potassium

[diesel405]

After heavy workouts on certian muscle groups, my muscles will lock (bicepsand chest), almost like a spasm. My girls mom is a nurse and she said im low on potassium. So i bought a pot. supplement. I had mentioned this to my buddy, who is the gym owner, and has competed for many years. I trust what he tells me, however this sounds strange. He said to be very careful with potassium because your body cant process it and it can kill you. He said people have used this b4 competitions in excess and have died.. Is this true? The bottle does say it helps the bodys water balance. Thanks guys..

[Dancer]

If its after heavy workouts its many diff issues higher exertion can lead to high lactic acid.

The lactic acid system is capable of releasing energy to resynthesise ATP without the involvement of oxygen and is called anaerobic glycolysis. Glycolysis (breakdown of carbohydrates) results in the formation of pyruvic acid and hydrogen ions (H+). A build up of H+ will make the muscle cells acidic and interfere with their operation so carrier molecules, called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), remove the H+. The NAD+ is reduced to NADH that deposit the H+ at the electron transport gate (ETC) in the mitrochondria to be combined with oxygen to form water (H2O).

If there is insufficient oxygen then NADH cannot release the H+ and they build up in the cell. To prevent the rise in acidity pyruvic acid accepts H+ forming lactic acid that then dissociates into lactate and H+. Some of the lactate diffuses into the blood stream and takes some H+ with it as a way of reducing the H+ concentration in the muscle cell. The normal pH of the muscle cell is 7.1 but if the build up of H+ continues and pH is reduced to around 6.5 then muscle contraction may be impaired and the low pH will stimulate the free nerve endings in the muscle resulting in the perception of pain (the burn). This point is often measured as the lactic threshold or anaerobic threshold (AT) or onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA).


http://www.brianmac.co.uk/lactic.htm


I can also be deHydration and Electrolyte
Supplementation



Skeletal muscle cramps are common among physically
active individuals.1–4 Cramps that occur as a result of
physical activity have been termed exercise-associated
muscle cramps (EAMCs) and defined as a ‘‘painful, spasmodic
contraction of the skeletal muscle that occurs during or immediately
after muscular exercise.’’



http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pic...9&blobtype=pdf




What period of time is it for and can you discribe the issue in more detail?

[diesel405]

I would say an hour post workout. Shaving for example will set the bicep off. Its a muscle that runs from the bicep to the forearm, the brachialis biceps brachii. You can visibly see the spasm.

[Dancer]

If just for the hour post workout I say it is dehydration and electrolyte
supplementation, I would add bananas to my diet and carry a gallon jug of water.

Spasms can happen from lactic acid but usually not.

I got with adding electrolytes to my diet and make sure you up that H2O.

Give it 1-2 weeks, It would go away...The lactic acid is an issue that goes away also as muscles condition to the given issue.

[diesel405]

Thanks much brother.

[alpmaster]

Stick to fruits and veggies for potassium, there is some law regarding how much potassium can be put in supplements since too much can kill you (again, really high amount) so you won't find anything (legally) that contains more than 99mg pure potassium.

[diesel405]

Not really big of fruits now, i have been dieting and dont want the sugar. The sup im taking is 99% and i have been taking one in the morning and one b4 bed. It really seems to be working. Abbs are coming faster, however im taking winnie too but felt i kinda got stuck. Thats why i believe the potassium helped.

[zaggahamma]

same thing happens to me

one day i helped someone move heavy furniture from second floor...sofa sleepers, etc. etc. but i sweated gallons and my biceps cramped during but stayed cramped and i still felt slight cramps even the next day...i figured it was hehydration but i drank but i guess i couldnt drink as much as i was losing

but i get it in biceps, triceps, chest after workouts occasionally

[diesel405]

Yea, mabey i should up the h2o.

[lotsoftime]

I would add bananas to my diet and carry a gallon jug of water.

+1

Adding a pinch of that potassium an a pinch of salt into the water will help also . That's your electrolyte drink right there.
Wanna replace those cause you swet them out.

Or use a packet of Emergen-C... They are great.

Something I do, and was past on to me, is to pop a tums (calcium) prior to work out. Helps

[Lean1038]

Potassium is a diuretic bro, if you're cramping without it you DEFINITELY don't want to supplement it.

Dandelion root and Potassium Gluconate are VERY effective when cutting water weight, but that's not what you want.

You need more water intake. You also may be overtraining. I only get cramps when I hit Bis too hard for too long.

High amounts of potassium also strain the heart, not good for someone that lifts/does cardio.

Just FYI bro, good luck.

[needle]

Yea, mabey i should up the h2o.

Defiantly H20 it up! Everytime I cramp I just pound the AQUAfinas bro... Never let it out of your site and keep it in your hands all day even at work and such...

[diesel405]

Potassium is a diuretic bro, if you're cramping without it you DEFINITELY don't want to supplement it.

Dandelion root and Potassium Gluconate are VERY effective when cutting water weight, but that's not what you want.

You need more water intake. You also may be overtraining. I only get cramps when I hit Bis too hard for too long.

High amounts of potassium also strain the heart, not good for someone that lifts/does cardio.

Just FYI bro, good luck.

good point.

[jelly]

Potassium is dangerous, because it can stop your heart if too much is used. In fact, it is the third shot of lethal injections given to members of death row in order to finally stop their heart and effectively kill them.

[Bonaparte]

1) this thread is 2 years old.
2) potassium supplementation in healthy individuals is not dangerous. Potassium is needed to maintain proper hydration in every cell in your body by operating the cellualr sodium-potassium pump. High potassium (hyperkalemia) is only an issue in those with a renal disorder and/or who are taking certain diuretics (like spironolactone). In healthy individuals, any excess potassium will be filtered out by the kidneys.
3) OTC potassium pills are a joke. They hardly contain ANY K+ compared to a banana.

[jelly]

Holy crap, didn't notice it. Honest mistake Bonaparte. I read potassium information and it scares me a little. I got some of the 99mg pills from gnc, you think I'd be allright taking 3 of them a day? I'm on clen and T3 right now.

[Bonaparte]

Bro, the RDA for K+ is 4.5 GRAMS daily. And we all know how conservative the government RDAs are. The FDA wants you to ingest the equivalent of 35 of those pills daily on a 2000 cal diet with low sodium.
You could easily go through a whole bottle of those pills every day without any worries.
Like I said, K+ is only dangerous to those with a renal defficiency because they are unable to filter out the excess.
And potassium chloride works for lethal injection because it is a MASSIVE dose that is shot IV. So the heart is hit with a huge amount of it that it is unable to process, which causes it to fail at the cellular level. Potassium chloride is also more potent than straight potassium. You'd need to ingest 2.5g per kg of bodyweight to stop your heart. Not going to happen.

Unless you have kidney issues and have a history of hyperkalemia, ODing on K+ is about the last thing you should worry about.

Also, potassium balances out sodium in the body, so the more sodium you eat, the more potassium you need to avoid water retention.

[jelly]

Very informative, thanks for helping out a bro.

[Cravenmorehead]

Low sodium V8 juice is a nice dose of potassium.......you just piss away the excess........modern America's problem is too much sodium.......not potassium