With advice from a sports dietitian to help you improve your fueling and hydration.

When you exercise, you sweat. The amount of sweat you produce is known as your sweat rate.

You lose salt when you sweat, which impacts hydration, performance, and recovery. Some athletes sweat more and/or lose more sodium through their sweat.

If you’re a salty sweater, you may encounter side effects like salt cravings, muscle cramps, or a performance decline.

This blog post explains more about the signs that you might be a salty sweater and what to do about it, with tips from a sports dietitian. 

What you will learn:

  • What it means to be a salty sweater 

  • Common signs your sweat may contain more salt than usual

  • What to do if you suspect you are a salty sweater

What does being a salty sweater mean?

“A salty sweater is someone who either has a high sodium concentration in their sweat or someone with a high sweat rate and a relatively high sodium concentration in their sweat,” says Jena Brown, RD, CSSD, an endurance sports dietitian and owner of Victorem Performance Nutrition in Brenham, Texas.

She explains that the more sweat you lose, the more sodium and electrolytes you lose. But there are various key factors that impact actual losses.

“Sweat sodium concentration varies widely among athletes and even within the same athlete. Exercise intensity, environment, fitness, body size and composition, clothing, sex, age, diet, and hydration all play a role.”

Being a salty sweater means making a few adjustments to your diet and nutrition to combat the increased sodium loss in sweat.

Signs you are a salty sweater

Whether or not you are a salty sweater will impact your nutrition and hydration choices and fueling strategy for training sessions and events.

If you’re a salty sweater, this is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means with a few tweaks to your nutrition and hydration, you can maintain and maybe improve performance.

Here are five signs you are a salty sweater.

1. Your sweat tastes salty 

This may seem obvious, but if you’re a salty sweater, you will likely be able to taste salt when you sweat.

Your eyes may also sting and experience a burning sensation — this is when sweat can drip into your eyes. If this sounds like you, consider wearing a cap or hat, especially in the heat, to stop sweat from dripping.

2. You feel lethargic after training in the heat 

After training in the heat and losing a lot of sodium through sweat, your blood pressure can drop. This can leave you feeling faint, lightheaded, or lethargic.

When sodium levels are too low, your body struggles to retain enough fluid balance to maintain blood volume, and as a result, blood pressure falls. That drained feeling is your body’s way of signalling that it may need salt to help restore balance.

If it was a particularly hot day, consider adding other electrolytes like SLT07 and drink plenty of water.

You should also refuel with carbs to give your body more energy.

3. You crave salty foods

If, after or even during a long run, you crave foods high in sodium, this is a telltale sign you are losing a lot of salt during exercise.

Your body craves salty foods because it wants to replace the lost sodium. It’s why you want to reach for the pretzels, crisps, or other salty snacks.

Replace lost salt after exercise, and add more salt as needed. A sweat test can help you decide whether you need extra electrolytes or salt-rich foods during exercise.

4. You have salt marks on your clothes or skin

If you've noticed white salty marks or streaks on your running or cycling kit after a workout, it's likely a sign that you're a salty sweater.

These are salt stains left behind when your sweat evaporates, and they may be more noticeable in hot or dry conditions, especially after intense or prolonged exercise.

5. You get muscle cramps during exercise

If you get muscle cramps during exercise, especially in hot weather or on long runs, you might be losing too much sodium.

It may also cause cramps after running if you do not replace the lost sodium and electrolytes.

This is not always the reason why you may experience cramps, but if you have this symptom and others, it may indicate a loss of sodium. 

What to do if you’re a salty sweater 

If you suspect you're a salty sweater and are not sure how to manage it, sports dietitian Brown has a solution: 

“If you’re a salty sweater, it’s important to include electrolyte-rich foods and fluids not just during workouts, but throughout your daily routine, especially as your training volume increases.”

Simple additions like adding salt to your meals or choosing naturally salty snacks can go a long way. Not only do they help replace lost salt, but they can make your food more enjoyable, too.

“Salted watermelon is one of my favourite functional electrolyte snacks — it works well before, during, or after a sweaty session.” 

She also suggests practical, everyday options like potatoes.

“Potatoes are another great option: bake, roast, or boil with salt or other seasoning blends.”

And for those who sweat heavily or train in the heat, a tailored plan might be worth it.

“If you sweat heavily or train in hot conditions, a personalised hydration plan can make a big difference in how you feel and perform.”

Key takeaways

  • A salty sweater is someone who has a high concentration of sodium in their sweat or has a high sweat rate, which causes more sodium loss

  • Common signs that you are losing a lot of salt include salty tasting sweat, burning eyes (from the sodium in sweat), tiredness and fatigue, craving very salty foods, and muscle cramps

  • A sweat test can determine your sweat rate and how much sodium you lose during exercise (it can be done in various conditions, like heat or added humidity, too)

  • Increase sodium intake (consult a doctor beforehand to ensure it’s safe) to fix sodium and fluid losses in sweat

FAQs

Does salty sweat mean dehydration?

If you lose more salt when sweating, this does not always mean dehydration. Although if exercising in the heat or for long periods, you may be at a greater risk because of a sodium and electrolyte imbalance.

Do I need more sodium if I sweat a lot?

Yes, if you sweat a lot during exercise, you should increase your salt intake accordingly. Contact a nutritionist or dietitian to conduct a sweat test and a doctor to ensure that increasing salt intake is safe for you.

Why does my skin taste very salty?

Your skin likely tastes salty because you are what is known as a “salty sweater.” This is when your sweat contains more salt, which explains the taste. You may also get a burning sensation in your eyes from sweat (this is the salt).