Electrolyte/Hydration Supplements?

[SADShooter]

So, this last Sunday I exercised for a couple of hours in the lovely Texas summer. Drank lots of water, but experienced a severe barrage of cramps afterward on my way home. Obviously, my electrolyte balance was off, and my (seemingly sufficient) diet wasn't cutting it. I'm looking at the hydration tablet options, e.g. Nuun, to experiment with. Any suggestions/experiences from the crowd?

[Ben]

I'm no expert, but I will once in a while get headaches running when it's hot if I don't hydrate properly. For me, it's drinking lots of water well before I start. When it's really hot, I will also down half a Gatorade (or the Costco equivalent) before I run. I generally don't bring water on my run unless I'm stopping to do my TRX thing in the middle of it. As soon as I get back, I drink more Gatorade (no matter what the temps), take a shower, then drink a bunch of water.

Key is getting enough water in well before the run. When I don't do that, even if I hydrate like crazy when I get back, I will still often get the headache.

[erictank]

I've heard that cramps can indicate a deficiency of potassium, especially under the circumstances you describe. Try a banana immediately before or after a workout like that?

Definitely hydrate well before you start the workout.

[Fly320s]

You could go with the original Gatorade formula: water, salt, sugar.

[Perd Hapley]

So, this last Sunday I exercised for a couple of hours in the lovely Texas summer. Drank lots of water, but experienced a severe barrage of cramps afterward on my way home. Obviously, my electrolyte balance was off, and my (seemingly sufficient) diet wasn't cutting it. I'm looking at the hydration tablet options, e.g. Nuun, to experiment with. Any suggestions/experiences from the crowd?

Yeah, either move up north, or just take up video-gaming, instead of exercise. 

[charby]

Before I go on a bike ride I tank up on water and a Gatorade several hours before I go and afterwards once I cool down I'm back to the water, Gatorade/powerade and usually salty dairy like cottage cheese.

[BobR]

There are tons of (similiar) recipes to make electrolyte replacement solution at home. Less sugar, choose your flavor, and tons cheaper than store bought. Let your google-foo fly free.

bob

[SADShooter]

Thanks. I had about 2.5L downed pre-workout, and more than repeated that as I was sweating it out. I'll look for low-sugar recipes.

[Regolith]

Used to make some with lemon juice, some sugar (enough to make it more like lemonaid; I'd use either Splenda or real sugar depending on if I was dieting or not), potassium chloride, and baking soda (which provided sodium and also made it kind of fizzy). The recipe also called for a banana if you needed or wanted more potassium.

Don't remember the proportions, though.

I got the recipe from a doctor who used it to help rehydrate soldiers in Iraq.

[never_retreat]

Tonic water has Quinine in it, good for cramps.
Or pickle brine is supposed to be good also.

[41magsnub]

I know your pain...  When I first went on a low sodium diet I way over (or under I guess) did it.  I couldn't walk a block without my calves cramping up dramatically.  At one point my electrolytes were so far out of whack I couldn't stop hiccuping.  A glass of salt water chased by a potassium pill fixed that.

Now I stick to a more reasonable "reduced" sodium diet.   

[French G.]

I got water poisoning once after a 90+ degree day, some fully dressed out firefighting drills, the usual flogging in the gym and a gallon or so of water. Not recommended, don't try it. I get cramps and you'll see me eating out of the salt shaker.