We’ve heard for decades: “Cut the salt.” But what if the real story isn’t simply “less salt,” but which salt, how much, and when? I dig into the true role of salt—how your body uses sodium and chloride, why athletes and biohackers often need more than the average person, and how choosing the right type of salt can improve hydration, focus, and performance.
What Salt Actually Does
Salt (primarily sodium chloride) does far more than season food. It plays a pivotal role in fluid balance, nerve signaling, muscle contraction, and maintaining the electrical voltage across your cells.
When you allow sodium levels to drop—either through excessive sweating, low-carb diets, frequent sauna sessions, or over-hydration—you reduce your cells’ voltage and impair performance.
In one study, exercise in heat coupled with low sodium intake led to significantly increased risk of low blood-sodium states. (PMC)
In another large analysis, small changes in dietary salt intake altered plasma sodium and extracellular fluid volume, which affects cellular function. (American Heart Association Journals)
This means: drinking water helps—but if you’re not supporting sodium and chloride, your hydration may stay superficial. Your body might be hydrated externally, but your cells remain under-charged.
Why “Low Salt” Settings Can Hurt Performance
If you train intensely, fast, expose yourself to heat or sauna, or follow a low?carbohydrate diet, you’re likely flushing a lot of sodium. Without replacing it:
- Blood volume may decline ? less oxygen and nutrient delivery.
- Nervous system signaling slows ? muscle performance drops.
- You may crave salt or feel sluggish and light-headed.
For example, a hydration study found that fluids with added sodium improved hydration and plasma volume recovery better than plain water after heavy exercise. (Cadence™)
Also, a recent intervention found replacing part of salt with a potassium salt had direct effects on cardiovascular outcomes—showing that the type and balance of salt matter too. (American Heart Association Journals)
So if you’re living a performance or fasting lifestyle, seeing your salt intake as a variable—not just a fixed background number—is smart.
Real Salt vs. Table Salt
Not all salts deliver equal benefit. Here’s what to look for:
- Refined table salt often contains mostly sodium chloride, with anti-caking agents, and lacks trace minerals. Over-reliance on it might disturb the electrolyte balance.
- Unrefined or mineral-rich salts, like those harvested from ancient seas or deserts, provide sodium with supporting trace minerals (magnesium, potassium, etc.) that assist cellular hydration and signaling.
- That’s why I prefer the Oryx Desert Salt—as part of my stack I use when performance, travel or recovery demand premium support.
Try Oryx Desert Salt here (affiliate link).
When you upgrade which salt you use—not just the amount—you upgrade the downstream effect on your hydration, energy and cellular voltage.
How to Use Salt Smartly
Here’s how I integrate salt into my routine (active lifestyle, travel, training) and how you can too:
- On training or sauna days: Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of high-quality salt (like Oryx) into your water or beverage after heavy sweat.
- During fasting or low?carb days: When insulin falls, kidneys excrete more sodium—so proactively add salt to prevent drop in energy and focus.
- With travel and time-zone shifts: Salt helps maintain fluid volume, prevent dehydration and support focus when your rhythm is off.
- Avoid over-doing it: If you have hypertension, kidney disease or are on sodium?restricted diets, you must consult your physician.
Myths & Reality
Myth: “All salt is bad for you.”
Reality: For many healthy, active adults, the right salt in the right context supports hydration and performance—not just cardiovascular risk.
Myth: “You don’t need salt if you drink enough water.”
Reality: Water without sodium can fail to properly hydrate at the cellular level. When plasma sodium drops, your cells lose voltage even though you’re “hydrated.”
Myth: “Salt automatically raises blood pressure.”
Reality: The relationship is more complex—diet quality, activity level, genetics and mineral balance all matter. Some trials show modest sodium changes impact blood pressure; others show context is key. (Harvard Health)
Watch: Salt & Your Family
In this YouTube episode, I walk through:
- Why salt matters for cellular voltage and hydration
- The difference between types of salt
- My actual protocol: how much, when, and how I use it
Watch now: Should You Give Babies Salt?
Bottom Line
Salt isn’t the villain—it’s how and which salt you use that determines the outcome.
Use high-quality salt, pay attention to your context (training, fasting, sweating, travel), and you’ll unlock hydration, performance, and cellular health you didn’t even know was missing.
It’s time to look at salt not just as seasoning—but as foundational to your biology and performance.
