Nutrition and Wellness

Everything You Need to Know About Potassium

January 16, 2025 2 min read

Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte that plays a huge role in maintaining the function of cells, tissues, and organs. It is essential for regulating fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals. But, despite its importance, many people do not consume enough potassium in their diets.

This article will cover everything you need to know about potassium, including its benefits, sources, and recommended intake.

What is Potassium?

Potassium is an essential mineral and electrolyte that helps maintain a healthy balance of fluids in the body. It is needed for muscle function, nerve signal transmission, and maintaining a steady heart rhythm.

Unlike sodium, which tends to be consumed in excess in the modern diet, potassium is often under-consumed, despite its importance for maintaining health.

Why is Potassium Important?

Potassium plays several key roles in the body: 

Muscle Function: Potassium is needed for muscle contractions, including the heart. It helps muscle function and prevents cramps.
Nerve Function: Potassium is involved in nerve signaling, enabling the transmission of electrical impulses that control muscle movement and other vital processes.
Fluid and Electrolyte Balance: Potassium helps regulate fluid balance by working with sodium to control the movement of fluids in and out of cells. This balance is essential for maintaining blood pressure and hydration levels.
Heart Health: Potassium is critical for maintaining a regular heart rhythm and preventing arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). It helps lower blood pressure by balancing the effects of sodium, which can increase blood pressure when consumed in excess.

How Much Potassium Should You Take?

The recommended daily intake (RDI) of potassium varies depending on age, gender, and life stage. In general, adults need around 2,500-3,000 mg of potassium per day.

For specific age groups, the recommendations are as follows: 

Children (1-3 years): 2,000 mg
Children (4-8 years): 2,300 mg
Adolescents (9-18 years): 3,400-3,700 mg
Adults (19 years and older): 2,500-3,000 mg (women), 3,400-4,700 mg (men)

Certain groups, such as athletes, pregnant women, and those with kidney conditions, may require higher potassium intake.

Sources of Potassium

Potassium is found in a wide variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Common sources include: 

Fruits: Bananas, oranges, avocados, and melons are excellent sources of potassium.
Vegetables: Potatoes (especially with skin), spinach, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes are rich in potassium.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and peas are great plant-based sources.
Dairy Products: Milk and yogurt provide a good amount of potassium.
Fish: Salmon, tuna, and other fish are also high in potassium.

Focus on whole, unprocessed foods, as processed foods tend to be low in potassium and high in sodium, which can offset the benefits of potassium.

Deficiency and Toxicity

Potassium Deficiency

A lack of potassium, or hypokalemia, can lead to symptoms such as muscle weakness, fatigue, cramping, constipation, and irregular heartbeats. Those at risk include people with poor diets, excessive alcohol consumption, certain medications (like diuretics), and medical conditions that affect potassium levels, such as kidney disease.

Potassium Toxicity

While potassium toxicity (hyperkalemia) is rare, it can occur with excessive intake or kidney problems. Symptoms of potassium toxicity include nausea, weakness, irregular heartbeats, and in extreme cases, heart failure. 

Conclusion

Potassium is a crucial mineral that supports muscle function, nerve signaling, fluid balance, and heart health. Ensuring you get enough potassium through a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being.

If you’re concerned about your potassium intake or have specific health conditions, consult with a healthcare provider to ensure you're meeting your potassium needs without exceeding safe levels.

Sources:

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements
Mayo Clinic
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

FAQ

Porrada is a Portuguese term commonly used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Brazilian culture to describe a tough, intense, and gritty style of training or fighting. The direct translation of porrada from Portuguese to English is "beating" or "brawl." It embodies the spirit of going all out, giving your maximum effort, and pushing through challenges. In BJJ, practicing porrada means training with high intensity and determination.

This website is a collection of resources curated by grapplers, for grapplers. Our goal is to provide you with all the information you need to succeed. Whether you want to learn about nutrition, training on the mats, lifting, or anything in between, we are here for you. We want to see you on the podium most of all, and we hope to help you do exactly that. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot us an email or DM us on any of our social profiles!

There are two main ways you can get started with training: 1) You can find a BJJ gym near you and do a trial day, or 2) you can create your own mini home gym and start training with friends. Option #2 is how our team at Porrada got started! We ordered 1-inch thick puzzle mats in a 10’x10’ square and began training using online resources. If you do start with the second option, we recommend eventually finding a gym down the road in your career. It will help you by allowing you to roll with more people and receive high-level instruction.

BJJ is quite similar to wrestling. Both start standing and use takedowns as a method to score points. Both use very similar mechanics overall. The main differences are that there are no pins (you can be on your back in Jiu-Jitsu), BJJ involves submissions, and the points system for each is very different. BJJ grants points for takedowns/sweeps, back control, mount, guard passes, and knee on belly. Wrestling grants points for takedowns, escapes, and back points (back exposure for freestyle).

BJJ is a very unique sport in many ways. There are so many incredible benefits to training Jiu-Jitsu. The biggest reasons we advocate for it are the mindset training and the added ability to defend yourself. In BJJ, you are forced to humble yourself over and over again, every single day. This sport is a great way to mature rapidly and generally become a better person (in our opinion). You will also have a better ability to defend yourself than 99% of the population—a pretty big bonus.

You’re never too old to start training! We see people on the mats of all ages and sizes. Large and small, old and young can, and should, train BJJ. If you are on the older side, it is perfectly acceptable to take it slow and learn at your own pace. You don’t always have to go full speed—don’t worry. There are typically also classes that separate people by goals. Certain classes are for those who want to compete, some are for general instruction, and some are specifically for self-defense teachings. There is a place for everyone on the mats.