Deakin University study uncovers how salt pills help female athletes

A new study has revealed the game changing effect of this one thing for female endurance athletes during certain stages of their monthly cycle.

Cyclist Marie-Louise Fitzgerald. Picture: Supplied

A new study has revealed the game changing effect of salt pills for female endurance athletes during certain stages of their monthly cycle.

The study, conducted by Deakin University, compared the endurance of female cycling athletes over a set distance after taking salt pills with fluids against sugar placebos pills.

The findings showed that athletes who had taken the salt pills were 1.5 minutes faster than those who had taken the placebo.

Dramatic performance improvements were also found in women taking salt pills in the post ovulation phase of their menstrual cycle.

According to Deakin University Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition PhD candidate Lilia Convit, this difference was thanks to the sodium intake prior to a workout helping female athletes combat heat stress.

“This changes the way we think about athletic performance during the menstrual cycle,” Ms Convit said.

“It has always been assumed that women are vulnerable to heat stress during certain phases of their cycle, like the post-ovulation, or mid-luteal phase.

“But our study shows these challenges can be managed proactively with simple strategies like sodium hyper hydration.”

Researchers tested female athletes exercising in the heat during the menstruation and post ovulation stages of their cycle, measuring fluid retention, hydration status and exercise performance.

Marie-Louise Fitzgerald, a former member of the national cycling team who participated in the study, said hyper hydration was “definitely a game changer.”

Cyclist Marie-Louise Fitzgerald participated in the research. Picture: Supplied

“When we did the study I could tell when I wasn’t being hyper hydrated, I just felt like I had no energy - my legs were heavy,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

“You think about electrolytes but you don’t think about deliberately retaining fluids and how your cycle can affect your ability to retain fluid in the right way.

“I could tell when I was having the sodium pills and how different stages in my cycle were affecting me.

“I was finding that I would hit a wall and my heart rate would just go up - I just couldn’t perform.”

Ms Fitzgerald has used hyper hydration strategies to combat heat and humidity in cycling competitions in Indonesia and the Indian Himalayas.

Originally published as Deakin University study uncovers how salt pills help female athletes