Terry L. VanderWert, Author at Senior Triathletes

Why Even “Injury-Free” Streaks Can End Suddenly

Terry L. VanderWert on December 11, 2025

Senior triathlete experiencing an unexpected injury during a training run

by Joseph R. Simonetta and edited by Terry VanderWert

Editor’s Introduction

Senior triathletes know the satisfaction of training consistently for weeks or months without interruption—only to have an injury appear out of nowhere and derail progress. These episodes often feel mysterious or unfair, especially when they arise during an easy workout instead of a hard one.

In late 2025, longtime endurance athlete Joe Simonetta, age 82, experienced exactly that kind of setback. After more than five months of uninterrupted, injury-free training, a calf strain emerged during a controlled, moderate run—something he had done thousands of times.

Joe’s story matters because it illustrates a principle well-supported in research: the body’s vulnerability is often invisible, especially in the days following illness or heavy physiological stress. Exercise immunology and muscle-injury research shed light on what really happened and why these situations are more predictable than they appear.

With that context, here is Joe’s account of what occurred—and what he learned.

Five Months Injury-Free — Then Failure: The Hidden Science of Setback and Recovery

By Joseph R. Simonetta

For more than five months, I trained without a single injury — no calf cramps, no strains, no interruptions. Just steady progress, steady adaptation, and the gratifying sense that I had finally discovered the formula that had eluded me for much of my athletic life.

This stretch of injury-free training wasn’t luck. It was earned: careful pacing, consistent brick workouts, swimming rhythm, weights and speed bag sessions, compression sleeves, electrolyte discipline, magnesium, hydration, listening to my body, and no jump rope.

Then, suddenly, it failed.

My left calf — the same area that had derailed training cycles before — signaled a sharp, unmistakable warning. Not during a sprint. Not during a hard interval. Not during a reckless push. It happened during a controlled, moderate run. Something I’d done thousands of times.

At first, the frustration came in hot: Five months. Five months of doing everything right. What happened?

But the more I examined it — with science, experience, and honesty — the clearer the answer became.

This setback wasn’t a mystery. It wasn’t a “failure.” It wasn’t even a surprise.

It was physiology. It was predictable. And it carries a lesson worth sharing.

The Body Keeps a Ledger

Four days before the calf injury, I had a gastrointestinal episode. It came on suddenly one evening: bloating, inability to sleep, vomiting, diarrhea, exhaustion the next morning.

It wasn’t catastrophic. But it quietly disrupted the internal balance the body relies on:

electrolyte levels
hydration status
absorption of nutrients
glycogen availability
sleep quality
neuromuscular timing
hormone rhythms
inflammation levels

Even after the symptoms disappeared, the physiological fallout continued — silently, invisibly.

When the stomach settles, we assume recovery is complete. But the body knows better. The deeper systems take time.

This idea is strongly supported by research. Nieman’s often-cited 1994 review in the International Journal of Sports Medicine describes a J-curve relationship between exercise load and infection risk: moderate exercise strengthens immunity, while heavy training or underlying physiological stress increases vulnerability. Illness, dehydration, and disrupted sleep all push athletes into the “high-risk” part of the J-curve—where the body is still compromised even when we feel fine.

The Soleus: The Most Crucial Muscle That Nobody Sees

Most people think of the calf as one muscle. It isn’t.

It is two muscles:

the gastrocnemius (the visible one),
the soleus (the deep one beneath).

The soleus is the engine of steady running. It absorbs shock. It propels the body forward. It stabilizes the ankle. And it does more work at slow and moderate speeds than at fast speeds.

Paradoxically, the slower you run, the harder the soleus works.

It is also the slowest-healing muscle in the body. After any disruption — illness, dehydration, heat fatigue, electrolyte imbalance — the soleus is the first to weaken and the last to recover. And it rarely gives warning. It feels fine… until it doesn’t. That’s exactly what happened.

Research confirms that soleus injuries are among the most common calf injuries in endurance athletes and often take longer to heal than similar injuries in the gastrocnemius. Pedret et al. (2015) found that the recovery time correlates with age, sport, and other factors. They also observed that soleus injuries involving the central tendon require the longest recovery times and are prone to reinjury if athletes resume training before the muscle has fully recovered.

The two main muscles of the calf are the soleus and the gastrocnemius.

The “Silent Vulnerability” Problem

Training load doesn’t break the body. Accumulated vulnerability does. In my case:

GI illness weakened hydration and electrolyte balance
Heat training raised physiological stress
Sleep was disrupted
Overall fatigue increased
The soleus, already a historically sensitive area, was slightly compromised
Running load reintroduced too soon
The internal equilibrium was off
The system gave way

But here’s the important point: The injury didn’t happen because of the run. The run simply exposed the imbalance that already existed.

The run was the match, not the tinder. The tinder came from metabolic disruption, dehydration, and the invisible aftermath of illness.

A Lesson in Resilience — Not Age

I just turned 82. People might assume the injury is age-related. But that’s an oversimplification — and incorrect.

Younger athletes experience the same phenomenon:

They feel fully recovered from a cold. They push a workout. Something strains. They’re surprised

Injury is not a linear function of age.

It is a probabilistic outcome of load, recovery, sleep, hydration, stress, and internal equilibrium.

Age changes the timeline of recovery, not the mechanism of injury.

My five months of uninterrupted training prove that age is not the determining factor. My sudden calf strain proves that physiology remains physiology, regardless of the birth certificate. What matters is awareness, adaptation, and wisdom — qualities earned over time.

Setback Is Part of Progress

Training is not a straight line. It is a series of gentle waves:

feeling strong
feeling flat
feeling energized
feeling lethargic
feeling resilient
feeling vulnerable
feeling unstoppable
feeling interrupted

These fluctuations aren’t signs of inconsistency — they’re signs of life.

Progress lives in the alternation between strain and repair. In effort followed by recovery. In balance regained after balance disrupted.

The architecture of endurance is not built in perfect symmetry. It is built in continual re-equilibration.

Setback isn’t the opposite of progress. It’s the mechanism of progress.

What the Body Teaches Us

If there is a larger lesson from this small injury, it is this:
The body is always speaking.
Often quietly.
Often subtly.
Always truthfully.
It tells us when equilibrium is off.
It tells us when vulnerability is rising.
It tells us when recovery is incomplete.
It tells us when we are pretending to be stronger than we are.
And the body does not lie.
When it speaks, it doesn’t punish.
It informs.
This calf strain wasn’t a step backward.
It was a message: Slow down. Adjust. Recover. Rebuild.
A message worth heeding.
A message rooted not in age, but in intelligence.
The body’s intelligence.

Moving Forward

I will recover — as I always do. The calf will return to full strength.

I will run again. I will return to bricks, swims, weights, and steady conditioning.

I will be ready for my next competition and beyond.

But I go forward with a deeper understanding.

Recovery must be respected
Illness affects the body longer than we realize
Vulnerability accumulates quietly
Equilibrium is dynamic
Setback is not failure; it’s information
Resilience is the true measure of an athlete
Wisdom is more valuable than strength

At 82, I train not just to compete — but to learn. And the body remains my greatest teacher.

Closing Reflection

Five months injury-free wasn’t luck.

This injury wasn’t failure.

They were both part of the same continuum.

The body moves in cycles of growth, fatigue, disruption, and renewal.

When we understand this — truly understand it — we become not only stronger athletes, but wiser human beings.

And that, ultimately, is the real endurance sport.

Editorial Summary: What Senior Triathletes Should Take from Joe’s Experience

Joe’s story illustrates several lessons backed by research and highly relevant to senior endurance athletes:

After illness, you may feel fine before your body is fine.

Electrolytes, inflammation, and neuromuscular coordination may still be disrupted for 48–96 hours after GI distress, poor sleep, or heavy exertion, even when symptoms have resolved.

Resume training gradually after any illness.

Use a “50–70 percent rule” for two to three days and assess how the body responds.

What is this “rule?” It means gradually increasing your training volume and intensity from about 50% to 70% of normal over 2–3 days. This gives the body time to rebuild neuromuscular coordination, electrolyte balance, hydration levels, and immune stability before returning to full workload.

The soleus deserves special attention.

It does most of the work during easy running—precisely when many senior athletes get injured. Strengthening (e.g., bent-knee calf raises) and slow progression after illness are essential.

Setbacks are part of the endurance lifestyle.

They are not signs of decline; they are signals. Learning from them is a mark of athletic maturity.

Questions and Comments

Have you had an experience similar to Joe’s? What did you learn from it? Share these with us in the Comments below.

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Smart Sugar Strategies for Senior Triathletes: Fueling for Endurance After 50

Terry L. VanderWert on November 18, 2025

Introduction

I imagine that all of us have heard about the evils of added sugar. According to an article titled Metabolism and Health Impacts of Dietary Sugars published in the Journal of Lipid and Atherosclerosis, “Excessive intake of sugars, especially fructose and sucrose (a dimer of glucose and fructose monomers), are highly correlated with metabolic disease including obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, and cardiovascular disease.”

Still, many sports drinks and gels contain significant amounts of added sugars. So, what do we do with this apparent contradiction?

As we continue to push limits in triathlon, duathlon, or aquathlon later in life, our nutritional needs evolve. For the 50+ athlete—man or woman—understanding how your body processes sugar is essential not only for performance but for long-term health.

Age, hormonal changes, and medical conditions like atrial fibrillation (AFib) or fatty liver can alter how we handle sugar. This post breaks down what happens when you consume different sugars, how men and women differ in how our bodies handle them, and how to fuel smarter for your next multisport adventure.

What Sugars Are We Talking About?

The three main sugars we are concerned about in this post are glucose, fructose, and sucrose.

Glucose, sometimes referred to as dextrose, is the body’s primary circulating sugar. When you eat glucose it’s absorbed in the gut, raises blood glucose, triggers insulin release, and is taken up by muscle, fat, and other tissues (or stored as glycogen).

Fructose (the other half of table sugar-sucrose-and a big component of high-fructose corn syrup) is absorbed but handled largely by the intestine and liver, not by insulin-responsive muscle. The liver converts fructose into intermediates that can refill glycogen but can also be pushed into de novo lipogenesis (creating fat), raising triglycerides and uric acid in some situations. This is why excess fructose is linked to fatty liver, higher triglycerides and metabolic harm. Fructose-rich added sugars (soda, many processed foods) are more likely to produce unfavorable metabolic effects when consumed in excess compared with the modest fructose in whole fruit. Lest you fall prey to advertising, be aware that some types of agave nectar contain up to 90% fructose and 10% glucose.

Sucrose (table sugar) contains one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose. Your body breaks sucrose into the two component sugars and then processes each as above.

Chemically, these sugar molecules are the same whether they come from an apple or from soda. But in the real-world, they behave differently. Whole fruits contain fiber, water, vitamins, and polyphenols slow absorption, blunt blood-sugar spikes, and provide satiety — reducing total sugar exposure. By contrast, refined/added sugars (sodas, sweets) give a quick, large sugar load with few nutrients. Because of this, refined sugars promote higher post-meal glucose, insulin spikes, and more calories consumed. For most healthy people, eating sugar inside whole fruit is not associated with the same harms as drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage.

What Happens When You Ingest Sugar

When you eat carbohydrates—whether from a banana or a bottle of sports drink—your body breaks them into the simple sugars glucose and fructose.

Glucose raises blood sugar and provides quick energy to muscles.
Fructose, handled mainly by the liver, refills glycogen but can also turn to fat if overconsumed.

This is why the type, timing, and source of your sugar intake matter. But, so do other factors, which I address in the next sections.

Men vs. Women: Different Metabolic Responses

Research shows clear sex-based differences in glucose metabolism and cardiometabolic risk, especially around menopause when estrogen levels decline.

Body composition & hormones: Men typically carry more muscle mass and have a generally higher resting metabolic rate. Women often carry more subcutaneous fat and have different fat-distribution patterns and hormonal influences (especially pre- vs post-menopause). These differences affect how glucose is taken up and used and how insulin sensitivity is maintained. They even how carbs are stored and mobilized.
Insulin sensitivity: Women (especially pre-menopausal) often maintain somewhat better insulin sensitivity than men. After menopause, estrogen drop can lead to increased insulin resistance, more central fat accumulation, and a higher risk of metabolic issues.
Fueling strategy: Because of these differences, women may benefit from slightly more cautious carbohydrate dosing (especially added sugars). They may want to rely more on steady, lower-glycemic carbs rather than high sugar loads. Men may tolerate higher absolute carb loads (thanks to more muscle mass) but they too must respect age-related changes.
Endurance performance implications: For both sexes, during long sessions the gut’s ability to absorb carbohydrate becomes a limiter—so specialized blends (glucose + a bit of fructose) may help. But the ideal ratio/dose may differ slightly by sex (and gut tolerance), so personalized testing – before race day – is key.

How Aging Changes Sugar Metabolism

As we age, our bodies gradually become less efficient at handling the sugar we eat. This is true even if we maintain an active lifestyle. Much of this change comes down to shifts in muscle mass, hormones, and daily training patterns. One of the most important factors is the age-related decline in muscle tissue. Muscle acts as a major “sink” for glucose. With less muscle available, especially if strength training has taken a back seat, sugar lingers in the bloodstream longer than it once did.

At the same time, insulin—the hormone that helps move glucose into cells—tends to become less effective. This age-related drop in insulin sensitivity doesn’t necessarily mean someone will develop diabetes. However, it does mean that larger sugar spikes can occur from foods that previously caused little reaction. Hormonal changes amplify this effect in both men and women, especially during and after menopause.

Finally, as many of us naturally shift toward slightly lighter or less intense training loads after 50, we simply burn through fewer carbohydrates each day. That means more unused sugar circulating after meals unless we adapt our nutrition to match our activity level.

Putting this together, older athletes do well to focus on whole-food carbohydrates—fruits, vegetables, and grains—for everyday eating, and to reserve concentrated sugars for training or recovery when they are most likely to be used efficiently. Strength training becomes an essential part of nutritional health, not only athletic performance, because maintaining muscle helps maintain glucose control.

Fructose, AFib, and Liver Health

Fructose plays a unique role in our metabolism, and its relationship with heart and liver health becomes more important as we age. Unlike glucose, fructose is processed almost entirely in the liver. In modest amounts—such as the natural fructose found in whole fruit—this system works beautifully. Problems arise when the liver receives large doses from sweetened sports drinks, processed snacks, or high-fructose sweeteners common in packaged foods.

Over time, excessive fructose can overwhelm the liver’s ability to store or process it, contributing to fat buildup in the liver and increased insulin resistance. These changes don’t just affect metabolism; they spill over into cardiovascular health. Chronically elevated blood sugar and insulin levels create the kind of inflammation and oxidative stress associated with a greater risk of atrial fibrillation.

For athletes with AFib or those who have been told their liver enzymes are “a little high,” paying attention to sugar sources becomes especially important. Natural fructose from fruit is rarely the issue; it’s the repeated, high-dose fructose exposures from packaged foods and sweetened drinks that create trouble. Fortunately, endurance athletes can still use mixed-carbohydrate fueling during long training or racing. The key is to keep these sugary fuels tied to exercise, when your muscles are ready to use the extra sugar rather than pass it on to the liver.

If you have AFib, fatty liver, or metabolic concerns, it’s wise to keep added fructose low and discuss fueling plans with your doctor or a sports nutrition professional who understands endurance training.

Practical Fueling Summary for 50+ Multisport Athletes

Here’s a handy table summarizing best carb practices across daily contexts:

Context	Best Carb Approach	Fructose Role
Daily eating	Whole foods (vegetables, whole grains, fruit)	Natural fructose in fruit is fine; avoid added sugars
Training < 90 min	Water + electrolytes, such as a banana or other simple carb snack	Minimal added fructose
Long training / race	Glucose + small fructose mix (approx. 2:1 glucose: fructose ratio)	Helps carb absorption and energy delivery if your gut tolerates
Recovery	Glucose-based carbs + whole fruit	Natural fructose from fruit supports glycogen restoration naturally

Remember Your Goal

A major change that occurred during Joy’s and my triathlon adventure was the foods we ate. There were plenty that we gave up. In particular, limiting processed sugar in our diet became part of our triathlon lifestyle.

Natural over processed: Choose fruit and whole carbs instead of sweetened drinks.
Age smart: Adjust carb intake to your training volume and recovery rate.
Gender aware: Recognize hormonal and metabolic differences in fueling response.
Health aligned: Be extra cautious with added fructose if you have liver disease, AFib, or insulin resistance.
Train it: Always test fueling strategies before race day.

Your goal isn’t just speed—it’s sustainable endurance and long-term health.

Disclaimer

I’ve written this post based on my best understanding of the science and research I’ve reviewed, as well as my personal experience as a senior triathlete. However, I am not a medical professional. Nutrition, metabolism, heart rhythm conditions, and liver health can vary greatly from person to person.

If you have questions about how this information applies to your own health or fueling strategy—especially if you have atrial fibrillation, liver concerns, diabetes, or other medical conditions—please consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider. The information in this post is not intended as medical advice. I am not responsible for any inaccuracies or misunderstandings.

Questions

Is this post useful for your triathlon training and racing? What would make it more valuable? Please share your thoughts in the Comments below.

AI’s Impact On Triathlon Coaching for Older Athletes

Terry L. VanderWert on November 16, 2025

Jennifer Reinhart, one of the seniortriathletes.com coaches

by Kurt Madden

The following question from one reader is the basis for this post: “How has AI really affected triathlon coaching for older athletes? What does the human coach add?”

The One Thing That Never Changes

As the sport of triathlon continues to evolve, one constant remains: change. Gear, training plans, and the role of professional coaching have transformed significantly over the years.

This article aims to illustrate how technology, artificial intelligence, algorithms, and a professional coach can add value to the triathlon journey for senior athletes.

AI’s Strength for Senior Triathletes

Much like how apps and technology enable more efficient routes when traveling to unfamiliar places, our sport can be trained more effectively by using vetted, fine-tuned AI-driven training plans. However, a simple AI or chatbot, like ChatGPT, cannot incorporate all the factors influencing training success—such as age, start date, lifestyle, nutrition, body metrics, stress, readiness, and environmental variables.

In essence, generic plans might work for one person but not another. Companies claiming to use AI often differ widely in their approach. Conversely, platforms like TriDot are designed to provide senior athletes with:

Age-Specific Personalization: Adjusts workout intensity, volume, and recovery based on the athlete’s age. For example, a 65-year-old receives different prescriptions compared to a 35-year-old, ensuring effective yet safe training.
Normalized Training Stress (NTS): Quantifies training stress considering age, fitness, and environmental conditions, reducing injury risk and promoting long-term consistency.
Environmental Normalization: Adjusts guidance based on variables like temperature, humidity, elevation, and terrain, allowing seniors to train optimally in various settings.
Fewer Injuries & Improved Performance: Data shows that senior athletes training with platforms like TriDot experience fewer injuries and significant performance gains—some qualifying for world championships while training fewer hours than traditional plans.
Continuous Adaptation: The system updates prescriptions based on ongoing performance and recovery data, helping athletes avoid overtraining and ensuring progress.

Where Does a Coach Come In?

A common question might be: “If I use a vetted AI training platform, why do I need a coach?”

Throughout my career as an educator, coach, and consultant, I’ve seen the immense value of a “thought partner” or accountability partner. Every athlete is unique—like a puzzle piece—and having a coach skilled in emotional intelligence and personalized guidance can be priceless.

A professional coach can benefit any athlete at any distance. Sure, a person doing a sprint race will face different issues and challenges than a person doing a 70.3 or full distance event. Still, they all benefit from the human support.

Relative to AI, a professional coach can leverage AI platforms to address:

Medical history, medications, orthopedic limitations, surgical history
Adjustments for arthritis, bone health, tendons, and prior injuries
Menopause- or andropause-specific recovery and strength strategies
Technique improvements (swim stroke, bike fit, run gait)
Smarter recovery and strength programs
Personalized nutrition and race fueling strategies
Data interpretation (HRV, sleep, fatigue) for injury prevention
Decision-making strategies, such as when to cut or modify sessions
Motivation, mental skills, and race rehearsal guidance

Here’s What Senior Triathletes Say

The synergy of a vetted AI platform with a credentialed coach provides the “best of both worlds.” Conversations with athletes and coaches indicate that this combined approach can improve performance by approximately 30%.

Here are testimonials from two senior female triathletes using TriDot and my coaching services:

“As a 61-year-old with nearly two decades of racing, I was invited by my coach, Kurt Madden, to share my experience with AI-based training. Before Tridot in 2018, I relied on generic plans and brief coaching support. Despite aging, my drive remains strong. AI helped me train smarter by personalizing daily plans based on my thresholds, age, and environmental factors. Over the years, it emphasized more rest and Zone 2 training without sacrificing performance. My VO2max and race results have improved or remained steady in seven years—without injury. AI can manage training effectively, but it cannot replace the emotional and strategic support of a coach. Together, they offer the best outcome.”

And, here is what another senior triathlete wrote:

“Approaching 70 and with 20 years of Ironman and 70.3 races, I initially used Tridot’s AI plans without a coach. The AI was helpful but lacked personal insight into mental and life challenges. When I qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Nice, I partnered with a coach to add that human element. The coach tailored my training, helped me avoid overtraining, and ensured safety. AI provided the foundation, while the coach ensured my success—especially for an older athlete.”

The Choice Is Yours

In conclusion, triathlons are a complex sport, blending swimming, biking, running, strength training, recovery, nutrition, race strategy, and more. Some athletes prefer a DIY route, while others seek long-term sustainability and enjoyment through top-tier training platforms paired with experienced coaches. The right combination can make all the difference.

What Has Been Your Experience?

Let us know in the Comments below what you have learned about the pros and cons of an AI-only training plan.

Electrolytes: Vital for Hydration and Performance of Senior Triathletes

Terry L. VanderWert on November 1, 2025

Electrolytes play a critical role in keeping senior endurance athletes hydrated. These elements and simple chemical compounds make sure the water we consume is available to support key bodily functions.

Hydration Is Vital To Triathlon Training and Racing

The Senior Triathletes post, What Masters Athletes Need To Know About Nutrition, includes the following statement:

Water is necessary for regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients throughout our bodies, lubricating joints, and other bodily processes. However, as we age, thirst becomes less reliable as an indicator of hydration level. With the less sensitive thirst response, we are more likely to become dehydrated and, therefore, need to pay more attention to staying hydrated.

Many of the senior triathletes whose experiences are described in Our Stories have provided firsthand evidence of the importance of hydration. Pat Hawks, for example, has seen the terrible consequences of becoming dehydrated in other triathletes. For this reason, she has become a stickler about staying hydrated, especially during hard exercise and races. To make sure she has adequate electrolytes, she often drinks coconut water because of its potassium content.

When Steve Stewart forgot to follow his hydration plan during IRONMAN Wisconsin 2021, he became dehydrated and eventually dropped out of the race. Laurent Labbe had a similar experience.

More recently, I learned that dehydration can be a trigger for the heart condition atrial fibrillation (Afib) and can lead to increased blood pressure.

Why Is Dehydration During Strenuous Exercise A Problem?

Each of our trillions of cells requires fluid to maintain their shape and to perform their function. Related to physical exercise accompanying triathlon and other multi-sport endurance training and racing, these functions include:

Cellular respiration involving breakdown of glucose to produce energy as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This process produces carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a waste product. Dehydration can, therefore, lead to reduced energy.
Protein metabolism in which amino acids are broken down, making them available for various bodily functions. This process produces nitrogen-containing waste, such as ammonia. The cells also convert ammonia into less toxic compounds which are eliminated by the kidneys after being removed from the cell.
Lipid metabolism breaks down fats (lipids) to produce energy. This process can generate waste products, such as ketones.
DNA and RNA turnover and repair. These processes have a unique set of waste products, some of which are recycled or converted to other molecules.
Cells are also responsible for neutralizing and eliminating toxins or certain foreign substances. There may be waste products within the cell from efforts to deal with the toxins.

As you can see, we have a lot going on within our bodies and it’s happening 24/7. But these processes can only occur properly if we have fed and hydrated our bodies correctly.

Did You Know You Can Become Dehydrated Even While Drinking Water?

Yes, you may become dehydrated at a cellular level even if you are drinking water. Cellular dehydration occurs when there is an imbalance between the water entering and leaving the cells. This leads to a decrease in the overall water content within the cells.

Even for a seemingly healthy person, an imbalance or loss of electrolytes will contribute to cellular dehydration, despite adequate water intake.

How Do Electrolytes Contribute to Cellular Hydration?

According to information in What Is Hydration on a Cellular Level and Why Is It Important?, electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and bicarbonate play a vital role in maintaining the balance of fluids within and around cells.

“Taking in enough fluid is the first step to achieving cellular hydration. Your cell membranes are highly permeable to water (meaning they permit water to pass through them), and water follows osmotic gradients. Osmotic gradients are generated when the concentration of solutes, such as sodium, is higher on one side of the membrane than the other.

“In the context of your cells, this means if you don’t have enough water circulating through your body, water will be drawn from the inside of the cells due to increased osmotic pressure — causing those cells to shrink. When your body contains enough water, this lowers the concentration of solutes in your body fluids, which allows more water to move inside of the cells and restore their shape.”

Electrolytes, a subset of the broader category of solutes, are essential to hydration. These minerals carry an electric charge and help maintain various physiological functions in the body. If there is an imbalance in electrolytes, especially sodium, cellular dehydration occurs. For the endurance athlete, proper electrolyte balance is necessary for optimal muscle contractions, nerve function, and overall cellular function.

Why Senior Triathletes Need More Sodium Than Standard Guidelines Suggest

Sweating is the body’s natural mechanism for cooling during exercise. Sweating not only releases water but also essential electrolytes, including sodium, magnesium, potassium, and iodine. Drinking only water can dilute blood sodium levels.

A problem can arise from the fact that most public health salt recommendations are intended for sedentary adults—not active adults over 50 who train for triathlons. Therefore, restricting sodium can actually backfire senior triathletes. Losing significant quantities of electrolytes raises the risk of dehydration, muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness, and exercise-associated hyponatremia.

Drinking only water can lead to us become functionally dehydrated during longer training sessions or races. Even mild dehydration leads to fatigue, reduced endurance, and impaired concentration as energy production wanes and waste products build up inside cells. The latter is believed to be one cause of muscle cramps.

Research cited in The Salt Fix shows athletes may lose 1,400–2,800 mg of sodium per hour depending on temperature and intensity. That means a single workout can exceed the daily recommended sodium intake.

For older athletes—who often sweat less efficiently and may have reduced thirst signals—getting the right balance of sodium and fluids becomes even more important.

Benefits of Adequate Sodium for Senior Triathletes

Better hydration and heat tolerance
Fewer muscle cramps and less fatigue
Improved power, stamina, and recovery
Lower risk of hyponatremia during endurance events

Practical Guidelines for Salt Dosing

Many endurance athletes benefit from:

~½ tsp salt (~1,150mg sodium) 30 minutes before exercise
½–1 tsp salt per hour during long training or hot conditions

Electrolyte tablets, sports drinks, bouillon, pickle juice, and salt added to food can all work. The author of The Salt Fix recommends Redmonds Real Salt, an ancient sea salt mined in the USA. This salt contains a broad profile of minerals in addition to sodium. These include calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iodine.

Always consider personal health history and consult a physician before adjusting sodium.

Bottom line: For senior triathletes, sodium isn’t the enemy—it’s a performance and safety essential.

How To Stay Hydrated At A Cellular Level

Staying hydrated at a cellular level involves diligence but not necessarily great expense. Not only does being hydrated help us perform at our best, it aids in recovery between workouts. Replenishing fluids lost during strenuous activity helps the body repair damaged tissue, remove waste products, and restore a state of balance. By staying hydrated, we can maintain our energy levels and perform at our best.

Here are the actions we should take to ensure proper hydration at a cellular level.

Choose Electrolyte-Rich Foods

According to Put Down the Sugary Sports Drink—These 9 Foods Naturally Replenish Electrolytes, here are nine foods and drinks easy to find at the store AND natural sources of electrolytes.

Bananas
Greek yogurt
Spinach
Watermelon
Oats
Avocado
Lemon juice
Coconut water
Sea salt (see below for more about this)

Fruits and vegetables are sources of water and electrolytes — Most fruits and vegetables contain 80% to 95% water. Many also provide much needed electrolytes.

Drink Water Throughout The Day

To help you set a daily goal, consider this calculator for daily water intake. Remember that coffee and tea, in moderation, are legitimate sources of water. So, are many foods.

According to What Masters Athletes Need To Know About Nutrition:

“It is helpful to remember that water can come in many forms. These include the obvious ones, including coffee, tea, milk, and soup. Water can also be consumed in fruits and vegetables. Registered nutritionist and chef Ian Harris points out that ‘vegetables such as celery, cucumber, iceberg lettuce, tomato and zucchini contain over ninety percent water’. In addition, ‘melons such as cantaloupe and watermelon have some of the highest water content, at more than 90 percent.’ Many other commonly available fruits contain over 80 percent water.”

Since it takes time for our body to absorb and distribute water we ingest, sipping water throughout the day is more effective than downing a day’s volume in one or two sittings.

Add Electrolytes To Your Water

Individuals engaged in strenuous physical activity, especially those who sweat a lot, may need to replenish electrolytes during exercise to support optimal hydration.

There are many sports drinks and additives to water aimed at supplying the much needed electrolytes. If you sweat a lot during an extended period, such as during hard exercise, you will likely benefit from adding electrolytes.

While doing research for this post, I came across an idea for improving hydration, one which I have started to evaluate. This low-cost solution, called Himalayan Salt Sole, involves adding a teaspoon of water saturated with dissolved pink Himalayan Sea Salt. The link will take you to the recipe.

I am also monitoring my blood pressure as part of the evaluation, expecting to see a reduction with improved hydration.

Pay Attention To Your Body

The main symptoms of dehydration are excessive thirst, dark urine, dizziness, and fatigue. Be sure to seek medical attention if these symptons persist.

Conclusions

Staying hydrated in the correct way, with water and electrolytes, gives our bodies the right fuel and ensures important systems continue working smoothly.

Whether we’re playing sports, running around, or just going about our day, water will help us feel good and stay healthy. However, we must also maintain the proper balance of electrolytes to be sure the water is getting into our cells, is being maintained at the proper level, and waste products generated within our cells are being removed.

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This post was originally published on December 12, 2023. This revision includes information from The Salt Fix about the need for additional sodium and the dangers of too little sodium, especially for older, endurance athletes.