i am eating on average 4-5 bananas a day. Is this to much?? i love them, but am worried that i am building up to much potassium. I have track practice everyday, and swiming 3 times a week, and a hard workout on saturdays after a track race on friday. Am i using it all?

Don't sweat it!

Here's what Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D. (Food Science and Human Nutrition Specialist
Colorado State University) has to say:

"Potassium. You know that's one good reason to eat bananas... High levels of potassium may reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. Many people at risk of high blood pressure keep a keen eye on their sodium intake, but few think about increasing their potassium. Not only can potassium help lower blood pressure, some experts feel it may offer additional stroke-protection benefits. One study examined 859 men and women over age 50. Results revealed that those who took in more than 3,500 milligrams (mg) a day had a much lower incidence of fatal stroke than those who consumed less than 1,950 mg daily. The recommended intake for potassium is 2,000 to 3,500 mg a day... One medium banana packs 450 mg."

www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columnnn/nn981104.html


But what about your sodium intake? Chances are that's too high.

Good luck in your training.

thehitman

Just so you know, you can't OD on potassium from natural sources (you can from supplements, and it's exceptionally toxic if injected - it will stop your heart).

To get a bit more though, you might want to consider potatoes. They have 780 mg of potassium, almost twice that of a banana. Also skim milk comes in with 410 mg per 8 oz.

That said, most folks get plenty of this and the idea that you need a lot of it is really a misconception. If you eat a potato a week, you'll get more than you need. Deficiencies, even in ultra-endurance athletes, are uncommon.

Kelli

Kelli -

Huh?
Are you saying one potato a week will provide you with all your potassium needs?
I don't think so. Just one hard two hour work-out will result in the loss of 800 mg of potassium.

Bananas or potatoes? Do like thehitman TC, and eat plenty of both.

thehitman

As long as you can burn all that extra energy you receive from the fruits, you're OK ....

Greetings
pimm

according to Nancy Clark, M.S. , R.D.(- my favorite sports nutitionist} adapted from ]her Sports Nutrition Guidebook, third edition,

it is true that a high potassium diet has been found to be helpful in protecting against hypertension and stroke. potassium is quite plentiful in our diet, particularily in good foods such as fruits, vegy's, whole grain breads and cereals, lentils, nuts and beans. refined food products are usually poor sources of potassium.

suggested daily intake of of potassium is 3500 milligrams for the "average person."

suggested daily intake for the athlete is 6000 milligrams per day.
typical american diet contains 4000-7000 milligrams of potassium/day.

one pound of sweat loss contains between 85-105 milligrams potassium.

in a two to three hr. workout, you might lose between 300 and 800 mg potassium depending on how much you sweat. (you could weigh yourself before and after exercise and calculate the approximate figure on your own.)

when you sweat during a workout you lose water, and the electolytes potassium and sodium. all play an important role in regulating your body's fluid balance. electolytes are very easily repenished with adequate fluid and fuel intake post exercise. based on the probability that the harder/longer you exercise the more food /fluid you will consume after activity, you will most likely consume enough potassium to replace what you used up during the event. therefore, in most cases, artificial supplements are not neccessary.

for example , just by eating one banana (450 mg potassium) and drinking one cup of orange juice(475mg potassium) you would get 925mg (potassium) which is more than enough! also as was mentioned previously by kelli, a large potato has about 840 mg potassium. can you eat too many bananas? no, you'll definitey get adequate potassium, but you might get sick of them or end up with other unpleasant gi complications (i.e. constipation :( if you don't drink enough fluid along with them. )

there is much, much, more in this excellent nutrition resource!!!! :)

happy training!!!

Amy, ( M.S. Ed., R.D.)

I tend to cramp when I eat more than two bananas a day. I recently discovered that it happens with pototoes, as well. Could it be a deficiency in another mineral (sodium, calcium, magnesium, etc.) that might be aggrevated by the additional potassium?

In all honesty, that's over my head. I'll let a RD take a stab at it.

Kelli

Way to go ChainRingGash!

Looks like you've stumped the pros from Dover! :)

Check out this discussion:
http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/Forum4/HTML/006728.shtml

thehitman

Hey Chain Ring Gash...

sounds to me like like might be suffering from a "food intolerance. " signs of this are mild transient symptoms that do not invove the immune system such-as diarrhea, nausea or abdominal cramps. the onset is usually between 30 minutes to several hours after the ingestion of the offending food.

i can't tell you why this happens. i don't think the experts even know...(the hitman is right on!!!) in that cool running site, one of the posts stated that "beano" the food enzyme dietary supplement that is geared to aid in the digestion of gassy foods was helpful. maybe you could try that?.. hey, you never know! sometimes these intolerances are dose related so maybe just eat your bananas and potatos in moderation...

if this is really uncomfortable for you i would definitely seek the advice of an allergist or a gi specialist.

p.s. i can't eat apples. ate tons of them until i was thirty. now i get a horrible disgusting gassy indigestion that last for days. weird, huh? :confused: nobody can figure this one out. i think it has to do with the wax they put on them.

not really to do with potassium, but to do with bananas, im reading a book at the moment called lore of running, and apparently before or during exercise your body cant use fructose (or alcohol or galactose) as effectively, apparently it isnt oxidised as well as glucose or a glucose polymer, however if you take a fructose and glucose mix the the frictose is oxidesed to a greater extent, and its to do with how the body absorbs different energy fuels, not sure if i believe this but thought it was quite interesting - and hopefully that all made sense