SalStick was founded by Jonathan Toker, who was an elite level triathlete who lives in Southern California.
SaltStick® Caps were developed as a study of scientific literature on electrolyte loss in sweat, highly bioavailable ingredients, and field testing. SaltStick Caps has since become the accepted standard for electrolyte replacement capsules.
1. How will SaltStick Capsules help me as an athlete? Five electrolytes in particular play a pivotal role in maintaining normal human muscle function: sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride. A shortage of any of these electrolytes will affect athletic performance through a range a subtle to serious side effects. Sweat typically has about 1000 mg sodium/liter, a typical sports drink has 440 mg sodium/liter. If, during the course of training, you ingest nothing but sports drinks (or worse, water), you will become hyponatremic (low sodium) at some point. Many sports drinks also do not address any form of supplementation of the other key electrolytes, potentially causing yet further cramping and muscle issues. It is in the athlete’s best interest to ensure that replacement of the full spectrum of electrolytes is replaced, and in a form and quantity the body can absorb, such as that provided conveniently in a SaltStick Capsule.
2. What is the proper use of SaltStick Capsules? When should I take SaltStick Caps? The basic idea is to keep your supplementation simple and effective, so you have one less thing to worry about on race day, and you can focus on the athletic event rather than on surviving your nutrition plan. As a general guideline, athletes should consume one SaltStick capsule every 30-60 minutes or one SaltStick Caps Plus every 20-60 minutes during any land-based activity (bike/run) for the duration of the activity. Pre-loading with the product can be helpful as well, and including electrolytes in recovery nutrition can be important as well. 3. Can I mix SaltStick Caps & SaltStick Caps Plus together? Yes. This can be helpful if you choose to moderate your caffeine intake, for example switching to the caffeine-containing Caps Plus towards the end of an event or for overnight events. It is worth reminding you of the importance of testing one’s electrolyte replacement strategy in training, prior to race day. 4. Is it ok to take the capsules with a sport drink? How should I take SaltStick Caps? SaltStick can be consumed in the most convenient method for you. You many take a capsule with water or a sports drink, or open the capsule up into your water or sports drink. Your body will still need re-hydration over time, so water or a sports drink should be a part of your overall nutrition plan. If you don’t re-hydrate and just take SaltStick Caps, you will then have excess electrolytes and be dehydrated, which can be a dangerous situation if taken to extremes. The key is to balance out your loss of both fluid and electrolytes and some combination of products will likely serve you best, and you’ll have to figure out what works for you personally. 5. Is it ok to swallow the capsules without any liquid? Yes, provided you feel comfortable doing so without introducing a choking hazard. Most people find it helpful to wash the capsule down with some fluid. 6. Can I open the capsules and pour the powder into water or a sports drink? Sure thing, you can mix the regular SaltStick caps with water or a sports drink. You will find some small amount of material that’s insoluble in water, harmless and just shake the bottle to mix, but it’s unimportant. 7. Can I chew or open the capsule in my mouth? Yes. It will taste salty and the contents will arrive at your stomach more quickly, which could cause nausea or upset stomach, but there is no particular safety hazard in doing so. In fact, if you desire rapid delivery of the electrolytes, opening the capsule inside your mouth and leaving the contents under the tongue for a period of time appears to be helpful in more rapid delivery of the electrolytes. 8. How long does it take for the capsules to open in my stomach? The capsules are tested to open within the stomach acidic environment within 15 minutes, but most users indicate that symptoms like cramping can disappear within about 5 minutes of taking the capsule. 9. How should I store the capsules? Capsules must be kept dry, and are best stored in a cool environment to ensure the contents remain as described on the product label.
