Today there is a lot of talk about the dangers of a large amount of salt for the body. Learn how sodium helps you build incredible muscle mass. According to health organizations, table salt (sodium chloride) can cause a wide range of disorders. Among the most common of these are heart disease, edema, kidney disease, hypertension, and even stroke.
At the same time, despite such a number of possible diseases, salt is sold in any supermarket completely free. Although today a huge number of articles have been written about the dangers of table salt, this is only one side of the coin. Of course, when using sodium chloride in mega doses, now we are talking about taking from 20 to 60 grams of the substance daily, catastrophic consequences are possible. But at the same time, many forget that water in huge quantities can become a powerful toxin.
The main danger when using salt is that the above dangerous dosage can be achieved not only when using pure sodium chloride. It is added to almost all semi-finished and processed foods. This must always be remembered and taken into account. However, it is almost impossible to consume salt in quantities that can cause serious damage to health.
Is salt as dangerous as it is believed?
While most of the articles written by scientists contain a warning about the dangers of using salt, there are others that suggest otherwise. For example, one scientific study found that people with low salt intake are mostly at risk for heart disease.
There is also scientific evidence that there is no relationship between reducing sodium chloride dosage and reducing the risk of heart and vascular disease. Just a couple of years ago, a group of scientists studied the effects of sodium chloride on the body. All study participants were divided into three groups. Representatives of each of them consumed a different amount of salt: no more than 2.6 grams (low dose), from 2.6 to 4.9 grams (medium dose), 4.9 grams (high dose).
As a result, scientists have found that people who use low and high doses of the substance are at maximum risk of developing heart disease. It should be noted that the second group of subjects consumed more salt than is considered the generally accepted norm of 2.3 grams.
Salt in bodybuilding
In our body, sodium is a fairly important mineral and is involved in the regulation of blood pressure and blood volume, water balance and acidity levels. If the body develops a sodium deficiency, then athletic performance is sharply reduced. In addition, it should be remembered that excess salt is excreted from the body.
Most people today understand the importance of maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. Most athletes always go to the gym with drinking water and this no longer surprises anyone. Athletes lose more fluid than ordinary people, and as a result, sodium is also excreted more actively from their bodies.
If the sodium concentration drops to a certain level, then the body is forced to fucking maintain the balance of minerals to accelerate the excretion of potassium. As a result, cells are actively losing fluid, which leads to a decrease in muscle volume. Strength and endurance are reduced, and the muscles become flat.
To remedy this situation, it is necessary to supply a sufficient amount of sodium in the body. However, these facts are not the main ones. It has been established that the more fluid is contained in the cells, the more active is the production of protein compounds. Sodium is also needed so that some amino acid compounds can penetrate cell membranes.
Henie Rambod is a well-known personality in the bodybuilding world. He managed to train several athletes who became Olympia winners. One of the basic principles of Ramboda training is to maximize stretching of the fascia, which is achieved through a powerful pumping effect. This is where sodium chloride plays a key role. It is known that this technique was used by Jay Cutler and Phil Heath.
Very often when preparing for a competition during the drying period, bodybuilders look flat and feel exhausted. Some in such a situation are sure that the whole point is in the low calorie content of the diet and are persistently looking for the optimal calorie values for their body. Others simply begin to lose muscle mass and for this reason are forced to abandon dietary nutrition programs.
Few athletes know that adding a little salt to the diet will solve a large number of problems that arise during the drying period. Very often, professional athletes deliberately take medium to high doses of sodium chloride while remaining prominent. The body will experience severe dehydration and swelling problems until the salt is taken in high and low doses. The body has a hormone responsible for regulating sodium concentration - aldosterone. If the amount of sodium decreases, then the level of the hormone begins to rise. If you then start taking salt again, then sodium will be stored with water, which will result in swelling.
All of these problems can be avoided by consistently taking one daily dose of 2.6 grams of sodium chloride. When salt is used in moderation, strength, endurance and muscle mass will begin to increase.
You can find a lot of information about the dangers of sodium chloride, but most often these are just unfounded statements that do not have any scientific evidence base. Research into the effects of salt on the human body continues, and myths about the dangers of sodium are dwindling. Salt is essentially a mineral that the body needs.
For more details on the effect of salt on the body, see this video:
