"As much as I will myself to feel stoked about getting up early for a 6:30 a.m. Pilates class or cueing up a fitness app after work, I need some extra incentive to get me going. While I could reach for caffeine (I’m a matcha girl through and through), creatine, or other pre-workout supplements for motivation, TikTokers are swearing by an inexpensive, no-frills, and all-natural way to get a buzz that I’d be remiss not to investigate: honey and salt. According to TikTok, the unlikely sweet and salty pairing is the ultimate energy boost before and during workouts; in a video, @inthekitchenwithclaudia calls it “the most insane natural pump,” while Gabby Nabholz said in her video that she had one of the best workout she’s had after trying the concoction. But is the viral honey and salt pre-workout snack legit? I asked dietitians to give us the scoop.
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Ellie Stamerjohn is a registered and licensed dietitian practicing in Dallas, Texas. Her career has spanned working as a clinical dietitian in oncology, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal adult care units to specializing in PCOS, eating disorders, and sports nutrition at nutrition private practice. Both experiences helped Ellie put her training into practice and improve her skills as a dietitian in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Natalie Rizzo is the Nutrition Editor for 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’s a New York native, marathon runner, long-time vegetarian, and mom to two boys.
How does the honey and salt pre-workout work?
Honey and salt can theoretically enhance your sweat sessions by giving you an instant energy boost. Whenever you exercise—whether it be running, lifting weights, or hitting the (tennis or pickleball) court—your body needs carbohydrates (the primary source of energy for exercise) to fuel you through your workout. There are complex carbohydrates (think: whole grains, beans, veggies) that take longer to break down and are a more stable, lasting source of energy. Then there are simple carbohydrates (think: candy, soda, and syrups) that give you the so-called “sugar rush,” providing the body with a quick burst of energy. So it’s no wonder that honey, a simple carbohydrate primarily made up of the simple sugars glucose and fructose, produces the immediate jolt that TikTokers claim. “Honey is a simple carbohydrate, meaning it’s rapidly digested and absorbed and readily available to support muscle function, making it an ideal fuel source before and during endurance and resistance workouts,” 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 flavor of honey. “Salt is an important electrolyte that plays a role in fluid retention and nerve and muscle function,” Stamerjohn said. “We lose sodium (salt) when we sweat, so it’s important to replace that 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 made up of 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride. This distinction matters because while your body needs sodium to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain a proper fluid balance, too much (typically consumed as salt) can increase the risk of certain health issues, like increasing blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
So, by taking honey and salt together, the supposed pre-workout provides a boost in energy levels and promotes hydration and electrolyte balance.
Is it worth trying?
There hasn’t been any research done specifically on the combination of honey and salt as a pre-workout. So, like all TikTok trends not backed by science, you may want to take it with a grain of salt (and always consider what works best for you). That said, the American College of Sports Medicine stated that combining carbohydrates (like honey) with electrolytes (like those in salt) can enhance water absorption, maintain blood glucose levels, and delay fatigue, especially during exercise that lasts longer than an hour. So, if you engage in endurance training or tend to sweat a lot, you may reap the most benefits of the honey and salt pre-workout trend. “Overall, it is a low-risk trend to try, but keep in mind that it’s not any different than any other food or beverage that contains simple carbohydrates and sodium,” Stamerjohn said. “But if you prefer the taste and simplicity of honey and salt, then go for it.”
However, if you aren’t regularly active or if you’re engaging in low-impact workouts in a cool climate, you may want to pass on the pre-workout snack. “Keep in mind that it’s intended to be used to fuel physical activity,” Stamerjohn warned. “Generally speaking, it is not wise to consume simple carbs, like honey, and salt in excess, as too much added sugar and sodium can have negative impacts on your health.”
Tips to try it for yourself
While some TikTokers choose to eyeball and eat the honey and salt mash-up directly off their hand (between their thumbs and index fingers to be exact—don’t ask me how that came to be), others take a more civilized approach and take the honey by the spoonful, sprinkled with sea salt, before their workouts.
If you do decide to try the pre-workout combo for yourself, “stick with 1-2 tablespoons of honey and a few shakes of salt between 30 and 60 minutes before your workout to avoid eating too much sugar from the honey and too much sodium from the salt,” Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, Nutrition Editor for TODAY, suggested. But it goes without saying: Consult a doctor or registered dietitian before trying the honey-and-salt hack, and adjust 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 to stick with raw, unpasteurized honey (it has more nutrients and therefore more benefits than regular honey) and pink Himalayan salt (it has up to 84 other minerals and trace elements, like calcium and potassium, than regular salt) to add a little oomph to your next workout.
