TL;DR: For ~99% of sessions and daily use, 600 mg sodium + 440 mg potassium is the optimal, more repeatable play. 1,000 mg can help on extreme, hot race days for very salty sweaters.
Reasoning:
- In most 60–120 minute workouts, evidence‑based targets land around 300–600 mg sodium per hour; jumping straight to 1,000 mg overshoots what many athletes actually lose, especially outside brutal heat or ultras.
- Your 600 mg sodium + 440 mg potassium sits at a Na:K ratio of about 1.4:1, much closer to what’s recommended for long‑term cardiovascular health and neuromuscular balance than a 1,000 mg sodium / 200 mg potassium mix (~5:1).
Hidden downside of 1,000 mg on a normal diet:
- The average person already eats 3,300–3,400 mg sodium per day from food—well above the common guideline of keeping it under 2,300 mg. Layering a routine 1,000‑mg supplement on top of that pushes you even higher, which is linked to water retention, bloating, puffiness, constant thirst, and higher blood pressure over time.
- Potassium does the opposite—helping kidneys clear excess sodium and reducing water retention—so a formula that pairs moderate sodium with high potassium is less likely to leave you feeling swollen or “sloshy” after every workout.
Edge case – hot, humid race day:
- If you’re racing in oppressive humidity and know you lose very salty sweat, 1,000 mg sodium can better match your hourly sodium loss.
- Even there, a strategy built around 600 mg Na + 440 mg K + your Recovery Carbs drink makes sense because: Carbs (30–60 g/h) are the bigger performance driver for power and pace than the gap between 600 and 1,000 mg sodium
