or as we say here in RI fat basted. I made an excel spread sheet and have been keeping track of everything I eat since the 2nd week of September of this year. Tracking calories, calories from fat, carbs, protein, cholesterol, sodium, fats ( trans, poly mono and total ). May seem like a lot to keep track of but 75% of what I eat is the same dailey so I only change what I had for lunch and dinner. Plus the excel sheet is set to add and subtract automatically the entries I make. It's kind of fun to track it all.

 

Vinny in little Rhode Island

Depending on what article you read from who ever, the dailey limit is recommended to be around 2300 to 2500 max a day. This is for a healthy male who doesn't excercise a whole lot. How does the max apply to a hard training male, weights and cardio 3 times each a week. I've been keeping sodium intake between 2500 to 3000. On cardio days sometimes I go a little over. I would think that the max is a bit higher. Really hard to keep sodium intake low. Used to love stopping at Dunken Donuts on Friday mornings and getting a sausage egg & cheeze on a crossant. Totally delicious but even more totally bad for your health. Now that I'm back big time into getting healthy I took a good hard look at my eating habits. I was turning into doctor evils henchman fat bastard or as we say here in RI fat basted. I made an excel spread sheet and have been keeping track of everything I eat since the 2nd week of September of this year. Tracking calories, calories from fat, carbs, protein, cholesterol, sodium, fats ( trans, poly mono and total ). May seem like a lot to keep track of but 75% of what I eat is the same dailey so I only change what I had for lunch and dinner. Plus the excel sheet is set to add and subtract automatically the entries I make. It's kind of fun to track it all.

 

Vinny in little Rhode Island

I actually made a video about salt a couple of months ago which will give you a bit more insight! And I think it's awesome that you are tracking everything so diligently.. it's better to know what you're getting each day rather than guess. Actually putting in the effort like you are to track everything means you know when you need to make changes and you know what is working.. no guesswork needed!

 

The sodium guidelines are as you stated for sedentary people - max should be 2300mg. Potassium levels need to be at 3500mg. What is more critical is your sodium to potassium ratio versus your sodium intake per se. Potassium pulls water out of cells and sodium draws it in which is how it affects blood pressure. Both balance each other out when in the proper ratios. Sodium is critical for proper nerve function and you can actually die if your sodium levels drop too low. When you exercise and sweat, especially if you sweat a lot and don't drink sports drinks, you can afford to have your sodium intake a bit higher. Your body will tell you as you will have a craving for salt.

 

The key thing is to avoid ADDED salt - which all processed foods and junk food have. If you eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, you will be getting plenty of sodium and, more importantly, plenty of potassium. Salt is so highly demonized because the standard American diet is loaded with added salt and devoid of adequate levels of potassium. Also if you use salt in your house, buy sea salt. Morton's and other iodized salt is so heavily processed and is not true salt in regards to how your body sees and processes it.

 

John

When I put my mind to something it's done right!!! Good enough doesn't work for me. I research and research some more. Sometimes over doing the research. Just watched the video. Wow on some of the sodium intake of cultures around the world. I'd say The amount I'm taking with the workout load I'm performing is more than fine. Maybe even a little low. I sweat a lot even on weight days. Always wondered that most of the people of the orient were thin and that Chinese and Japanese food contained tons of sodium. All the more reason one needs to be informed for themselves than trust what some so called professionals preach. Incredible how so many people are miss informed and just take what one person says as gospell.

 

Vinny in little Rhode Island

Potassium isn't something that was even on my mind because I'm so concerned about sodium. Will have to take a look at it.

 

Vinny in little Rhode Island