Author: Stamina Sports

In one large sweat-testing dataset, endurance athletes lost an average of 51.7 mmol of sodium per hour. That works out to roughly 1.2 g, close to half a teaspoon of salt, soaked into your singlet before most of Kuala Lumpur has had breakfast. Stretch that over a three-hour Sunday long run and you are near 9 g of salt.

Most runners hear that and reach for salt tablets. For many of them, that is the wrong reaction. The loss is real, but whether you need to replace it during the run comes down to two things you can actually measure.

Where the 1.2 g comes from

The number comes from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, which pooled data from 1,303 athletes tested between 2000 and 2017. Endurance athletes in that group sweated about 1.28 litres an hour on average. One mmol of sodium is 23 mg, so their average hourly loss comes to about 1,190 mg.

The average hides a big spread. The standard deviation on that sodium figure was 27.8 mmol an hour, so one standard deviation around the mean spans roughly 550 mg to 1,830 mg an hour. That is more than a threefold difference between runners who would both count as normal.

Endurance athletes were among the biggest losers in the dataset. Only American football players lost more sodium per hour, at 55.9 mmol. Footballers, basketball and baseball players all lost less, mainly because they sweat less per hour and stop sooner.

What Malaysian humidity changes

Heat makes you sweat. Humidity makes that sweat less useful. Sweat cools you by evaporating, and thick, wet air slows evaporation down. Researchers at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang described it in a 2019 study: in humid air, sweat drips off the skin instead of evaporating, so much more of the fluid you lose does nothing to cool you.

The same study tested nine well-trained runners who were not heat-adapted, in warm-humid and warm-dry conditions. After an hour of running, they lasted 9.1 minutes in the final all-out test in humid air, against 12.7 minutes in dry air. Drinking water during the run did not reduce their thermal strain in either condition.

Those runners were not adapted to heat, and that matters, because adaptation works in your favour. In one lab study of eight men exercising in the heat for ten days, sweat sodium concentration fell from about 54 to 36 mmol per litre, a drop of roughly a third. The catch is that heat-adapted bodies tend to sweat more, so the total sodium lost can still be large. Training in the Klang Valley does not make you a low-sodium runner. It makes your sweat less salty, but you can still lose a lot overall.

Losing sodium is not the same as needing to replace it

This is where most sodium advice goes wrong. Your body holds a buffer, and blood sodium only drops in particular situations.

Alan McCubbin, an accredited sports dietitian, modelled this directly. He tested sweat sodium from 20 to 80 mmol per litre, sweat rates from 0.5 to 2.5 litres an hour, and fluid replacement from 10% to 90% of losses. The result was blunt. For a football match and an elite marathon, replacing sodium was unnecessary in every realistic scenario. The 160 km ultramarathon was different: runners whose sweat held 40 mmol per litre or more, and who drank back over 80% of their losses, needed to replace at least 47% of their sodium.

The model found that two things drove sodium needs: the share of your sweat loss you drink back, and how salty your sweat is. Duration multiplies both. McCubbin has also written that there is little if any evidence that sodium during exercise improves performance, at least in efforts under four hours.

One honest gap: an elite marathon takes about two hours, while a recreational marathon in Malaysian heat can take five. The race scenarios in the model did not cover that middle ground. The same two drivers still apply, so the longer you are out and the more you drink, the more your sodium plan matters.

The water bottle is the bigger risk

The dangerous form of low blood sodium, exercise-associated hyponatraemia, usually is not caused by sweating out too much salt. An international consensus panel concluded that the main cause is drinking too much dilute fluid, likely combined with hormone signals that make the body hold on to water during exercise. More salt is not the fix. Less fluid is.

The panel’s advice is to drink when thirsty. Early signs include lightheadedness, nausea and gaining weight during an event. If you finish a long run heavier than you started, you drank too much, whatever was in the bottle.

Find your own number

An average is only a starting point. You can measure your own sweat rate with a bathroom scale, which is essentially how the big dataset did it: change in body mass during exercise, corrected for what athletes drank and passed.

1. Use the toilet, then weigh yourself in minimal clothing before a 60-minute run.
2. Run at a normal training effort and note how much you drink.
3. Towel off and weigh again in the same clothing.
4. Add the weight you lost to the fluid you drank. That is your hourly sweat loss, with 1 kg being roughly 1 litre.

Do it once on a hot, still morning and once after overnight rain. The gap between the two tells you how much your race-day plan should shift with the weather.

Saltiness is harder to measure at home. White tide marks on your cap or singlet hint that your sweat is on the salty side, but they are not a measurement. If you race ultras and see those marks often, a proper sweat sodium test is worth paying for.

When sodium belongs in your plan

Up to about two hours, drinking to thirst: your normal meals cover your sodium. Salty food or drink is a season-to-taste choice rather than a requirement.

From two hours to around five, such as a long run or a recreational-pace marathon at KLSCM, it depends on your numbers. If you drink back most of what you sweat and your sweat is salty, planned sodium starts to make sense. If you drink to thirst, you likely have more room than most advice suggests.

Ultras are where the modelling says sodium genuinely matters, when long exercise is combined with drinking back more than 80% of losses and sweat sodium of at least 40 mmol per litre. Plan your intake per hour, not per aid station.

What this looks like at KLSCM

The KLSCM full marathon cut-off has run to 7 hours 15 minutes, so a large part of the field is out there for five hours or more. That runner is in a completely different position from the two-hour elite the model said needs nothing.

Say you measured 1.2 litres an hour at race pace during training. Over five hours that is about 6 litres of sweat. At 920 mg of sodium per litre, the illustration figure below, the theoretical loss is around 1,100 mg an hour.

That number is not a target to match. Your drinking rate, your food, your own sweat concentration and the length of your race all change what you actually need. What it does tell you is whether you are the kind of runner the research is talking about: long time on feet, heavy sweating, and drinking back a lot of it.

Turning your number into a plan

Each Elec Stamina caplet contains 220 mg of sodium. On its own that figure means nothing. Next to your own numbers it does the work for you.

The arithmetic runs like this. Take your hourly sweat loss in litres from the scale test, multiply it by your sweat sodium in mg per litre, and you have your hourly loss. Without a sweat test you cannot know your own concentration, so use 40 mmol per litre, about 920 mg per litre, only as an illustration. That figure sits above the average, so it overstates the loss for a lot of runners. It is the level at which McCubbin’s ultramarathon scenario made targeted replacement necessary, not a diagnosis of salty sweat.

Then decide what share you intend to replace. The ultra scenario in the model landed near half for salty sweaters drinking back most of their losses. Divide that figure by 220 and you know how many caplets an hour that is for you, and how many to carry for a race that takes eight hours rather than four.

Whatever the maths says, stay within the directions on the pack, and rehearse the plan on long runs at race effort, in the heat you will race in.

Running KLSCM, an ultra, or another long race in the heat?

Measure your sweat rate on a long training run first. Once you know roughly how much fluid you lose an hour, you can build a sodium schedule around your race duration instead of guessing at an aid station.

Elec Stamina provides 220 mg of sodium per caplet, which makes it simple to carry and to count.

References

1. Barnes KA, Anderson ML, Stofan JR, Dalrymple KJ, Reimel AJ, Roberts TJ, Randell RK, Ungaro CT, Baker LB (2019). Normative data for sweating rate, sweat sodium concentration, and sweat sodium loss in athletes: an update and analysis by sport. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(20), 2356-2366.
2. Che Muhamed AM, Yusof HA, Stannard SR, Mündel T, Thompson MW (2019). The efficacy of ingesting water on thermoregulatory responses and running performance in a warm-humid condition. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, 507.
3. Chinevere TD, Kenefick RW, Cheuvront SN, Lukaski HC, Sawka MN (2008). Effect of heat acclimation on sweat minerals. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40(5), 886-891.
4. McCubbin AJ (2023). Modelling sodium requirements of athletes across a variety of exercise scenarios: identifying when to test and target, or season to taste. European Journal of Sport Science, 23(6), 992-1000.
5. McCubbin AJ (2022). How much sodium do I need? mysportscience.com
6. Hew-Butler T, Rosner MH, Fowkes-Godek S, et al. (2015). Statement of the 3rd International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(22), 1432-1446.
7. Hew-Butler T, Loi V, Pani A, Rosner MH (2017). Exercise-associated hyponatremia: 2017 update. Frontiers in Medicine, 4, 21.

Running a marathon in Berlin or Tokyo is hard. Running one in Malaysia is a different beast entirely. Between the humidity of the KLSCM (Standard Chartered KL Marathon) and the scorching tarmac of IRONMAN Langkawi, tropical heat is a leading reason athletes DNF (Did Not Finish).

In high humidity, sweat doesn’t evaporate well, so your body temperature climbs and you lose electrolytes fast. Water alone isn’t enough — and overdrinking plain water carries its own risk, including low blood sodium (hyponatraemia), which has been linked to serious harm in endurance athletes.

Here’s a 2-part heat strategy: manage sodium on schedule, and give your muscles amino acid support once carbs alone aren’t covering a long, hot effort.

Part 1: Sodium on a schedule with ELEC Stamina

To manage the heat, it helps to treat hydration (water) and electrolytes (salts) as two separate jobs, not one.

ELEC Stamina is a swallow tablet made in China, built for heavy sweaters over long sessions.

• Sodium on schedule: put sodium back on a set rhythm through a long, hot session — it won’t stop a cramp already underway, and cramping has more than one cause.
• Vitamin B1 and B2 are part of the formula alongside the sodium.
• Strategy: 1–2 tablets every 10km with water, per the label.

Part 2: Amino acid support with QC Stamina

Past roughly 90 minutes of hard effort, if carbohydrate intake isn’t keeping up, the body can start drawing on muscle protein for fuel. That’s part of why a race can start to feel “hollow” late on.

QC Stamina (Quick Charge) is protein built for use during the race, not after it.

• Sachet-based amino acid support, light and quick to digest mid-race.
• Strategy: One sachet of QC Stamina roughly at the halfway point of a long race, or every 2–3 hours.

The takeaway

Carbohydrate, fluid and pacing still come first in any race plan. Once those are dialled in, managing your electrolytes with ELEC and your amino acid intake with QC covers the rest of what Malaysian heat asks of you.

Walk into any supplement store and you’ll see walls of BCAA products. They work well for gym training and muscle building. If you’re a marathoner, triathlete or ultra-runner, though, that’s not quite the job you need done.

Customers ask us this a lot: is Katsuo Stamina just another BCAA? No. Both play a role in recovery, but they’re built for different problems.

Quick comparison

What’s the actual difference?

Traditional BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) signal your body to build and repair muscle tissue. That’s exactly what you want for strength training or bodybuilding, where the goal is muscle growth.

Katsuo Stamina works differently. It’s built from bioactive dipeptides — Anserine and Carnosine — sourced from katsuo (bonito), a fish that swims long distances without stopping. These are studied for buffering muscle pH during sustained effort, which is the theory behind delaying the “burn” late in a long race. That’s a different job from muscle growth.

Which one fits you?

BCAAs make sense if your goal is muscle mass, your sessions run under 60 minutes and high intensity, or you’re focused on strength training or CrossFit.

Katsuo Stamina makes sense if you’re training or racing longer than 90 minutes — marathons, triathlons, ultra-running, cycling — and fatigue late in the effort is what’s limiting you.

Can you use both?

Yes — plenty of endurance athletes do. BCAAs post-workout for muscle repair, Katsuo Stamina before or during a race. They’re not competing for the same job, so stacking them is straightforward.

Neither replaces getting your carbohydrate, fluid and pacing right first — that’s still the foundation of any race plan. For endurance athletes training in Malaysian heat, Katsuo Stamina is aimed at a different gap than BCAAs fill, not a replacement for them.

Lactic acid isn’t just waste your body needs to flush out. It’s mostly lactate, an energy source your body can burn or recycle — the burn you feel late in a race comes from your muscles producing it faster than they can process it, not from lactate itself being toxic.

Every endurance athlete knows the feeling. You’re at the 30km mark of a marathon, or the final leg of a triathlon, and your legs start to feel heavy — like they’re filled with lead. For decades that burning sensation got blamed on one culprit: lactic acid.

Lactic acid isn’t the enemy

Older sports science treated lactic acid as a toxic by-product to flush out. That view has shifted — lactate is a genuine energy source. The problem isn’t that your body produces it; it’s that during hard, sustained effort it can produce it faster than it clears it. When that backlog builds, hydrogen ions accumulate, muscle pH drops, and you get that familiar burn.

Where Katsuo Stamina fits

Katsuo Stamina is built from Migratory Fish Extract, specifically a peptide containing Anserine and Carnosine, derived from katsuo (bonito) — a fish that swims long distances without stopping. These are studied for buffering hydrogen ions in muscle, which is the working theory behind stabilising pH and delaying the burn during sustained effort.

It’s aimed at that mechanism specifically — not at masking fatigue the way a stimulant does. No caffeine, no sugar.

How to use it in a race

• Pre-race: 4 tablets 30 minutes before the start.
• During the race: 4 tablets every 90–120 minutes, per the label.

It’s a peptide supplement aimed at lactate buffering and recovery — not a hydration product, and not a substitute for getting your carbs, fluids and pacing right first.

[Shop Katsuo Stamina Here]

Past about 90 minutes of hard effort, if carbohydrate isn’t keeping up, your body can start drawing on muscle protein for fuel. QC Stamina is a sachet of amino acid support built to be taken during the race itself, not after it — light, quick to digest, and easy on the stomach.

Why protein during a race, not just after

Long-distance running or cycling causes metabolic stress and micro-damage to muscle protein. Consuming protein supports the repair process and helps you adapt to the training load.

When carbohydrate stores drop — typically past around 90 minutes of sustained exercise — the body can start using amino acids from muscle tissue for energy instead. Providing protein during the event helps reduce how much of that happens.

General sports nutrition guidance puts daily protein intake for endurance athletes around 1.8 g/kg body weight, with higher needs (around 2.0 g/kg) on low-carb or high-intensity training days. Post-exercise protein, roughly 0.5 g/kg, supports recovery and repair on top of that.

What makes QC Stamina different from a recovery shake

• Built for race-day use, not a post-workout shake — light and quick to digest mid-race.
• Helps sustain muscle output during long efforts when carbs alone may not be enough.
• Portable sachets — one every 2–3 hours — built to sit easily in a drop bag or race vest.

It’s protein aimed at a specific job: keeping amino acids available during a long race, once your carbohydrate intake is already covered. It doesn’t replace getting carbs, fluids and pacing right first — those still come first in any race plan.

QC Stamina fills a specific niche: protein support during long endurance efforts, built to digest easily on the move.

Running an ultra trail race in Malaysia’s hot, humid conditions is no joke lah. It’s not just about being fit – you need smart preparation, mental grit, and some creative strategies. While standard training advice is good, sometimes you gotta think out of the box.

In this article, we’ll share 31 tips – some normal, some cham – to help you conquer a humid ultra in Malaysia. From getting used to the heat to staying hydrated, fueling up to cooling down, these tips will give you an edge when things get tough.

So if you’re ready to level up your humid ultra training, read on for 31 unorthodox tips to help you tahan the heat and humidity.

Training and Preparation

1. Simulate race conditions by training in a sauna or steam room.
2. Run in the hottest part of the day during your training runs.
3. Wear extra layers to mimic the effects of heat and humidity.
4. Carry a spray bottle and mist yourself during runs to stay cool.
5. Train during rainy days to get used to running in heavy rain and mud.
6. Practice running in wet shoes to prevent blisters and discomfort.
7. Do HIIT workouts to boost your endurance and heat tolerance.
8. Train on different terrains like beach, jungle, and hilly areas to prepare for various conditions.

Pacing and Effort

9. Run at a ‘lepak’ pace to manage your effort and save energy.
10. Run by feel, not pace – your body will tell you when to slow down.
11. Take walking breaks to lower your heart rate and core temp.
12. Adjust your goals and focus on finishing rather than time.
13. Embrace the suck and accept that it will be tough.

Hydration and Electrolytes

14. Monitor your urine colour – if it’s dark, drink more water.
15. Drink small amounts frequently rather than chugging at aid stations.
16. Carry electrolyte tablets and take them with water.
17. Freeze your water bottles for a built-in cooling system.
18. Drink coconut water for natural electrolytes and carbs.

Fueling and Digestion

20. Eat smaller amounts more often to avoid GI distress.
21. Experiment with liquid calories like gels and drinks.
22. Avoid high-fiber foods that can cause bloating.
23. Bring your own favorite snacks in case aid stations lack variety.
24. Munch on salted peanuts or keropok for a quick sodium and energy boost.

Cooling and Protection

25. Wear a wet bandana or buff around your neck.
26. Wear a hat with a brim to shade your face and neck.
27. Use cooling sleeves to protect your arms and keep them cool.
28. Pour water over your head, back, and chest at every opportunity.
29. Wear light, breathable fabrics that wick sweat.
30. Use a combination of sunscreen and UV-protective clothing to shield yourself from the intense Malaysian sun.
31. Wear polarized sunglasses to reduce glare and eye strain.

Extra Tips for Rainy Days

32. Wear a lightweight, waterproof jacket to stay dry without overheating.
33. Use anti-chafing cream to prevent skin irritation from wet clothes.
34. Carry spare socks in a waterproof bag to change if needed.
35. Watch your footing on slippery trails and wooden bridges.

Remember, every runner different one, so try different things during training to see what works best for you. With the right mix of normal advice and unorthodox tactics, you’ll be ready to tahan your next humid ultra trail race in Malaysia.