Endurolytes/salt tablets

Hammer endurolytes haved about 40 mg of sodium which is very low. Look at other brands that have 200+ mg like Salt Stick or Lava Salts

If you need sodium 1 or 2 endurolytes don't really help much. In an IM I'd have to take so many I couldn't keep track of swallowing all that many.

For me staying on top of my sodium intake from all sources is key....drink, gels, and food all have salt so add up what you take in and see where you are at before you add in salt tablets.

No.  They are not a necessity, in general.  It depends on what you are getting in the rest of your nutrition.  Many people can do without them.

This will probably vary from person to person.

I did not use them on the bike in IM Louisville training or racing last year.  If I am drinking an electrolyte drink and eating food with salt in it, I don't seem to need extra salt on the bike.  I do salt the heck out of my food when I'm not exercising because I crave it.

On the run, however, I do add GU Electrolyte tabs to my hand-bottle of water if it is hot and I'm sweating a lot.  I also drop a tab in my recovery water also.

Nope. I don't use either.  I get plenty of salt through regular sports drinks.  I even have the sodium set very very low on my custom infinit blend.  And I don't use salt on food either.

I think a lot of people use them that don't really need them.  I mean, use them if you need them, but try without first.  One less thing to think about if they are not necessary!

These are my opinions.

Enduralytes are almost worthless. 40mg sodium per tablet just not enough. You need 5 tabs to equal 1 Powergel.

Sodium (and other electrolytes) are huge factor. 1 litre  of sweat (ie 1 hour for me) is 1800mg  - 3000 mg sodium. I ate a bunch of Thermotabs and drank a can of chicken broth (2500 mg sodium) along with 3 large bottles of Gatorade Endurance in consuming 6000+ mg of sodium during boiling hot steamy and sucessful Eagleman last year.

This is still a hotly debated topic, even though science has been unable to identify a causal relationship between electrolyte deficiencies, hydration, and cramping.  Here is one example.

No, they're not necessary for HIM and IM.  The only one's I take in during races come from my general nutrition.

In addition to the link of the Science of Sports, check the simple electrolytes guide  have on my blog.

I hope it helps!

All I have to add to above conversation is that Endurolytes/Salt pills are probably the easiest way to ingest supplemental electrolytes. So when my stomach is rejecting fluid and gels, I've found I can usually take a couple endurolytes.

For me, I believe that endurolytes do stop cramping for a while. I also believe that they make it easier to take on fluid calories, but that is purely anecdotal.

I think they are a necessity. I was on the fence for awhile and even bought into the hammer philosophy but the two times I didn't use them I had nutritional problems. At IMCDA in 09 it wasn't even hot. I dropped my pills on the run and ended with hyponatremia. I still finished well but all night after the race my body just expelled water- I had to pee every hour the night after the race despite being dehydrated so I know I was hyponatremic (this is what your kidneys do as an early sign to balance your electrolyte concentration)

also at 70.3 world's last year I thought it wasn't too hot and I will just not use salt sticks at all. I ended with 10 minutes in the porta potty and covered in salt stains. 

I guess it is very different person to person but I think they are a necessity due to personal experience when you are long distance racing and FWIW I don't think hammer has it right on this one.  I think they are right about sodium in general in our diets but when it come to extreme endurance events, I think its a different story. to each their own....

There may be other reasons why you find you need them but, FWIW, this is not one of them. 

Everyone who sweats excretes salt and water.  When the water evaporates, the salt gets left behind.  Salt stains are not necessarily an indicator of a "salty" sweater.  It could be a sign that your sweat is evaporating quickly (generally a good thing, beacuse that helps in colling your body) or that you are dehydrated (not sweating enough water to keep the salts from becoming visible).  But, almost anyone doing IM or other long endurance events will end up with salt residue on them (unless, eg, they are dousing themselves with water at aid stations and washing the salt away) given the volume of sweat over the course of the event.

x2.  At IMFL last year, I was covered in salt stains; never took a single salt tab; only got electrolytes from gels, energy drink, shot blocks, and Clif Bars; and never cramped once.  Needs vary from individual to individual.