Sodium Concerns

[ASMahwah19]

I am currently consuming around 3000 calories a day, upwards of 3500 on days where I exercise a lot, and am noticing that on these days I am taking in between 4 and 5000mg of sodium. Should I be concerned about this? I have tried to lower it but I am not able to eat clean enough to do so while still reaching my calorie needs. Any advice?

[AdamWW]

I am currently consuming around 3000 calories a day, upwards of 3500 on days where I exercise a lot, and am noticing that on these days I am taking in between 4 and 5000mg of sodium. Should I be concerned about this? I have tried to lower it but I am not able to eat clean enough to do so while still reaching my calorie needs. Any advice?

Drink enough water, eat enough potassium, do cardio, it should level out.

My main concern here would be that it probably means you're either adding salt to foods or you're eating a lot of processed stuff.

[ErikTheElectric]

I'm around 8-9g of sodium a day with no health concerns/issues, you're fine OP.

[rhadam]

I am currently consuming around 3000 calories a day, upwards of 3500 on days where I exercise a lot, and am noticing that on these days I am taking in between 4 and 5000mg of sodium. Should I be concerned about this? I have tried to lower it but I am not able to eat clean enough to do so while still reaching my calorie needs. Any advice?

There is no such thing as clean or dirty foods, only food.

[Workout120]

I am currently consuming around 3000 calories a day, upwards of 3500 on days where I exercise a lot, and am noticing that on these days I am taking in between 4 and 5000mg of sodium. Should I be concerned about this? I have tried to lower it but I am not able to eat clean enough to do so while still reaching my calorie needs. Any advice?

If it works for you, keep it. You will still make gains. You don't have to hit a perfect number to make gains...(for instance fresh chicken breast is super low in sodium and frozen is much higher, but no one lives in a perfect world, you can only do what you can handle each day.) And as others have said take some potassium tabs to push some of the sodium out of your blood and into urine.) too much sodium pushes potassium out and vice versa. How much, no real guidlines. I've used (10) 99mg tabs a day (I am very muscular) while training very hard, but not forever.

If you are concerned have a blood pressure test done by a doctor or nurse, if you are way out of line with the results discuss it with them. If you are ok, no worries. just keep on with what works for you. No one lives in a perfect world...

[Nedo]

Sounds like you eating too much processed food. Cook your own food.

[ASMahwah19]

Sounds like you eating too much processed food. Cook your own food.

Drink enough water, eat enough potassium, do cardio, it should level out.

My main concern here would be that it probably means you're either adding salt to foods or you're eating a lot of processed stuff.

I cook 2 meals a day, On average half of my calories come from cooked food which is almost always non-processed, and the rest I just don't have time while still balancing work, gym, and social life

[BrightonBomber]

If your exercise a lot you need more sodium than the average sedentary person anyway as you'll sweat a ton of it out. I regularly get 2000-4000 mg every day even on a cut and all my blood work come back fine. Blood pressure 121/72, Cholesterol ratio 2.5, resting heart rate 48 bpm.

[BigFatFatty]

Sodium is a funny thing...

I was cutting on turkey sandwiches and some other foods and my sodium was sky high (3500mg) and I was very bloated..... Well sure enough, drop the sodium and replace the deli meat with chicken thighs and BOOM tons of water weight dropped off...

OP, I find I look better in the mirror with a low sodium diet.. and if your bulking up and worried about looking fat while doing so, I could see this being a concern.

[ASMahwah19]

If your exercise a lot you need more sodium than the average sedentary person anyway as you'll sweat a ton of it out. I regularly get 2000-4000 mg every day even on a cut and all my blood work come back fine. Blood pressure 121/72, Cholesterol ratio 2.5, resting heart rate 48 bpm.

I'm around 8-9g of sodium a day with no health concerns/issues, you're fine OP.

Alright these make me feel better. I am taking potassium tablets just to be safe but sounds like I have nothing to worry about as I typically get a lot of exercise

[ASMahwah19]

Sodium is a funny thing...

I was cutting on turkey sandwiches and some other foods and my sodium was sky high (3500mg) and I was very bloated..... Well sure enough, drop the sodium and replace the deli meat with chicken thighs and BOOM tons of water weight dropped off...

OP, I find I look better in the mirror with a low sodium diet.. and if your bulking up and worried about looking fat while doing so, I could see this being a concern.

Wow this was exactly me haha. I have since moved from turkey to roast beef but it all has the same effect. I never thought about the bloating. Maybe I'll try a week of no processed food and see if there is a noticeable difference

[Plateauplower]

I have been craving salt lately. I don't eat any processed foods really when dieting, so I have to add salt to things, but recently I have been adding a up to 2g on my bro-collie with dinner. I drink a lot of water and sweat a lot. I have never really craved it the way I have lately. I think when sodium levels are relatively stable water weight will stabilize, but larger changes in sodium intake will have more of a bloating and water loss effect as the body tries to achieve homeostasis.

[ASMahwah19]

I have been craving salt lately. I don't eat any processed foods really when dieting, so I have to add salt to things, but recently I have been adding a up to 2g on my bro-collie with dinner. I drink a lot of water and sweat a lot. I have never really craved it the way I have lately. I think when sodium levels are relatively stable water weight will stabilize, but larger changes in sodium intake will have more of a bloating and water loss effect as the body tries to achieve homeostasis.

I notice in the morning when I am dehydrated and weigh myself I look significantly leaner than I do throughout the day. Is this due to all of the sodium I am taking in as the day goes on? If so I am dropping my sodium to around 2 or 3g a day right now haha

[Celstick]

7g per day, every day. I would rather die an early death than eat bland food. A note to those who also sweat a lot - you may need more zinc than normal people.

[AdamWW]

Also keep in mind SOME people react poorly to salt (ie by increasing blood pressure). A possible consideration.

[Slow-N-Steady]

Bloat is something I wouldn't worry about... it's temporary. The minute you decrease salt and other micros/macros you easily drop the same weight (now if you're going on vacation next week clearly that's a different story). As everyone else mentioned, if you're working out extremely frequently with decent intensity salt is generally not a problem.. especially if you make it a point to balance with potassium.

I would just ensure you don't have family heart health history that would suggest keeping salt in check. That's honestly the only concern for someone active.. (of which I am such person)