Even after sweating a lot during workouts in different temperatures, trained athletes don't suddenly start craving saltier foods or become more sensitive to salt taste — their bodies don't seem to react right away to low sodium levels.

Some athletes sweat out a lot of salt, and because everyone's different, a few need to eat more salt to stay healthy and avoid serious problems like low sodium or heat illness.

Athletes don't eat more salt or like salty food more than people who don't exercise, even though they lose salt through sweat during workouts.

If endurance-trained guys eat less salt for 9 days, their blood sodium drops — even if they drink enough water — especially when they bike in the heat. This suggests long-term salt intake might affect how their body handles hydration in hot weather.

Even if it doesn’t show up as a clear result in small studies, salty supplements might still make endurance cyclists feel thirstier during long rides in cool weather — possibly because salt affects how the body senses thirst.

Athletes don’t need to eat more salt than couch potatoes—our bodies adjust how much salt we lose, and most athletes already get plenty from their food.