The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Illnesses/Ailments › low sodium
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Posted by joanne
I am 62 years old and have been doing Bikram Yoga for 8 years now. My doctor takes blood tests yearly and my sodium level has become low. As I understand the numbers on this the range for good health is 135-148 mq/L and I have fluctuated between 132 (my lowest point was last year)-137. I think it’s because I’m not doing the proper thing to recover after doing the hot yoga three times a week. I’m wondering what I need to take and if it needs to be done right after yoga class. Is there a drink that will insure my electrolytes are not off?
Posted by Hannahjustbreathe
Hi Joanne,
I asked this same question only six months ago, when I started noticing symptoms of low/unbalanced electrolytes in my system. I woke up each morning with a headache that I nursed throughout the day. I was constantly cold and shivering and noticed my fingers always felt like ice. My digestion was off, too.
When I asked one of my instructors about this, she told me that I could do a few things to help my system recover more quickly after class:
1. Coconut water. It’s a God-send, I swear. Low in calories, high in electrolytes, and very refreshing. VitaCoco and Zico are brands sold at Whole Foods and some health stores. A lot of studios are starting to carry it, too.
2. Smartwater. Some think it tastes funny and is a rip off, but I’ve found it to be helpful, considering its pure water enhanced with exactly what we’re seeking—electrolytes.
3. Fruit. Bananas, black grapes, and oranges especially have helped me. I think most fruits in general would be good though, considering their volume-heavy foods rich in nutrients and water.
4. A salty snack to help replace sodium. I really like salted almonds, crackers and peanut butter, or some hard-boiled egg whites with salt and pepper.
5. Protein. This is where I was really killing myself. I definitely was not eating enough protein to help my muscles rebuild after a tough class. We might crave carbs, but it’s the protein that will help our bodies recover and help fuel our energy in our next class.
I’m sure there are many, many other things you could do, but these are just a few food tricks I’ve learned that have certainly helped my recovery time between classes.
Good luck!
HannahAfter two years of enjoying Bikram yoga–I crashed with heat exhaustion a couple of days *After* a yoga class. Rapid and irregular heart beats and a sudden inability to take in fluids. Consequently, I lost the ability to sweat or have any tears, any fluids. Unable to sleep, I was literally standing at the toilet peeing while drinking Powerade–the liquid was going right through me. Now, about two months later, I have recovered the ability to sweat although some chest pain remains. After blood work, my doctor told me to increase salt intake. I can’t stand the taste of salt and I have a low sodium diet–relying on the sodium that is commonly found in most foods. After 2 years, I do not understand the sudden change since I have been low salt for my entire adult life. I went to get a second opinion from a cardiologist–he also told me to consume more salt. I have purchased salt tablets and I now take them once a day. My sweating has recovered and my chest pains have improved significantly. I am still fatigued but my sleep is now normal.
I am still baffled by the experience. One theory is that I ignored my salt intake and with the hot yoga–it gradually brought me to crash level. 2) the yoga classroom is commonly too hot and the increased pressure of classes over 105 degrees pushed me over the edge. 3) I have an underlying abnormality with my adrenal glands. 4) a knee injury changed my routine and my fitness so everything that was working in sync changed so that I was suddenly more vulnerable–how–I do not understand.
“Electrolytes” is a general term–I am mineral rich but salt is a separate topic. It seems for my health–I am suddenly very salt sensitive. Did Bikram yoga CREATE this susceptibility? Is it the normal process of sweating a lot? If so–why did I not crash sooner or have any warning?
Gabrielle–Robert–any comments are appreciated.
this is a post close to heart for me because I was treated overnight in the hospital for low sodium (117) this can happen I was told by the docs two ways….. one sudden and the other chronic or over a period of time. I CAN NOT nor will I attempt to speak for your experience but here is what my case was like…………
I too was getting slowly more drained and tired and unable to sleep
I was up ALL hours as you said peeing AND TMI but having problems holding my bladder in some cases
I did not have the extreme loss of fluid (ie tears and sweat) as you described but I DID gain 5 lbs in water weight
one day all of a sudden I got really fuzzy and funny and I knew something was really wrong. I drove to the ER and was treated. Told to take tablets as you were and given a better education about the amount of I water I actually do need in a day (even on Bikram days) 2 litres w/o class and 3 w class MAX not the 4-6 I was drinking LOL Long story short … I was drinking too much water and diluting my blood sodium,
Now I take one tab before and one after limit my water to a more appropriate amount and after over a month of a 6x per week practice and 3 tests… I come back a SOLID 139 and feel GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Hi David and Amy
Amy makes a great point. One can’t drink an unlimited amount of water. There is such a thing as water toxicity! And of course when you are constantly sweating the balance can be so easily upset. David, on more than one occasion and in different threads on the forum you have mentioned how high the temperatures are at your studio, and if I remember correctly that the conditions may not be very consistent. You have made some very important points about the hot environment. So no, I don’t think the yoga itself was the cause. Maybe a combination of the environment, the amount of water you were drinking and fluids you were losing (and so on).
The body is an amazingly resilient vessel. Many, many times changes will happen that fly below the radar. Then the thing that takes you over the edge creates something cathartic. As Amy said your problem can surface in a sudden way or as a result of slow changes. I imagine that people as observant and diligent as you (both) probably find it hard to believe that it could creep up on you like it could have. And yet …
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks Gabrielle and Amy for also chiming in. I do worry about the long-term affect of the heat with intense exercise and this is why I have always said that hot yoga is “not for everyone.” Indeed, I might have been referring to myself unintentionally.
I continue to be a bit mystified and let me explain. Amy says that her sodium was a low 117. Before I took any salt or salt tablets, my doctor gave me the blood tests. After the fact, I went and asked for a copy of that report. When I had the shallow and rapid heart beat and not not taken any salt tablet or added salt in my diet–my sodium was a solid 141–potassium fine, chloride, fine–in fact–everything looked fine. So I need to understand again–why the crash? Why the symptoms of heat exhaustion? and no–I don’t think I had too much water. I was a bit perturbed that the cardiologist I waited so long to see for the second opinion abruptly interrupted my saga and said my internist was right–have more salt and that is that. But if my sodium was 141 *before*–no doubt it must be higher now.
Now I must admit that four straight days of a salt tablet and my heart beat does feel stronger. I bet my blood pressure is up a bit, however so this is a very delicate thing. I ate for salty food for lunch so no salt tablet today.
I have dealt well with hot yoga in the past so I feel I will surely get back into it again. But before I do–I want to work my body back in shape before I attempt a class–but I will make one more appeal for suggestions.
I have slept a whole heck of a lot. I consume every recommended vitamin and mineral I can find. I am doing acupuncture and I am taking Chinese herbs. I am taking the salt tablet as long as it seems to agree with me.
Thanks so much for the attention.
a norm sodium is 136-145 just for fyi any other ideas about what it could be???? any other health issues?
That’s right, Amy.
But I must admit the salt tablet did have a positive affect on my heart but if that number is right–by the numbers–I don’t seem to need the salt.
I don’t seem to have a heart problem although I get periodic chest pains that could be related to stress. As a result–I took an elaborate EKG and I have an ejection fraction of 65 which is good.
I have never had a tough time during hot yoga class. No fainting or trouble finishing or anything like that.
I am now out of shape so I will try to build myself back up and try a class since I seem to be sweating well again.
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