Q:

Because I'm a college student I eat lots of canned foods which are high in sodium. I am also a serious distance runner and so I sweat a lot daily. Does this make a higher sodium intake ok? Does it work like that?

 

A:

You're correct that your body loses some sodium from sweating. The most important thing is that you stay hydrated. If you are drinking Gatorade, or other electrolyte replacement beverages, and eating salty chips, pretzels, crackers and other processed foods, then the salt in the canned foods will add up. If you're eating mostly unprocessed "whole" foods, such as whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, unsalted nuts, lean meats, eggs and beans, then canned foods aren’t that big of a deal. I'd recommend eating canned veggies rather than none at all! To reduce the sodium content of canned veggies and beans, you can put them in a strainer and rinse them before eating.

~The Doc