Low-Salt diets and athletes
🧂🏃♂️ While most athletes don’t intentionally follow low-salt diets, some do so indirectly due to general health messaging, dietary trends, or medical advice. Here’s how it breaks down:
🧘♀️ Athletes Most Likely to Follow Low-Salt Diets
| Athlete Type | Why They Might Limit Salt | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, triathletes) | Misguided health advice or fear of hypertension | Weeks to months, often seasonal |
| Weight-class athletes (boxers, wrestlers) | Temporary sodium restriction to drop water weight | Days to 1–2 weeks pre-competition |
| Aesthetic athletes (gymnasts, dancers, bodybuilders) | Belief that salt causes bloating or water retention | Cyclical, often pre-performance |
| Athletes with hypertension risk | Following medical advice to reduce sodium | Long-term, varies by individual |
| Plant-based or clean-eating athletes | Unintentionally low sodium due to whole-food focus | Ongoing unless corrected |
🧂 Why This Can Be Risky
- Sweat losses during training can exceed 1–2 grams of sodium per hour2
- Low sodium intake can lead to hyponatremia, fatigue, muscle cramps, and poor recovery4
- Many athletes unknowingly follow low-salt diets by avoiding processed foods without replacing sodium through whole-food sources or electrolyte strategies3
🧪 Duration Matters
- Short-term restriction (e.g. for weigh-ins) may be strategic but risky if not rebalanced
- Long-term low-sodium diets in high-sweat athletes can lead to chronic terrain suppression — especially in hot climates or during intense training blocks