Why does nobody talk about how much salt you lose in a 12 hour shift

I was reading this article from the Culinary Institute the other day, like an old textbook from 2018, and it had this stat that blew my mind. It said a line cook can lose up to 3 grams of sodium in sweat during a busy service. That's like almost a full teaspoon of salt just gone from your body. I remember during a Friday night rush a few months ago at this Italian spot in Brooklyn, I had this crazy headache and felt dizzy by hour 9. Always thought it was just dehydration or stress, but now I'm thinking it's the salt thing. I started tossing a pinch of salt in my water bottle during service, and it actually helps with the cramping in my forearms. Has anyone else noticed this or tried putting a little salt in their drink?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_dylan27d ago

My buddy Vinny used to work the grill station at a steakhouse in Midtown and he'd literally get nosebleeds by hour 11. He started drinking pickle juice during his break and swears it stopped the calf cramps he'd get walking home. I remember him telling me about one shift where he took off his chef coat at the end of the night and it was completely white with salt rings on the collar and sleeves. He almost passed out on the subway once and that's when he finally started listening to the old heads about the salt thing.

jesse8427d agoMost Upvoted

That old heads comment hits hard, my own salt rings are basically a wardrobe staple at this point @the_dylan.