How much potassium should you REALLY get a day?

[Dkr626]

I know the RDA is 4700mg, but I wanted to see if you guys had any knowledge contradicting or affirming that amount. I personally struggle to get that much in my diet, and I really have to focus on eating potassium-dense foods to reach that level at my current caloric intake. Have you guys read any articles or gained any information regarding daily potassium intake?

[Dkr626]

Anyone?

[rand18m]

I know the RDA is 4700mg, but I wanted to see if you guys had any knowledge contradicting or affirming that amount. I personally struggle to get that much in my diet, and I really have to focus on eating potassium-dense foods to reach that level at my current caloric intake. Have you guys read any articles or gained any information regarding daily potassium intake?

Ask Nobrah!

I don't understand why you would be having problems getting in the RDA if you're eating a well balanced diet. Until then ask nobrah, you can PM him.

[dchan8]

I don't know the amount of potassium recommended in the diet, but it shouldn't be too hard to reach. Bananas, broccoli, and tomatoes are traditionally touted as potassium-rich foods. However, meats and dairy contain a decent amount of potassium and are not conventionally thought of as good sources. It shouldn't be too hard to balance potassium and caloric intake. Also, an important factor in potassium intake is the potassium-sodium ratio (to balance out water retention and such). Good luck finding your answers, though.

[nobrah]

The right amount of potassium is somewhat dependent on your sodium intake. Ideally you want to strike a balance of about 2mg of potassium for each mg of sodium, which is what the FDA allowances match closely enough (it's shocking, actually): 4,700mg potassium and 2,400 sodium for the average adult.

As long as your diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, you'll likely get enough potassium to balance with sodium. I hate using the word natural because it's got a stigma now, but natural foods tend to get the micro-nutrient balances just right for our needs, so once again the best prescription is a varied diet of mostly whole foods.

[schnitzer31]

Some sources quote the RDA of potassium to be 3500mg.Whether its that or 4700mg,its not too hard to reach.

[Dkr626]

Thanks for your input guys!! Reps for you all once I get on my computer as opposed to my iPhone.

I tend to consume a lot of sodium (3g-6g depending on where I get the majority of my protein throughout the day), so I suppose I should make the effort to get at least 4700mg of potassium. Maybe I just need to eat fruits and veggies with a better potassium to calorie ratio, but typically I have to be very careful when planning my meals or else I will end up sacrificing a small portion of my macronutrients in order to fulfill my potassium requirement.

Anyone have any thoughts on 3500mg per day or any other input in general?

[IntraVol]

Ask Kazakhstan, they're the professionals!

[Blacklac]

Anyone recommend a good Potassium supplement? I struggle to get 2g/day and my Sodium is often 2-4g/Day. I will try to eat more fruits and veggies, but I clearly need more. I try to eat a Banana every day and I get 210mg/protein shake (Dymatize Elite Gourmet Strawberry) also. I still seem like a need 1g supplemented right off the top. :/ I do have a juicer machine, which I LOVE, but damn Im too lazy to clean that thing every damn day.

not sure if potassium is like other vitamin supplements, where supposedly quality greatly differs...

[nobrah]

Anyone recommend a good Potassium supplement? I struggle to get 2g/day and my Sodium is often 2-4g/Day. I will try to eat more fruits and veggies, but I clearly need more. I try to eat a Banana every day and I get 210mg/protein shake (Dymatize Elite Gourmet Strawberry) also. I still seem like a need 1g supplemented right off the top. :/ I do have a juicer machine, which I LOVE, but damn Im too lazy to clean that thing every damn day.

not sure if potassium is like other vitamin supplements, where supposedly quality greatly differs...

Potassium supplements would have you popping like 20 pills to get a reasonable fraction of your RDA. Much easier would be to work in a few high potassium foods. A banana at breakfast, a few handfuls of pistachios and raisins throughout the day, and a baked potato would easily give you 2g.

[Blacklac]

You're right. Thanks for the tip. I'll try to keep some pistachios at my work. I could def eat more potatoes too.

[ted01]

Anyone recommend a good Potassium supplement? I struggle to get 2g/day and my Sodium is often 2-4g/Day. I will try to eat more fruits and veggies, but I clearly need more. I try to eat a Banana every day and I get 210mg/protein shake (Dymatize Elite Gourmet Strawberry) also. I still seem like a need 1g supplemented right off the top. :/ I do have a juicer machine, which I LOVE, but damn Im too lazy to clean that thing every damn day.

not sure if potassium is like other vitamin supplements, where supposedly quality greatly differs...

Sure. Nu-Salt or any other salt substitute. It's made from Potassium Chloride. It's really easy to get to your goals with this stuff. Also get something like the low sodium V-8 juice. It is really high in KCl.

[Ramoneb87]

IDK I remember when I played football my coach always told us cramps were caused my a lack of hydration and a lack of potassium and he always had potassium pills for when people cramped.

I would say you need more than the RDA, especially if you are active. The RDA is a joke and was originally created by politicians with no background in nutrition, like the food pyrmad. Sure it has been updated to actually make some sense, but I would still go with more

[NoTravelNate]

I actually have just been reading up on potassium/sodium levels and the FDA does monitor the RDA for these two minerals very carefully because of how fatal an imbalance could be. Stick with the daily % for both of them I would say, depending upon anything else you may be take I would say a supp would be alright to add in if you have a balanced diet and come close to meeting these. Typically supplements are around 3% RDV so I would say the 6% play might be enough to keep you level, but not enough to have any adverse effects if it's unnecessary.

[psychodiver9]

^thank god. We have all been waiting on the edge of our seat for a year waiting for your response

[mypeanuts]

I know the RDA is 4700mg, but I wanted to see if you guys had any knowledge contradicting or affirming that amount. I personally struggle to get that much in my diet, and I really have to focus on eating potassium-dense foods to reach that level at my current caloric intake. Have you guys read any articles or gained any information regarding daily potassium intake?

in for late,
I had to look it up for interest sake so i just put this hereee...



kidneys regulate Potassium(K.) in a very narrow range. if you have healthy kidney function then you need not worry about getting too much Pot(K.)

HIGH POTASSIUM FRUITS
◊ apricots, banana, mango, peach, pineapple, nectarine, custard apple, dried fruit, kiwi fruit, orange/orange & mango/pineapple juice

HIGH POTASSIUM VEGETABLES
◊ artichoke, avocado, baked beans, soybeans, kidney beans, hot chips, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, tomato, potato salad, vegetable juice, tomato juice

Other high potassium foods
◊ treacle, molasses, golden syrup
◊ Vegemite
◊ Nuts, peanut butter
◊ seeds - sunflower, pumpkin
◊ dried fruit and nut mixes
◊ cocoa
◊ chocolate, chocolate chips
◊ coconut milk or cream, fresh coconut
◊ heavy grain breads
◊ Worcestershire sauce
◊ canned or homemade vegetable soups
◊ liquorice
◊ potato crisps, hot chips
◊ yoghurt
◊ milk or soy milk : have less than 1 cup (250mL) each day
◊ evaporated or condensed milk
◊ coffee: cappuccino, latte, espresso
◊ red wine, stout beer
◊ fruit cake
◊ All Bran, Bran Plus, muesli or cereal with a lot of dried fruit and nuts
◊ salt substitutes
◊ tomato soup, tomato sauces, tomato paste

this reads like a whose who of my shopping list*.

using myfitnesspal i see that i easily get enough K.

if you're trying to gain 1.1lbs of MuscleMass then starting with 2 med baked potatoes would boost your Pot.(K),

Potatoe Baked, 100 g 611mg each.
Pumpkin Roasted, 100 g 398mg each.
Sweet Potato, 100 g 305mg each.

other than that a cup/glass/250ml of fortified juice, a bowl of fortified cereal with fortified milk, & cottage cheese with a spoon of PB for preSleep snack will boost your daily K values. you could try adding a spoon or two depending on your digestion of natural bran on or in your meals & shake. some people can't handle much at first. i could manage 1.5 spoons and now im up to 2.5 or more. i don't use more though. ups my fiber and some protein too. but offshoot is that it has K in there too.

i don't use any fortified products btw. just saying.

[rolandszi]

sodium shold = potassium

[Duplicitous]

Old post but w/e ...

I have found that simply consuming more potassium than sodium helps prevent cramps and the other issues associated with insufficient potassium intake. I get 2500-4000 mg per day (tracked with MyFitness Pal).

[gymbeam]

I'm getting all of these mixed messages from old posts on here. People saying eating spinach and broccoli with meats etc is enough potassium but after looking into my diet I don't think I'm still getting enough with these foods.

Then I've read a few posts of the low potassium diet being fatal or high potassium being fatal or just the balance of potassium and sodium being fatal! Spininng my head out now!

[ClwFLGator]

Alright, I have been lurking around here for a while now, reading a lot and trying to learn. But finally broke down today and created a profile so I could make this post.

I'm getting all of these mixed messages from old posts on here. People saying eating spinach and broccoli with meats etc is enough potassium but after looking into my diet I don't think I'm still getting enough with these foods.

Then I've read a few posts of the low potassium diet being fatal or high potassium being fatal or just the balance of potassium and sodium being fatal! Spininng my head out now!

Me too, man.

I keep reading everywhere that "most people get enough potassium in their diet." But with me this is not the case, in fact not even close. I pay close attention to what I eat and keep a food log and usually keep my sodium around 2000-3000 mg per day. I also work outside and I sweat a lot (I am a profuse sweater, lol) so I figured 2,000-3,000 mg of sodium, while a little over RDA, was probably OK for me. But I have been reading up on electrolyte balance and I am concerned I may not be getting enough potassium in particular (and maybe even magnesium, although haven't looked into that as much yet). So, depending on what advice you listen to, I should be getting 1-2x that much potassium, which could range anywhere from 2,000-6,000 mg per day of potassium (or RDA of 4700 mg, which is in that same ballpark). Problem is, I am getting nowhere near that (I am getting usually 500-1500 mg per day).

I am getting my macros right and currently cutting. I started at 240 lbs about a month ago and am currently down to 222 lbs @22% BF. I got here by eating around 2500 kcals per day which I figure is about 500 under maintenance. In the beginning, I was actually shocked to learn (when I started keeping a food log) that I was eating about 8,000-10,000 mg per day of sodium! So I figure probably 10 pounds or so of my initial weight loss was due to water loss after getting my sodium more in order.

Workout wise, I am following Starting Strength program to a "T", not related to nutrition I know but I thought I'd just throw that in here. Squats, presses, deadlifts and power cleans 3x per week for me, and making steady strength gains.

Most people suggest "just eat a handful of pistachios, or raisins" or whatever throughout the day to get the potassium you need. Well, a "handful of pistachios" (100g) is like 600 calories or something! And that would blow my cutting deficit right out of the water. I am thinking about maybe adding a cup of spinach to my big egg scramble I make every morning, and also taking some form of potassium supplement (powder maybe, mixed in my food throughout the day?). I do take a cheap Wal-Mart multivitamin every day, but that only adds a paltry 80 mg to the total.

So, I guess my question is, how important is potassium and how much should I make sure I am getting? Is it important enough to supplement if I cannot work the required amounts in through diet alone? I mean, I don't feel bad or anything, I've just been reading a lot about how important it is in muscle contraction but even more importantly heart function and a lot of other important bodily functions like water regulation, etc.

I don't want to have a heart attack (or palpitations) while doing squats!

[Gxp23]

are you srs????

[ClwFLGator]

Yes, I am serious. Why do you say that?

Also, just wanted to add that I don't get cramps, headaches, or any other symptoms of not eating enough potassium. My concern comes just from reading up about the subjects of electrolyte balance and nutrition (here and elsewhere). I started my health / fitness journey by reading up on the big items (workout, calories, macros) and am now drilling down into the finer details as I progress along (micros, minerals, supplements, etc.).

[ClwFLGator]

Alright, after reading around some more I sort of answered my own question. I will try and increase my potassium up to at least = or exceed my sodium, as much as I can fit in, through diet. I will also try and reduce sodium. Some good sources of potassium (that I honestly can cay I will eat and/or work in to my diet, unlike swiss chard) are:

coconut water
milk (only couple glasses a day, due to the sugar it also has)(I already drink this, it's probably where I get most of my potassium now)
tomato paste
blackstrap molasses
spinach (don't cook it too much or you lose a lot of the potassium?)

I found some of them at this list (found the link in another thread here re: potassium): health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/appendixb (apparently I can't post links yet, just add www to the front and htm to the end)

I looked for high potassium for as few calories as possible, a surprising one (to me at least) was the molasses. Maybe I will mix up some tomato paste with molasses and eat that. lol

[ClwFLGator]

I found this thread as it is one of the top results when searching for "bodybuilding potassium supplement."

Sorry for double post, but since my previous posts, I learned a couple things and wanted to share them.

I was getting a lot more potassium than I thought. Turns out that it is not required (in US) to be included on the nutritional label, and many times it is not listed on there. This does not mean there is not potassium in it, sometimes there is a lot in fact, it is just not listed.

I found a couple resources to help with potassium info, I can't post links but the nutrition data at self magazine seems to be much more inclusive than other sites I have seen (just do a search for "x nutrition" and usually it will be one of the top results, esp. for generic items like spinach, etc.). If you can't find what you are looking for there, another good resource is here: books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10925&page=244#p2000cb26996 0244001 (just add an http to the front of that) which gives you baseline amounts of potassium in various types of food.

So, after correctly entering more accurate potassium info into my food log, and adding a few more veggies into my breakfast scramble (onions, spinach, mushrooms) I am now getting around 5000 mg a day, and keeping my sodium around 2000-2500 which I am very happy with.

[ironwill2008]

Maybe I will mix up some tomato paste with molasses and eat that. lol

What do you have against potatoes and bananas?

[WMLifting]

What do you have against potatoes and bananas?

I have been eating 500g sweet potatoes every day recently, although they are lower in potassium than white potatoes.

[Arkady06]

Thank you ClwFLgator!! In trying to lose weight, I started tracking my calories, fat, sodium etc on myfitnesspal. I noticed I was getting only 500-1500 mg of potassium per day, well below the 3,700 USRDA. I was worried due to the importance of potassium in regulating organ function. Thanks so much for relating that many foods simply ignore potassium in the label. That eases my mind!

Happy Holidays!