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==Disadvantages==
Electrolyte capsules can be opened and mixed with a sports drink, but most runners swallow them intact.
* These capsules must be taken with water. Without sufficient water in the stomach, the capsules could form a concentrated salt solution that leads to [[Nausea|nausea ]] and even vomiting.
* Capsules take time to dissolve in the stomach. My reading indicates this time is typically 5 to 15 minutes, but can be as long as 4 hours. If the water you take with the capsule is absorbed before the capsule dissolves, there will be a concentrated salt solution formed, leading to nausea and potentially vomiting.
* Taking a capsule bypasses your sense of taste, which I believe limits some important biofeedback mechanisms. Instead of relying on your sense of tastes and what appeals, runners taking electrolyte capsules must calculate an appropriate intake, which is non-trivial.