SaltStick  Electrolyte Salt Capsules - 100 Capsules

I was getting muscle cramps while hiking and backpacking, and insomnia afterwards. I thought the problem was dehydration, so drank even more water. And the doctor had me reduce salt for blood pressure. Cramps and insomnia kept getting worse. I was sweating out too much salt and not replacing it. Now I take SaltStick Caps and Caps Plus (with caffeine) every hour while hiking and backpacking. The cramps and insomnia stopped. Sometimes I forget, and both come back hard. My blood pressure is normal. I also like that they come in vegetable capsules – most capsules are made from gelatin.

Lots of my friends brought the competitor's dissolving tablets to this thing in the desert we were at. Almost all of them struggled with headaches and fatigue. I shared a few of these and the immediate boost of electrolytes helped to resolve their symptoms very quickly. Taking these from the start helped me avoid any of those problems. If you're drinking 1-1.5 gallons of water a day and fighting heat and altitude in an extremely arid environment, you're gonna need the kind of punch these give. Highly recommended, and well worth the price tag.

I've been using SaltStick for around 3 years now and am overjoyed to finally see them on REI. For those unfamiliar with electrolyte replacement tablets, think of SaltStick as Gatorade in pill form, without the unneeded sugars and with a better electrolyte profile. Unlike other electrolyte replacement tablets, SaltStick is formulated to closely match the profile of salts the body loses during exertion. Simply put, the pills replenish exactly what you lose. I've used them during numerous ultra-marathon running events (usually taking about 2/hr, depending on water intake) and also for trekking around the world, most recently around Manaslu in Nepal. On that trek, about 4 days were in temperatures around 100 F, and SaltStick made a huge difference in keeping my electrolytes up, thus preventing cramping and improving my endurance. And, even though it's an off-label use, they came in handy when I had stomach difficulties due to food poisoning, circumstances where electrolyte replacement is a serious matter.

SaltStick Capsules are a reliable electrolyte supplement designed to support endurance athletes by replenishing sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium lost through sweat during intense workouts or long-distance events. These capsules help maintain electrolyte balance, prevent muscle cramping, and support optimal hydration without causing stomach discomfort. Especially beneficial for runners, triathletes, and cyclists, SaltStick offers a convenient, easy-to-digest way to sustain performance and reduce the risk of dehydration or bonking during training and racing. Many athletes find them essential for hot, humid conditions or extended efforts where electrolyte loss is high.

This is my go to product for electrolyte replenishment. It's small, light weight, and does the job. It's not messy and won't melt or denature in the heat I bought this after someone gave it to me during a strenuous backpacking trip. I had been trecking for maybe 3-4 hours in elevation in heat, drinking plenty of water, and snacking along the way. I still got really lightheaded, weak, and felt super dry and didn't know what happened. Someone saw me looking really sickly and offered me a tab. I perked up in minutes and realized I must have been electrolyte depleted. Since then I've carried it with me with my hikes, starting my day with one tab and usually taking a second tab about 4 miles in. For jogging, I'm trying it ever 5 miles (I'm marathon training). I'm still working on how I want to use it, but I won't be hiking without it anymore.

I used to always be a believer in gels until I got into my heavy half ironman training. Long, hot, humid bike rides and runs would wear me out and I would never have enough gels. One of these pills per hour does the trick for me and got me through my first half ironman. A must for long endurance races.

My favorite product after the drink mix( almost equal) but the capsules are the one thing I can never forget to take because I put it inside my morning pill container, and I take it before I head out the door for a workout! Then throughout my run or my workout every 30 minutes I take another capsule. I just used it at my half marathon in Houston and it made all the difference in the world… I had minimal cramping at the very end of the race which wasn’t a surprise because that’s typical! Throughout the race, I felt great. I drink the hydration in my Bivo bottle, and I use the capsules, and the chewables, but capsules were the way to go!

I was over half way done with a late August 100K in the Finger Lakes. I started to feel my legs cramp and the next thing I knew, I was going down. My muscles were contracting on their own and I thought I was done, my race was over, a DNF was on its way. My pacer pulled out a little bag of pills and I was skeptical until she explained that they were SaltStick Caps. I knew the root cause of my cramping was due to not taking in and holding onto enough electrolytes. I took two Caps, chugged some water and within 10 minutes, I was back up and on my way. Very grateful to my pacer and SaltStick for helping me finish! Now I keep some on me during all my runs.

In my experience, one pill an hour while heavily exerting effectively eliminates cramps afterwards, even overnight and into the morning.

I bought the salt stick because of the high sodium content (>300mg/capsule). Some other brands have significantly less sodium (~40mg) so you need to look at the bottle for the mg of sodium. During hot events (IM Louisville, 50mile run), I will take 1 capsule every 20-30 minutes but you have to figure out what works for you. I will also use salt sticks during long winter activities (marathon XC skiing). The salt sticks are honestly a life saver for me during long events You need to figure out how will be the easiest way to access the salt stick capsules that will work for you. I use really small medicine baggies (at Pharmacy) because the capsules have to stay dry otherwise the gel container melts. I haven't tried the container made by salt stick. It didn't seem to carry enough for how long I am out on the bike.