What Is The Use Of Potassium In The Body – This article is a continuation of our electrolyte discussion on the importance of electrolytes in endurance sports. In part one, we addressed the role of sodium and some of the common symptoms of having too little or too much of it in our system. This article focuses on potassium, which acts as a counterbalance to sodium. So while there is a higher concentration of sodium inside our cells than outside, the opposite is true for potassium because it prefers to be outside the cells. Potassium and sodium work together to ensure the right amount of fluid in and out of our cells. This is done through something called the sodium potassium pump (quite advanced for us non-biology PhDs).

In this article, we’ll focus on how to make sure you have enough potassium in your system and some of the symptoms of potassium imbalance.

What Is The Use Of Potassium In The Body

Like most other electrolytes, potassium is mostly obtained from the food and drinks we eat. The most popular method is the legendary endurance fruit – bananas (read our comparison of bananas vs energy gels for deep dives). There are many other fruits and vegetables that have really high potassium concentrations, but they are less likely to show up at a marathon or ultramarathon checkpoint. When we eat or drink a substance, it passes through our stomach into the intestine and is absorbed into our bloodstream. The kidney’s role is to filter the blood and thus regulate the electrolyte levels of potassium in our system.

Question Video: Improving The Quality Of A Test For Potassium Ions

Each electrolyte in our body has a very specific concentration that is ideal for our system to function properly. For potassium, that number is 3.5-5 mEq/L, and if our body goes above or below that level, we can have trouble. Especially when we fall below our desired range, we end up in a condition called HypoKalemia. Low potassium levels can be caused by diuretics, steroid imbalances, too much insulin in our system, or not eating enough potassium-rich foods. Given the symptoms, nurses preparing for an electrolyte exam have created a mnemonic device to remember them—they call it the 7Ls of low potassium, none of which are ideal for peak performance in endurance races:

Watch out for these conditions and make sure you eat plenty of potassium-rich foods to ensure you don’t suffer from these unpleasant symptoms.

On the other hand, if the concentration of potassium in your body is too high, this condition is called HyperKalemia. This condition is usually caused by muscle breakdown that leaks potassium into our blood, or by the kidneys not working properly to help excrete excess potassium in our urine. The symptoms are also not very pleasant and good nurses have come up with a suitable acronym to remember them: M-U-R-D-E-R:

In the next electrolytes article, we’ll touch on the main electrolytes left in our bodies – chloride, magnesium, phosphate and calcium.

Foods High In Potassium List

Dedicated to helping runners reach their optimal potential through research and dissemination of information on nutrition, training, running strategies and other useful running-related information. Through our own research, trials, interviews with runners, coaches and sports nutritionists, we build a one-stop shop for achieving your running goals. A diet rich in potassium is associated with many powerful health benefits. It helps lower blood pressure and water retention, protect against stroke, and prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones.

This mineral is classified as an electrolyte because it is highly reactive in water. Produces positively charged ions when dissolved in water.

About 98% of the potassium in your body is found in your cells. 80% of this is found in your muscle cells and the other 20% in your bones, liver and red blood cells (

When in water, an electrolyte dissolves into positive or negative ions capable of conducting electricity. Potassium ions carry a positive charge.

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Your body uses this electricity to manage a variety of processes, including fluid balance, nerve signaling, and muscle contraction (7, 8).

Summary: Potassium is an important mineral that acts as an electrolyte. It helps regulate fluid balance, nerve signaling and muscle contraction.

The rest is found outside your cells in areas like your blood, spinal cord, and between cells. This fluid is called extracellular fluid (ECF).

Interestingly, the water content of ICF and ECF affects their electrolyte concentrations, particularly potassium and sodium.

Potassium In Food Production

Potassium is the main electrolyte in the ICF and determines the amount of water in the cells. Sodium, on the other hand, is the main electrolyte in the ECF and determines the amount of water outside the cells.

The number of electrolytes relative to the amount of fluid is called osmolality. Under normal conditions, the osmolality inside and outside your cells is the same.

However, when the osmolality is unequal, water from the low-electrolyte side moves to the high-electrolyte side to equalize the electrolyte concentration.

This can cause the cells to shrink as water moves out of them or swell and burst as water moves into them (10).

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Maintaining good fluid balance is important for optimal health. Poor fluid balance can lead to dehydration, which affects the heart and kidneys (11).

Summary: Fluid balance is affected by electrolytes, mainly potassium and sodium. Eating foods rich in potassium can help you maintain good fluid balance.

These messages are delivered in the form of nerve impulses and help regulate your muscle contractions, heart rate, reflexes, and many other body functions (

Interestingly, nerve impulses are generated by sodium ions moving into cells and potassium ions moving out of cells.

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Unfortunately, low levels of potassium in the blood affect the body’s ability to generate a nerve impulse (

Summary: This mineral plays an essential role in activating nerve impulses throughout your nervous system. Nerve impulses help regulate muscle contraction, heartbeat, reflexes, and many other processes.

Low and high blood levels can affect nerve impulses by changing the voltage of nerve cells (

The mineral is also important for a healthy heart, as its movement into and out of cells helps maintain a regular heartbeat.

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When blood levels of the mineral are too high, the heart can become enlarged and weakened. This can weaken its contractions and cause an abnormal heartbeat (8).

When the heart is not beating properly, blood cannot be pumped effectively to the brain, organs and muscles.

In some cases, cardiac arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats can be fatal and cause sudden death (

Summary: Potassium levels have a significant effect on muscle contraction. Altered levels can cause muscle weakness, and in the heart, they can cause an irregular heartbeat.

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An analysis of 33 studies found that when people with high blood pressure increased their potassium intake, their systolic blood pressure decreased by 3.49 mmHg and their diastolic blood pressure decreased by 1.96 mmHg.

In another study, including 1,285 participants aged 25-64, scientists found that people who ate the most potassium had lower blood pressure compared to people who ate the least.

Those consuming the most had a 6 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure and a 4 mmHg drop in diastolic blood pressure.

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is reduced. It is the cause of death in more than 130,000 Americans each year (

The Importance Of Potassium

In an analysis of 33 studies including 128,644 participants, scientists found that people who ate the most potassium had a 24% lower risk of stroke than people who ate the least.

Additionally, an analysis of 11 studies with 247,510 participants found that people who ate the most potassium had a 21% lower risk of stroke. They also found that eating a diet rich in this mineral was linked to a reduced risk of heart disease (

Interestingly, studies show that a potassium-rich diet may help prevent osteoporosis by reducing the amount of calcium the body loses through urine (24, 25,

In a study of 62 healthy women aged 45-55, scientists found that people who ate the most potassium had more total bone mass.

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In another study with 994 healthy premenopausal women, scientists found that those who ate the most potassium had more bone mass in the lower back and hips.

Calcium is a common mineral in kidney stones, and several studies show that potassium citrate lowers urinary calcium levels (29,

In a four-year study of 45,619 men, scientists found that those who consumed the most potassium daily had a 51% lower risk of developing kidney stones (3).

Similarly, in a 12-year study of 91,731 women, scientists found that those who consumed the most potassium daily had a 35% lower risk of developing kidney stones.

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Studies show that high potassium intake helps reduce water retention by increasing urine production and lowering sodium levels.

Summary: A diet high in potassium lowers blood pressure and water retention, protects against strokes and helps prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones.

Most health authorities agree to obtain

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