Potassium is a mineral and an electrolyte that is essential for proper functioning of your body. Optimal potassium levels are important for your health, and changes in your blood potassium concentrations can lead to several health effects. A condition in which you have too much potassium in your blood is called hyperkalemia; when your blood potassium levels are too low, it is called hypokalemia.
What is Potassium Used in Your Body
Potassium is a major cation inside your cells. It is important for many reactions and functions in your body, including maintaining cell membrane potential, transmission of nerve impulses and functioning of the sodium-potassium pump. Potassium is essential for heart, skeletal and smooth muscle contractions. Hypokalemia can cause muscle cramps and irregular heartbeat, whereas hyperkalemia can lead to arrhythmias, lowered heartbeat and in serious cases, to cardiac arrest. Great dietary sources for potassium are vegetables such as tomatoes and potatoes, fruits such as oranges and bananas, dairy and all types of meat.
Potassium and Exercise
Your blood potassium levels can temporarily rise during a high-intensity exercise. This is due to a loss of potassium from your muscle cells into the blood. A study published in the "Physiological research" in 2002 showed that bicycling at a fast pedaling rate of 120 revolutions per minute caused significantly higher blood potassium levels than when cycling at 60 revolutions per minute. The study also showed that the increase in blood potassium concentration was related to the metabolic cost of the exercise expressed by the maximum oxygen uptake or VO2max.
Exercises that Raise Your Blood Potassium
Strenuous aerobic exercise increases your serum potassium levels considerably more than light or moderate exercise. Bicycling at a fast pace, cycling uphill, high-intensity sprint interval running, uphill running and a vigorous pace workout on the elliptical are examples of exercises that raise your heart rate and blood potassium levels. However, you can easily make any aerobic exercise strenuous by just increasing your work intensity. You can use your heart rate as an indicator of your exercise intensity. Exercises that raise your heart rate to 80 to 90 percent of maximum are considered strenuous activities.
Example of a Workout to Raise Blood Potassium
Start with a five minute warm-up at light to moderate intensity to get your muscles and cardiovascular system ready for the workout. Then, do a high-intensity exercise during which you keep your running pace the same but increase your resistance until exhaustion. As an example, run at a constant pace of 7 mph or at a pace that is vigorous for you physique. Increase your resistance every three minutes by raising the incline from one to three degrees. Continue until you are running with maximum effort and keep it up until exhaustion. Cool down for five to 10 minutes at light or moderate intensity.
References
- MedLinePlus: Potassium
- "Physiological research"; Effect of different cycling frequencies during incremental exercise..; J.A. Zoladz, et al.; 2002
- "The Journal Of Physiology"; Effect of Exercise Intensity on Potassium Balance..; N.K. Vøllestad, et al.; March 1994
