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.

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 fit guys cut down on salt for 9 days, they pee out less sodium—even when exercising in the heat—showing their bodies are adjusting and they’re sticking to the low-salt plan.

Most athletes don’t need to take extra sodium every day — there’s no strong proof it helps with performance or health, and supplement makers often make claims that aren’t backed by science.

If endurance athletes drink a lot during long workouts and also take in sodium, it might help prevent low blood salt levels — but it probably won’t make them perform better just by itself.