Potassium

inertiastrength
inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
edited November 19 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
My bf is on one about potassium for muscle growth and blood pressure... there is a lot of info online but the amounts suggested are insane. How much potassium do you get on any given day? I am now starting to track mine (and yes I realize that most of the database foods don't have it lol) but even checking against usda database I fall short most days.

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited June 2017
    Usually between I try to get around 4,000-4,500 Mg depending on the day and usually am pretty close by my estimation.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    he's trying to get 10-15K a day, I think he's in some bro science group and I'm not sure if there is any basis to the claims he's making but he does get really nice natty pumps since he's increased it.
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    edited June 2017
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    he's trying to get 10-15K a day, I think he's in some bro science group and I'm not sure if there is any basis to the claims he's making but he does get really nice natty pumps since he's increased it.

    That is a LOT of bananas. lol

    ... but avocados have over 1K per (large)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    he's trying to get 10-15K a day, I think he's in some bro science group and I'm not sure if there is any basis to the claims he's making but he does get really nice natty pumps since he's increased it.

    That's way too much...too much potassium is just as bad as being deficient in regards to what it ultimately does to your body. Not enough can cause heart issues...too much does the same...not to mention the stress on the kidneys.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    I have blisters on my fingers from prepping sweet potatoes, i cri lol
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    he's trying to get 10-15K a day, I think he's in some bro science group and I'm not sure if there is any basis to the claims he's making but he does get really nice natty pumps since he's increased it.

    That's way too much...too much potassium is just as bad as being deficient in regards to what it ultimately does to your body. Not enough can cause heart issues...too much does the same...not to mention the stress on the kidneys.

    he's eating a lot of sodium too, I feel really un-prepared to have this discussion because I am pretty ignorant to it but I did mention that to him and he said something about salt making a difference... I feel like I just posted a "not losing on 1200 cals" thread lol
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    and sorry, he gets 7-10K a day, my mistake!
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I often hit the 10-12g range, entirely from food. Whole food bulking with almost all carbs coming from potatoes and vegetables tends to do that. Just recently doubled my sodium intake (to 35-3600mg) via iodized salt in an effort to bring my BP back up from 102/70. Still within the normal range, but the orthostatic hypo was getting on my nerves.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited June 2017
    @Gallowmere1984 what's the reasoning behind SO MUCH potassium? I'm asking him to send me info and he's really dogmatic about it. I don't think it's a bad idea for me to get 4K but I'm not convinced for my goals it's really necessary to do more. This group sounds borderline religious and I'm legitimately worried he's going to go off dairy and wheat soon too lol
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    @Gallowmere1984 what's the reasoning behind SO MUCH potassium? I'm asking him to send me info and he's really dogmatic about it. I don't think it's a bad idea for me to get 4K but I'm not convinced for my goals it's really necessary to do more. This group sounds borderline religious and I'm legitimately worried he's going to go off dairy and wheat soon too lol

    On my end, it's just a consequence of my bulking method, and is not intentional. When you eat over 3100 kcals of unprocessed food, your potassium GREATLY outweighs your sodium. Rich sodium sources in nature are largely limited to things like crustaceans, which is why salt has traditionally been a highly sought after commodity.
  • danigirl1011
    danigirl1011 Posts: 314 Member
    Kiwis have more than a banana i have heard. But, too much i think can be bad for your kidneys? hopefully you have researched. Balance is important. Calcium, magnesium, potassium. They are all important.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Honestly, if you aren't deficient in potassium (which should be check via blood test), then it's a none issue. Just eat a variety of foods. But definitely don't do extra supplementation if not needed.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Honestly, if you aren't deficient in potassium (which should be check via blood test), then it's a none issue. Just eat a variety of foods. But definitely don't do extra supplementation if not needed.

    I've seen the RDA as being 3500-4700 for adults and 320mg magnesium so I'm going to try and get 4K potassium and 320mg magnesium. I've been tracking and I eat relatively clean (I know I know that word lol) but I have to say it's not easy to get that much potassium even so. I had to swap out some of my foods to get enough.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Honestly, if you aren't deficient in potassium (which should be check via blood test), then it's a none issue. Just eat a variety of foods. But definitely don't do extra supplementation if not needed.

    I've seen the RDA as being 3500-4700 for adults and 320mg magnesium so I'm going to try and get 4K potassium and 320mg magnesium. I've been tracking and I eat relatively clean (I know I know that word lol) but I have to say it's not easy to get that much potassium even so. I had to swap out some of my foods to get enough.

    For muscle growth, there are several other things that are priority. Protein, calories and lifting all are more important. Don't get caught up in the details instead of looking at the whole picture.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Honestly, if you aren't deficient in potassium (which should be check via blood test), then it's a none issue. Just eat a variety of foods. But definitely don't do extra supplementation if not needed.

    I've seen the RDA as being 3500-4700 for adults and 320mg magnesium so I'm going to try and get 4K potassium and 320mg magnesium. I've been tracking and I eat relatively clean (I know I know that word lol) but I have to say it's not easy to get that much potassium even so. I had to swap out some of my foods to get enough.

    For muscle growth, there are several other things that are priority. Protein, calories and lifting all are more important. Don't get caught up in the details instead of looking at the whole picture.

    I've been training and tracking macros since 2013... I'm well versed on that part lol
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Are you currently bulking @mrsnattybulking ?
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Are you currently bulking @mrsnattybulking ?

    No, I have to cut 9lbs so I'm on about 1600 cals. My bf is currently bulking so it's more important for him but I'm just trying to get RDA just to see if I notice a difference in muscle fullness/pumps and just better recovery in general.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Are you currently bulking @mrsnattybulking ?

    No, I have to cut 9lbs so I'm on about 1600 cals. My bf is currently bulking so it's more important for him but I'm just trying to get RDA just to see if I notice a difference in muscle fullness/pumps and just better recovery in general.

    Nope. Increasing potassium without increasing sodium is actually going to increase water dumping, which will reduce blood volume, and therefore pumps, and theoretically making recovery slightly worse. This assumes that your body had already established electrolyte balance.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited June 2017
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Are you currently bulking @mrsnattybulking ?

    No, I have to cut 9lbs so I'm on about 1600 cals. My bf is currently bulking so it's more important for him but I'm just trying to get RDA just to see if I notice a difference in muscle fullness/pumps and just better recovery in general.

    Nope. Increasing potassium without increasing sodium is actually going to increase water dumping, which will reduce blood volume, and therefore pumps, and theoretically making recovery slightly worse. This assumes that your body had already established electrolyte balance.

    getting optimal sodium;potassium ratio, lots of sodium! I add salt to my salt.
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