Even if I force myself to wake up early for a 6:30 a.m. Pilates class or fire up a fitness app after work, I need some extra motivation to get me going. While I might turn to caffeine (I’m a matcha girl at heart), creatine, or other pre-workout supplements to get me pumped, TikTokers swear by a low-cost, no-frills, all-natural way to feel good that I’d be remiss not to explore: honey and salt. According to TikTok, this unlikely pairing of sweet and salty is the ultimate pre- and during-workout energy boost; in one video, @inthekitchenwithclaudia calls it “the craziest natural pump,” while Gabby Nabholz said in her video that she had one of the best workouts she’s ever had after trying the concoction. But is the viral honey and salt pre-workout snack legit? I asked dietitians to give us the scoop.
Ellie Stamerjohn, MS, RDN, LD, Registered Dietitian at Nourish
Ellie Stamerjohn is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian practicing in Dallas, Texas. Her career has spanned from working as a clinical dietitian in adult oncology, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal care units to specializing in PCOS, eating disorders, and sports nutrition in a private nutrition practice. Both experiences have helped Ellie apply her education and enhance her skills as a dietitian in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, TODAY Nutrition Editor
Natalie Rizzo is the Nutrition Editor at TODAY. She is a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition and plant-based eating. Natalie recently wrote her first cookbook, “Planted Performance: Easy Plant-Based Recipes, Meal Plans, and Nutrition for All Athletes.” She is a New York native, marathon runner, lifelong vegetarian and mother of two boys.
How does honey and salt pre-workout work?
Honey and salt can theoretically enhance your sweat sessions by giving you an instant energy boost. Any time you exercise, whether it’s running, lifting weights, or playing tennis or pickleball, your body needs carbohydrates (the main energy source for exercise) to fuel you through your workout. There are complex carbs (think whole grains, beans, vegetables) that take longer to break down and are a more stable, longer-lasting source of energy. Then there are simple carbs (think candy, soda, and syrups) that give you what’s known as a “sugar rush,” providing your body with a quick burst of energy. So it’s no wonder that honey, a simple carb primarily made up of the simple sugars glucose and fructose, delivers the instant jolt TikTokers claim it does. “Honey is a simple carbohydrate, meaning it is quickly digested and absorbed and readily available to support muscle function, making it an ideal fuel source before and during endurance and resistance training,” explained Ellie Stamerjohn, MS, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian at Nourish.
Salt, the other half of the pre-workout pair, does more than just bring out the honey flavor. “Salt is an important electrolyte that plays a role in water retention and nerve and muscle function,” Stamerjohn says. “We lose sodium (salt) when we sweat, so it’s important to replace it to prevent dehydration and improve athletic performance.” While salt and sodium are often used interchangeably, the scientific term for salt is sodium chloride because it is composed of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. This distinction is important because, although your body needs sodium to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain proper fluid balance, too much sodium (usually consumed as salt) can increase your risk of certain health problems, such as increased blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
So, by taking honey and salt together, the so-called pre-workout provides an energy boost and promotes hydration and electrolyte balance.
Is it worth a try?
There hasn’t been any research specifically on combining honey and salt as a pre-workout. So, like all TikTok trends that aren’t backed by science, you might want to take it with a grain of salt (and always consider what works best for you). You). That said, the American College of Sports Medicine says that combining carbohydrates (like honey) with electrolytes (like those in salt) can improve water absorption, maintain blood glucose levels, and delay fatigue, especially during exercise that lasts longer than an hour. So if you’re into endurance training or tend to sweat a lot, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of the honey and salt pre-workout trend. “Overall, it’s a low-risk trend to try, but keep in mind that it’s no different than any other food or drink that contains simple carbohydrates and sodium,” Stamerjohn says. “But if you prefer the taste and simplicity of honey and salt, then go for it.”
However, if you’re not regularly active or are doing low-impact exercise in a cool climate, you may want to skip the pre-workout snack. “Keep in mind that it’s meant to fuel physical activity,” Stamerjohn cautions. “In general, it’s not a good idea to consume simple carbohydrates, like honey, and excess salt, as too much added sugar and sodium can have negative effects on your health.”
Tips for trying it yourself
While some TikTokers choose to eat the honey and salt mixture directly from their hand (between their thumbs and index fingers to be exact, don’t ask me how that happened), others take a more civilized approach and spoon the honey, sprinkled with sea salt, before their workouts.
If you decide to try the pre-workout combo yourself, “stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey and a few pinches of salt 30 to 60 minutes before your workout to avoid eating too much sugar from honey and too much sodium from salt,” Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, senior nutrition editor for TODAYsuggested. But it goes without saying: Consult a doctor or registered dietitian before trying the honey-salt trick, and tailor the “recipe” based on your individual health and the intensity and duration of your workout routine. As for the type of honey and salt to use, quality matters. Try sticking to raw, unpasteurized honey (it has more nutrients and therefore more benefits than regular honey) and Himalayan pink salt (it has up to 84 more minerals and trace elements, like calcium and potassium, than regular salt) to add a little pep to your next workout.
