Honey and Salt For Pre-Workout
How Does Honey and Salt Give You Energy?
The sugar in honey is a simple carbohydrate, which means it can convert into energy faster than complex carbs (like whole grains and fruit). The sodium in salt helps your small intestine better absorb glucose (a type of sugar that makes up roughly 31% of honey), as well as a few amino acids. In a nutshell, honey gives you energy quickly, and salt helps your body better absorb that honey.
It's Not a Magic Bullet...
Here's the thing, you could get simple carbs from many different foods, and the effects will pretty much be the same. Combining sodium and glucose as a pre-workout generally works well together, so honey and salt specifically isn't the only way to achieve this.
Heck, a few years ago I even had a habit of eating chocolate before going on my 3-mile runs, and I remember feeling extremely energetic. If I would've eaten some salt too, I might've had even more energy. The point being, honey and salt can give you energy, but they aren't the only foods that can do that.
... But It Could Save You Time.
Honey and salt is one of the fastest pre-workouts you can take. It just takes a quick spoonful of honey with a sprinkle of salt, and you can be out the door. It's worth noting, getting out the door quickly is extremely underrated when you're trying to stick to a workout plan. If you need a quick carbohydrate boost that doesn't leave you bloated, honey is a cheap and fast way to do just that.
But that begs the question, why wouldn't you just take normal pre-workout?
Honey and Salt is Natural & Cheap.
As Garage Gym Reviews puts it:
"Unfortunately, many of the available pre-workouts contain wildly high amounts of stimulants, along with artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, and sometimes questionable ingredients..."
The thing is, the natural pre-workouts are going to charge a premium because they're... well, natural. Pure honey and salt are obviously natural, but they're also inexpensive. Plus, you only need a small amount to give you a boost of energy, so you can stretch your honey for days.
Let's break it down. Our 3-pound bottle costs $17.95 (at least at the time I'm writing this 😊). 3 pounds of honey is approximately 201 teaspoons, so if you're using 2 teaspoons of honey, that's about $0.09 per "serving". In comparison. A popular natural pre-workout supplement costs $1.80 per serving.
Honey and Salt Side Effects For Workouts
If you're not careful, you could have a pretty serious sugar crash during your workout. We've all been halfway through the workout before with no energy left in the tank... it's not fun. If you haven't eaten in a while, and you're planning for a long, strenuous workout, honey and salt might not get you through. For those chocolate-boosted runs I mentioned earlier... I'm confident that if I had ran for much longer, I would've crashed HARD. It comes down to you knowing your body and your workout, and unless you're working out for less than 30 minutes, I wouldn't recommend honey and salt unless you've eaten a full meal recently.
Himalayan Salt or Regular Salt?
Himalayan salt is likely healthier than plain table salt in terms of nutrients, but for your pre-workout, it doesn't really matter. They both have roughly the same amount of sodium, so they're both going to accomplish their purpose: helping your body absorb the glucose in the honey. Depending on what Himalayan salt you buy, you might even opt for table salt since it'll work better sprinkled on honey.
Conclusion: Honey and Salt Have Benefits
