Electrolytes now or later?

#1

Hi there!
I’m in hour 64 of an extended water only fast (plus espresso & tea). My longest previous fast was ~74 hours but I think I can blow right by that this time around. I’ve been taking a multivitamin that includes 40 mg of potassium and 100mg of magnesium so I haven’t felt any ill effects due to electrolyte deficiency. My initial goal was 5 days but I think I can go 7. Heck, right now I feel like I can go forever :slight_smile:

I want to continue feeling good. My question, should I be consuming more electrolytes now and after I finish the fast? I first picked up some apple cider vinegar but at a trip to a GNC I found Beyond Raw Chemistry Labs Electrolytes. Doesn’t appear to have any calories so I guess I can take them during a fast.
https://www.gnc.com/beyond-raw/369838.html?cgid=beyond-raw

Since I’m feeling good now, safe to assume that I should just continue on as is, but if I experience headaches, dizziness, weakness, that I should take a dose of this stuff?

BTW, I am fat adapted and follow a ketogenic diet. Lots of weight to still lose, which is my main reason for this fast; breaking a plateau.

Thanks!

(Gregory - You can teach an old dog new tricks.) #2

The main sign of electrolyte deficiency is muscle cramps…
In the absence of them. I wouldn’t worry about electrolyte deficiency …

The RDA for potassium is 3,500–4,700 mg, so 40mg is only a trace amount, and I wouldn’t even count it as far as your supplement is concerned.

#3

Exactly. Your body maintains a fairly large potassium reserve in your individual cells. And maintains a balance within a very narrow range. Too much and too little is where people run into problems.

I’ve taken supplements during fasting, and I’ve not taken supplements while fasting, and I personally can’t tell a difference. These days I don’t take anything. But what I do during extended fasts is I don’t over do water consumption. I don’t allow myself to become dehydrated, I don’t “dry fast” but I’m not ‘flushing’ my system. At least not on extended fasts.

I remember starting out getting cramps around the 3rd or 4th day. It was a real pain, especially cramps in the intercostals. So like an idiot I’d drink more water and make it worse, even though I was supplementing.

My general recommendation is to do whatever feels right for you. However, I don’t think taking a lot supplements really does anything, and some people create bigger electrolyte imbalances trying to take electrolytes.

Fasting is a perfectly natural process. You don’t really need to do anything, evolution has conditioned your body to handle it. All you have to do is not eat.

#4

I’m reading from others on this forum that they’re taking salt or drinking bone broth to get electrolytes on an extended fast. Is it only to prevent refeeding syndrome? I though it was to ensure that a fast goes smoothly.

#5

Just like everything that has to do with health, diet, and exercise, there are a lot of different ways ways to do things. Everyone has an opinion and the science is far from settled, everything is controversial.

With that said, I think more people screw up their electrolyte balance by over supplementing with electrolytes than help their electrolyte balance. That’s because when you take electrolyte supplements without lab work you’re basically flying blind, or trying to go on “feelings” which more often than not lead to wrong assumptions. It’s a very delicate balancing act your body performs to keep your electrolytes in balance. Too much and too little is a bad thing. Take more than you need of one, and you could adversely affect the levels of the anothers.

Fasting is not an abnormal state. Humans have been fasting for as long as they’ve walked the planet. Evolution and natural selection have provided your body with the tools to deal with fasting. You really don’t need anything else, and you don’t have to overthink it. It’s easy don’t eat.

That’s just my opinion.

#6

I appreciate your perspective. I’m on day 4 and still feeling good. I don’t think that I’m ‘missing anything’, so why change anything. If I felt symptoms of deficiency then I guess I would deal with it then.

Thanks.

#7

This is day 5 and I woke up early to my legs beginning to cramp. I think that’s a good sign that I should add some electrolytes now. I’ll take a scoop of that stuff that I mentioned above and see how I do.

I was in Vegas for 8 days a week before I started this EF. I did feel my legs cramping there too I’m guessing because of the dryness. I guess I didn’t refill my need for electrolytes before starting this fast.

(Teb Tengri) #8

I can’t imagine supplementing amounts that are near equal to what you get on average when eating could cause harm and would surely avoid any electrolyte deficiency