UKH

Put this in the running forum as I figure you runners know these things.

All the electrolytes I see around suggest they're for workouts of 3 hours maximum, or even the endurance ones 4 hours (with instructions like "take 1 every 2 hours, no more than 2 per day")

What to do on longer efforts e.g. an 18 hour alpine day? ignore the instructions and take more? or is there something else made for this?

After salt replenishment via tasty drink here, not energy.

In reply to Stone Muppet:

Do you need it?

I'm not sure you'll need electrolytes.

If you can access of water little bags made up of set portions of Tailwind are handy on long days, I have also used regular salt tablets (https://guenergy.com/products/roctane-electrolyte-capsules).

TBH I just use powdered gatorade, it's much cheaper (less than half the price) than tailwind and I seem to run as well if not better off gatorade powder.

Well I definitely enjoyed drinking some budget decathlon "3 hour" electrolyte on my last alpine route, feel like it helped hydrate and reduce fatigue more than plain water. But it says on the pack it's not what it's for so curious if I can do better.

In reply to Stone Muppet:

If you can stop and have a snack, as opposed to continuous running, you're not limited. It might be better to take a bag of peanuts, so you get salt, carbs and protein.

But you asked for something to add to a drink. I use SIS Hydration tablets, which taste nice and come in several flavors. You can add the recommended amount to your water bottle (2 per liter), which is probably designed to rehydrate someone doing short runs.

What I do in ultras is add a lesser amount (~1/ per l), as too much salt will act as a diuretic. It's probably better to get some electrolytes over a long period, rather than trying to get the maximum amount all the time during that period.  Also, you'll be filling up from streams and it will be hard to measure the exact concentration.

In reply to Stone Muppet:

Back in the day , Staminade was a revelation. I first discovered it around 1980, and was gutted when it went off the market. In the early 00s I even managed to import a kilo bag direct from the  Australian factory under a signed declaration that I would take any hassle from receiving a large bag of powder.

It was brilliant to mix with melted snow on bivis as you only needed to have it luke warm . Nowadays the nearest equivalent is the sis tablets. 

As you said, you just really want the electrolite/salts.

In reply to Stone Muppet: I'd use the Decathlon ones you used before and keep going at one every two or three hours

In reply to Stone Muppet:

I use CitriLyte. All the dissolvable tablets played havoc with my guts.

A bit of sodium / potassium /magnesium etc and some lemon.

I'm sure it's not ideal, but it does seem to help keep me better hydrated than water alone.