Salt, Adrenal Function and Backcountry Travel

Anyone who spends time in the backcountry knows that it’s important to eat enough salt. It’s common knowledge that with exertion, we deplete our bodies of valuable salts and electrolytes, and at the level of effort we expend on the trail, it can be hard to replace what we burn simply with regular food. But did you know that if you live with chronic stress or chronic illness, it may be even more important to up the salt intake when you’re sweating it out on the trail?

It all has to do with your adrenal glands, and how they relate to the production of hormones, retention of salts and the body’s reaction to exertion and stress.

The shortest explanation of adrenal function, ever

This will be a quick and dirty rundown on the adrenals, so hang onto your hat – to learn more about the adrenal glands, check out this website.

The adrenals are two almond-sized glands that are located on the top of your kidneys. Small in stature, they have a BIG job in the body; producing the hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, DHEA, and more) that you need to deal with stress, as well as a big portion of your sex hormones. The adrenals act like your own personal “stress rescue team”; when there is any stress, whether large or small, they pump out the hormones you need to deal with it. Stress has many faces, large and small; it could be a new job, dropping your cell phone in the toilet, a 6-hour dance party, inflammation from a sprained ankle, a wedding, or a major life change. In other words, what the body perceives as ‘stress’ isn’t always what we see as a negative experience.

Ideally, after the stress has gone away, the adrenals get to take rest before the next event… but with our fast-paced way of life, instead they are on red alert too much of the time. This results in a constantly high output of the hormone cortisol, which over time, can cause damage to the body’s tissues and create depletion in the adrenal glands – commonly called adrenal fatigue. At this point, the adrenals can lose their ability to function properly, resulting in a myriad of awful symptoms that make getting through an average day nearly impossible. Forget about that long run, climbing a peak or cycling Highway 1 for the summer; think instead of:

• debilitating fatigue
• dizziness upon standing up
• insomnia
• low libido
• low blood pressure
• cravings for salt, sugar and caffeine
• the afternoon energy slump
• reduced immunity
• anxiety, depression
• inability to exercise

… yes, the list goes on. Any of that sound familiar?

I suspect if you’re a reader who has dealt with chronic illness, you’ve at least heard of adrenal fatigue. Either way, I encourage you to find some resources, read up, and take whatever steps you need to assure your adrenals are able to function properly (I’ll be posting an article on that, soon!).

Salt cravings and low aldosterone

Many people with adrenal fatigue experience cravings for salt. This can be explained by low aldosterone, a steroid hormone that like cortisol, is produced by the adrenal glands. Aldosterone helps to regulate levels of sodium and potassium in the body, helping you retain needed salts, which in turn helps control blood pressure, the distribution of fluids in the body, and the balance of electrolytes in the blood.

[side note… people with advanced adrenal fatigue commonly have difficulty with consuming potassium-high foods like bananas… it’s related to an over-abundance of potassium and a lack of sodium in the system]

the majestic mountain goat… who will stand two feet away while you pee, waiting impatiently to eat your salty urine. pee on rocks so they don’t paw up that fragile alpine soil getting to the salt!

Aldosterone responds initially to stress much like cortisol does, by becoming elevated. This can result in high blood pressure and low potassium levels, causing muscle cramps, weakness, and tingling in the limbs. However, under chronic stress, the production of aldosterone tends to fall, causing the kidneys to excrete too much salt into the urine (mountain goats love that!), leading to low blood pressure, high pulse, dizziness and lightheadedness upon standing, electrolyte imbalances including high potassium and low sodium, cell dehydration, fatigue, and a craving for salt… are you getting the picture? Some people tend to sweat out the salt; ever notice your dog licks your legs a lot? If that’s you, just don’t go near a mountain goat in shorts… (wink).

Crave salt? Eat salt!

During outdoor pursuits our bodies are naturally more prone to dehydration and loss of vital salts: perhaps the air is dryer if we’re at altitude; we’re likely to be doing something physically demanding where we sweat a lot and breathe harder; we may not be drinking enough to keep our bodies hydrated properly. Even with a totally healthy body, we need extra salt to replace what is lost. With the addition of depleted adrenal function and low aldosterone, it makes sense that we need to be extra mindful of getting enough salt in the backcountry to replace what we’ve lost.

So exactly how much salt should we add to what we normally have on the trail? Each individual has their own needs, so I can’t say, exactly. I suggest being mindful of the messages your body gives you about salt; it’s pretty simple – if you crave more of it, eat it. Bring more than enough salt to cover your trip, so you don’t run short and feel the consequences. You just may find that your backcountry time is more enjoyable. As far as salt goes, I’d recommend a mineral-rich sea salt versus processed table salt, which tends to be stripped of important minerals.

Most people with adrenal fatigue have lower than normal BP (related directly to the aldosterone issue) and for them, the extra salt helps normalize BP. If you have high blood pressure or aren’t certain, talk to your doctor about your own salt needs before adding extra salt to your diet.

Bringing it home

I lived with severe adrenal fatigue for several years, as part of the symptomatic soup of my autoimmune disease. When I found out my decreased adrenal function was the reason behind my salt cravings – all the while having forbidden myself access to it unless on the trail – I was so happy know I could eat it freely! Increased salt intake has done wonders for my adrenal function (along with a host of other dietary and lifestyle habits that support healthy adrenals). Doctors who work with this salt protocol say to eat as much as your body craves. Whoah, that may sound crazy, but with adrenal fatigue, if you really listen to your body, you might notice that you go through cycles with it. When I started eating salt again (in town, not just on the trail), I ate a LOT of it. I’m talking a tablespoon a day. I felt like I couldn’t get enough. Then I started craving it less. Now I eat less than half of what I did, and whaddya know, my cravings for it go up and down in direct relation to my stress level, how exhausted I am, how well I’m sleeping… which are all related to my adrenal function. If I crave salt, and eat it, I feel a lot better.

I am not a doctor. I can’t tell you what to do. But I do encourage you to consider this in relation to stress and adrenal fatigue, and ask your healthcare practitioner about it (assuming they know what adrenal fatigue is!) if you have questions about your own salt needs

There is much one can learn about adrenal function, and if you live with chronic stress of any kind (ie: you leave your house at all…), you might benefit from learning more on the topic. Self-education leads to self-empowerment and better tools for living well!

RESOURCES:

Stop The Thyroid Madness website, (nd). “Aldosterone can be just as important as Cortisol.” http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/aldosterone/

Empowered Sustenance website, (2/3/14) by Lauren. “How to recover from adrenal fatigue.” http://empoweredsustenance.com/adrenal-fatigue-recovery/

Society for Endocrinology: You and Your Hormones website, (10/24/13). “Aldosterone.” http://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/aldosterone.aspx

drkaslow.com website, (2014). “Adrenal dysfunction.” http://www.drkaslow.com/html/adrenal_insufficiency.html