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Since we're discussing this, I wanted to ask a question in regard to electrolytes. First time I tried keto everything was fantastic except I missed the electro

Since we're discussing this, I wanted to ask a question in regard to electrolytes. First time I tried keto everything was fantastic except I missed the electrolyte requirement and ended up with heart palpitations along with muscle cramps and overall crappy feeling once enough time passed and I unwittingly ignored the electrolytes. Talking to doctors proved to be worthless because most of them haven't even heard of keto nor understand why anyone would do that. Does anyone have advice or reading materials in regard to this aspect of keto? PS I am a completely healthy male of 27 years old and active lifestyle. I'm pretty positive there's nothing wrong with me physiologically.

cschmidt 10y ago
They talk about electrolytes all the time on reddit.com/r/keto. Go check out the FAQ for specifics.
rjsamson 10y ago
There are some great resources on the keto subreddit (reddit.com/r/keto). I personally had similar issues when I first started keto - several times a week i found i had to be conscious of my electrolyte intake and would supplement with broth and often almond milk (potassium). However 6 months in I've found it's less of an issue, even at lower electrolyte intake, but I'm not sure why. I never found the need to hit the super high recommendations on /r/keto though - I found that 4,000 - 5,000 mg per day was more than enough, and I'd get heart palpitations and muscle cramps generally under 2,500 / day. You'll see a lot of people on /r/keto saying you _have_ to hit 7k+ a day, and people who drink salted water all day - personally, I think that's overkill.
- serg_chernata 10y ago
  That's what I'm worried about. Taking in too much and simply the hassle of having to mix salted water every single day.
  - johnward 10y ago
    I take ZMA and potassium daily. I will drink electrolyte water too. When I get home from the gym and feel drained I will drink 8oz of chicken broth for the salt. I had some severe cramps before starting this.
    - serg_chernata 10y ago
      Potassium in pill form is only sold in very small doses, correct? How do you reach the high daily minimum?
      - shanusmagnus 10y ago
        I buy potassium bicarbonate from Amazon in bulk -- ten bucks a pound. Winemakers use it to reduce acidity in their product, but it's easy enough to mix half a tsp in water twice a day. Lot of research on bicarb, too, so useful outside of keto issues.
      - johnward 10y ago
        I don't know what the daily values are to be honest. I just take it until my symptoms, mostly cramping, go away and stick with that dosage. I basically eat broccoli or brussels sprouts with dinner every day. They both seem to have a decent amount of potassium.

cschmidt 10y ago

They talk about electrolytes all the time on reddit.com/r/keto. Go check out the FAQ for specifics.

rjsamson 10y ago

There are some great resources on the keto subreddit (reddit.com/r/keto). I personally had similar issues when I first started keto - several times a week i found i had to be conscious of my electrolyte intake and would supplement with broth and often almond milk (potassium). However 6 months in I've found it's less of an issue, even at lower electrolyte intake, but I'm not sure why. I never found the need to hit the super high recommendations on /r/keto though - I found that 4,000 - 5,000 mg per day was more than enough, and I'd get heart palpitations and muscle cramps generally under 2,500 / day. You'll see a lot of people on /r/keto saying you _have_ to hit 7k+ a day, and people who drink salted water all day - personally, I think that's overkill.

serg_chernata 10y ago
That's what I'm worried about. Taking in too much and simply the hassle of having to mix salted water every single day.
- johnward 10y ago
  I take ZMA and potassium daily. I will drink electrolyte water too. When I get home from the gym and feel drained I will drink 8oz of chicken broth for the salt. I had some severe cramps before starting this.
  - serg_chernata 10y ago
    Potassium in pill form is only sold in very small doses, correct? How do you reach the high daily minimum?
    - shanusmagnus 10y ago
      I buy potassium bicarbonate from Amazon in bulk -- ten bucks a pound. Winemakers use it to reduce acidity in their product, but it's easy enough to mix half a tsp in water twice a day. Lot of research on bicarb, too, so useful outside of keto issues.
    - johnward 10y ago
      I don't know what the daily values are to be honest. I just take it until my symptoms, mostly cramping, go away and stick with that dosage. I basically eat broccoli or brussels sprouts with dinner every day. They both seem to have a decent amount of potassium.