Too much salt

I've got a feeling there isn't a thread for this specific thing out there—it’s like looking for a decent slice of pizza in a town that only serves frozen crust—so I figured I’d just go ahead and start my own.

So, here’s the deal—I’ve been hitting the gym pretty consistently for about a year and a half now, and honestly? I sweat like crazy. Like, seriously, it's a lot. Just one of those things, I guess.

So, I’ve been noticing something weird lately—my sweat has been loaded with salt. Like, seriously loaded. I actually figured this out because I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and saw these literal white crusty trails of crystallized salt sitting right on my skin, exactly where the sweat was dripping down most heavily. It's kind of gross if you think about it too long, but yeah, that's what's happening.
I’m drinking the exact same amount of water I always have, and my diet hasn't changed—I've been eating healthy for a while now—but suddenly everything feels different. Before, I wouldn't have noticed a thing, but now? It's like the changes are hitting me all at once. It's weird how that works—you do the same stuff, follow the same routine, and then one day the needle moves and you're just sitting there wondering why.

I’ve honestly never seen anyone else deal with this, so I’m genuinely curious—is there some kind of underlying condition that forces the body to dump way more salt than it should? Like, am I looking at some specific disorder here, or is it just an organ acting up and failing to do its job properly?🤷

So, are you actually supplementing with minerals, sipping on some sparkling water, or just hitting your food with plenty of sea salt?

stormyheron4 said:Are you actually taking any minerals—like, do you drink mineral water or even just use salt on your food?

I was messing around with some multivitamins about a week and a half ago—just moderate amounts of iron and magnesium, basically just one pill a day like the label says.

So, what, nobody knows?

Kevin Taylor38 said:is there really nobody who knows?

Look, you might just be sweating a lot. Especially on your face. If you sweat heavy, salt and other minerals can crystallize right on your skin as the moisture evaporates. It doesn't necessarily mean you're actually losing massive amounts of salt from your system.

On the flip side, if it is salt, it’s probably not even a bad thing. Think of it as your body's way of regulating blood pressure by flushing out excess sodium.

There could be a few reasons for this—maybe metabolic issues, high uric acid levels, some lingering bacterial infection somewhere, or even just the hard water you're drinking. If you've been chugging hard water for years, those minerals can actually build up in your joints, bones, and kidneys, throwing everything out of whack. Hard water is loaded with magnesium and calcium.

One thing is for sure: something shifted in your system. It’s been a year and a half since things were normal, and these symptoms are hitting you now.

I don't think it's anything life-threatening, but you should definitely pay attention to what and how much you're consuming. Maybe get some blood work done or something.

As for salt, it's tricky. I used to think I was being careful with my salt intake, only to find out I was actually overdoing it.

Multivitamins are another variable; depending on the brand, they might have specific iodine levels. Usually, extra iodine is mostly for pregnant women or people dealing with thyroid issues.
They can also contain salt.

And look, you shouldn't be taking magnesium or iron without talking to a doctor first (and definitely not just asking some random gym trainer). Don't just wing it, especially if you plan on taking them long-term.

Plus, if you're eating as healthy as you say you are, I don't see why you'd need extra Mg and Fe. Since I'm pregnant, I know a ton about this stuff. In my position, I'd need higher doses, but even then, I mostly get what I need from food. For a healthy adult, you usually need about 300 mg of magnesium a day, which is easy to hit with a good diet. Men only need about 1 mg of iron, which is also easily covered by balanced meals—and you claim your diet is solid.

Supplementing should be based on a real reason—like age, pregnancy, or a medical condition—and you really should have a blood test to see what you're actually lacking versus what you already have plenty of. Otherwise, messing around with supplements can wreck a perfectly balanced system.

Anyway, those are my initial thoughts. The rest is up to you. 🙂

Quick tip on magnesium. Skip the supplements. Honestly, just drinking some magnesium-rich mineral water is way better. If you knock back about half a liter of something like Essentia or just a good mineral spring water, you’ve pretty much hit your daily requirement right there—even without counting anything else you eat.

If you're currently popping magnesium supplements, just toss them in the trash. Seriously.
Most supplements are just a cocktail of synthetic junk that does more harm than good. It's like trying to fix a car engine with cheap, fake parts—you might think you're helping, but you're actually just breaking things further.

stormyheron4 said:Maybe you're just sweating a ton—especially on your face—so the salt and other minerals are just crystallizing as the sweat dries out. It doesn't necessarily mean you're actually losing a massive amount of salt from your system.

And honestly, even if it is salt, it’s probably not a bad thing since it helps regulate your blood pressure by flushing out any excess salt your body doesn't need.

Personally, I’d much rather keep the salt inside my body—my blood pressure tends to run naturally low if I don't stay on top of things, at least that's how it feels to me.🤔

@Nicole Diaz37/">@@Nicole Diaz37

Look, I’m not even really taking supplements anymore—haven't been on them much lately, honestly. I was just thinking about maybe boosting my immune system with some multivitamins before the fall hits, plus trying to make up for the electrolytes I lose through sweating during workouts... but I used to take stuff similar to this before, so I wasn't noticing any real difference this time around.

I drink a ton of tap water, and yeah, it’s hard water, but I’ve been drinking the same stuff for almost 20 years now.

Anyway, I’m going to keep an eye on how things are going for another couple of weeks, and if it doesn't improve, I'll just head to the doctor.

Kevin Taylor38 said:I drink a ton of hard water from my tap but I’ve been drinking that same water for nearly 20 years now

That’s exactly the point—it’s all about the long haul...