For many runners, summertime means carefree, lightly dressed running in wonderful sunshine. For some it also means heavy sweating, which is often accompanied by salt marks on clothing and the risk of dehydration.

Sweating is a reaction of the body to protect us from overheating. For this purpose, water is secreted, which evaporates in the heat. We regulate our body temperature through the resulting evaporative cooling. Even though this sweat consists of approximately 99% water, other substances such as sodium are sweated out in order to maintain the sodium balance in the body. This is why our sweat tastes salty and the sweat marks develop when the clothing dries.

If we go for a short jog through the park and then return home or sit in the shade after 30 minutes, this won't be a problem. However, if it involves intensive sport activities lasting several hours, then it may be the case Loss of salt and electrolytes and the resulting imbalance leads to problems such as cramps. Here it is advisable to add salt to the body.

This is where Jonathan Toker comes into play. Jonathan is a Canadian runner and triathlete based in Southern California, where it can get pretty hot. He received his doctorate in organic chemistry from the Scripps Research Institute in 2001. As an avid triathlete, he was frustrated by the inadequate salt and electrolyte products available on the market at the time. As a chemist, he had the necessary knowledge to do something about it.

In 2006 the time had finally come and the first sales of SaltStick Caps could begin. These are convenient, vegetarian capsules that provide a similar ratio of electrolytes to what the body loses through sweat. Apart from a few improvements to the composition, this is also the product that we continue to sell today as SaltStick Caps.

SaltStick has also brought other products onto the market. We particularly liked the Fast Chews . These convenient chewable tablets do not need to be swallowed with water, but are simply chewed or sucked. We find the different flavors such as lemons or mixed berries refreshing in summer. If you want to create a complete holiday feeling, we recommend the coconut-pineapple variant, which is strongly reminiscent of the piña coladas on your last vacation. The Fast Chews are now also available in a resealable pack of 10, which is very practical for competitions.

The manufacturer's consumption recommendation states that runners should consume one capsule or two to four Fast Chews per hour during activity. We recommend looking at food intake holistically. For example, if a drink containing a lot of electrolytes is part of the meal, then you should also adjust the dosage of the salt tablets accordingly.

The amount of sweat and electrolytes that athletes lose varies greatly from individual to individual. The salt edges mentioned above are an initial indication that you tend to sweat a lot. If you want to take a closer look at the whole thing, you should look into the topic of sweat testing. Interestingly, the more trained we are, the more efficient our body becomes at regulating temperature and sweat.

We hope you get through the summer well with these product tips and don't have to hide even in hot temperatures. With this in mind: stay hungry. Yours Truly, Jonas & Florian

Here you can find ourSaltStick range.

This text first appeared in LAUFZEIT 5/23.