Two thirds want salt at races; most of them believe it prevents cramp
Of 1,152 ultramarathon runners surveyed, two thirds wanted sodium available at races; 65 percent thought capsules prevent low blood sodium and 59 percent thought they stop cramp.
What the study found
Two in three ultrarunners want salt handed out at aid stations
This measures belief, not physiology, and belief has outlasted the studies. Of 1,152 ultramarathon runners surveyed, two thirds said sodium supplements should be available at races; among them, 65 percent thought capsules prevent low blood sodium and 59 percent thought they stop cramp.
The caveat · Keen runners, mostly one country
A survey of what runners believe; nothing in it tests whether the capsules work. Participants opted into a longitudinal tracking study, so they are more engaged with the sport than average, which makes the belief's persistence more striking rather than less. One country dominates the sample, one sport, 2018 data. The authors' verdict that the evidence is settled rests partly on their own earlier studies.