hydration

For the record, vegans like myself do need to supplement for B12. B12 deficiency is very severe and can cause permanent nerve damage. The good news is that it is stored long term, so it's not a problem while tramping, with the possible exception of Te Araroa...and I don't have time for that! We only lose about 0.1-0.2% of our bodies' stores of B12 per day.

The Truth About Endurance Athletes and Salt http://www.outsideonline.com/2010476/endurance-athletes-are-o-ding-salt Been popping salt pills like M&Ms during long workouts thinking they’ll do your body good? You might want to think again: According to St. Louis University nutrition and dietetics professor, Dr. Ted Weiss, extra sodium from concentrated sources like salt capsules doesn’t actually enhance athletic performance. In fact, downing the pills may even cause hypertension. “A lot of sports nutrition practices directly contradict what we know about positive health practices,” Weiss says. “Just because something makes you run faster doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Cocaine does that too, but that doesn't mean it's good for you.” For years, the FDA has recommended Americans take in no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. But endurance athletes can easily exceed that amount when they gulp electrolyte capsules during exercise—some pills are stuffed with more than 200 milligrams of sodium each. “A lot of people think salt is critical for performance, but there’s really not any convincing evidence of that,” Weiss says. Though the pills are advertised to help minimize cramps, heat stress, and fatigue, many studies have found there’s not much of a link between these issues and salt intake. In fact, a recent study Weiss and his colleagues published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found salt supplementation had no effect on performance during a moderate two-hour run. “Just because something makes you run faster doesn’t mean it’s healthy,” Ted Weiss says. “Cocaine does that. But you don’t see cocaine at aid stations.” For this study, athletes consumed about half the amount of salt they’d lost through sweat, or 900 milligrams per hour. That salt intake, the researchers concluded, “did not have a significant effect on sweat rate…heat stress, skin temperature, rating of perceived exertion, or time to exhaustion in trained endurance athletes.” Even athletes participating in ultra-distance events should reconsider the use of salt pills explains Dr. Martin Hoffman, Research Director of the Western States Endurance Run, who's found that supplemental sodium isn't necessary, even at that grueling 100 mile distance. "It won’t prevent hyponatremia, muscle cramps or GI symptoms," he wrote in an email. "It will help runners maintain a higher body weight, but excessive sodium intake may also promote overhydration, and actually be a risk for development of exercise-associated hyponatremia." That’s not to say athletes don’t need salt. “The general consensus from sports nutrition is that there’s probably a somewhat higher need for salt in endurance athletes than in the general population,” Weiss says. But most athletes are getting more than enough salt through their normal diets “just by virtue of eating more food to fuel their exercise.” Someone training for a marathon, for instance, may eat two sandwiches instead of one for lunch, or twice as many calories as a sedentary person. On top of that, the 2,300 milligram per day limit is generous, Weiss says. The general population should be getting closer to 1,500 milligrams per day. In other words, if you’re getting in 2,300 milligrams per day, you’re already getting more than the general population needs. Yes, the threat of hyponatremia, or low blood sodium, is real. But Weiss argues that it’s a minor issue for most people, while the chance of over salting—and the associated side effects of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease—is much greater. If you’re a salt supplementer, Weiss recommends reducing your intake and seeing if you notice any adverse effects. “Keep it under 2,300 milligrams a day,” he says. “If you feel like you need more, use it cautiously, and only when the workouts are long and hard and hot

I read that the most effective electrolyte replacement was pickle juice. Maybe taking juicy gerkins on a trip would be a good substitute. Vegans' bodies adapt to some degree to low B12 levels by recycling it to some extent. DHA and EPA levels are another issue for vegans as well. Mana Wahine did a NZ traverse on a vegan diet but one of the three women did poorly and had to supplement. The other 2 thrived. I suspect with my MTHFR mutations, I wouldn't do so well without knowledgable supplementation on a vegan diet.

I generally use magnesium salts. They are great for recovery and since using them i've only had nominal/light cramping.

Just ordered magnesium L-threonate. Be good to see how that goes.

I've never tried magnesium L-threonate, I generally use pure magnesium sulphate (Epsom Salt). A couple teaspoons in a pint of water. I'd ignore taking a "magnesium bath" though. The body just doesn't really absorb it. A drink formula is the way. After all, it's what goes in that counts. I hope L-Threonate works for you. :)

cheers, Bamboo. I think the threonate is a very recent form. I've got epsom salts at home. That sounds like a very cheap alternative to magnesium pills. I read it has a laxative effect! Some folks make magnesium 'oil' from magnesium chloride flakes and spray that on their skin. Us thyroid patients and those who suffer from fibromyalgia can get some benefit from that sort of thing apparently. Hopefully this isn't off-topic because magnesium pills might be a good item to carry on a trip. I know I had to give them to Frank once when he had got really unwell with sunstroke/dehydration and just about killed himself as it affected his judgment.

the recommendation for epsom salts in the medical profession is for it to only be administered intravenously by a medical professional and not to be prescribed as an oral supplement, probably because of the potential laxative effects. diarhea is no joke, it haemorages minerals out of your body at a high rate and your absorption is severely reduced. my naturopath finds some of his sickesst patients have low mineral levels in their bodies, mineral balance in the body is very overlooked, most blood tests dont pay full attention to the full range of minerals your body needs, hair analysis is one way to get an in depth look at your mineral levels and its more reliable than blood tests which can vary more based on your last meal.. its a waste of time testing for iron in the bloody, you can be very low in iron and have a normal blood level where it matters is in the marrow where the blood cells are made. ferritin is a more accurate predictor of iron levels, its the protein that stores and releases iron in the body. but very few medical professionals would know to test for this... get a proper magnesium nutritional supplement designed to be tolerated by your digestive system.. magnesium malate is a good one but i've never seen it sold in nz,

Hi waynowski I've bought magnesium malate. I got it via Julianne Taylor, a nutritionist in Auckland. There are so many forms of magnesium! As a phlebotomist, I take a lot of blood for ferritin levels. It seems as though doctors' understanding of the iron cycle is improving. They often tick for other iron studies as well to get a good picture. The only more simplistic test they would do is a complete blood count and I think they know it would just be dipping a toe in the water. For autoimmune thyroiditis a good ferritin level is also a must as iron is used to transform the storage hormone, T4, into the active hormone, T3. God, this is def. off-topic now, naughty me.

That's great to know and brilliant comments from both @Honora and @Waynowski. To date, i've had no laxative effects from using Magnesium Sulphate (please note, I don't use it as a daily supplement, usually only after a long hike and sometimes a lower dilution into my water for walking, 2 teaspoons per 2 litres. I wouldn't advocate daily use). As always, everyone's body is different and we all can respond (even minorly) to things differently.