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releases 27/05/2005 Are you a salty sweater?
Which of the world’s great footballers sweat the hardest for their teams? Most pundits would have a view. But, having explored the perspiration tendencies of big names like Zidane, Figo, Keane and Giggs, Professor Ron Maughan has a more accurate idea than most. The discretion that goes with being a sports scientist at Loughborough University means, however, that he would never tell you. Quite apart from the potential to embarrass the stars, Professor Maughan points out that what he calls a “salty sweater” can be less skilful in the later stages of a match and more vulnerable to cramp and injury – factors that could affect his value. It is, you see, not just a question of how much you sweat but how much vital sodium you lose along the way. It is his research in this area that is calling into question the blanket advice the UK government is giving to the rest of us to cut our salt consumption. “The Food Standards Agency says that the loss of salt in sweat is small and that we don’t need to increase our intake when we sweat more heavily,” says Professor Maughan. “That is demonstrably false.” “While my research concentrates on high performance athletes, it could well have relevance for anyone who exercises hard or sweats heavily during the course of their work or on holiday in a hot climate. We estimate that one in six people are salty sweaters – in other words they sweat profusely and lose a lot of sodium when they do so.” He added: “It is absolutely clear from our research that salt loss through sweating is a highly individual issue and that blanket advice is not appropriate and could indeed be harmful to some people.” Professor Maughan and colleagues at Loughborough have worked with a number of top football teams including Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Glasgow Rangers and Ajax. Typically, they show that an individual can lose ten grammes of salt in one 90-minute training session. With players often undergoing two such sessions in a day, losses could top 20 grammes. This comes at a time when the Food Standards Agency is saying our daily intake should not exceed six grammes. Other players training in the same conditions, however, lose no more than one to two grammes, so it is equally clear that not everyone who is active needs to increase their salt intake. Last year’s Olympic Games in Greece were perhaps the ultimate test for endurance athletes in terms of excessive sweating; replacing this with plain water can lead to hyponatraemia - a low concentration of sodium in the blood. The early warning signs are similar to dehydration – nausea, muscle cramps, disorientation, slurred speech and confusion – and drinking water alone actually increases the problem. At its most extreme, hyponatraemia can lead to seizures, coma and even death. The British Olympic Association was able to persuade a leading sports drink manufacturers to offer the British team a drink with double the usual sodium content. It was, says Professor Maughan, well received by the athletes. The website www.sportsmedicine.com says that the best way to avoid hyponatraemia is to plan ahead. Its tips include using a sports drink containing sodium during high intensity events, eating salty foods before and during competition and increasing salt intake several days prior to competition. ends
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