If you want something cheap and easy to do, I put a pinch of a high quality sea salt in my water.Rainbow wrote:
Thanks simonh01, it seems like I need to start getting serious about supplements. I'll take it one by one and see how it goes. Potassium's first up — I'm going to work on getting more from dietary sources (seems difficult; I'm almost definitely not hitting the RDA right now) and top up with a supplement.
Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
Simon
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Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
Will give it a try.If you want something cheap and easy to do, I put a pinch of a high quality sea salt in my water.
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Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
Please check in with your primary care provider/GP to make sure that you don't have an abnormal heart rhythm that could be dangerous. I'm nervous about your heart rate; how fast is it? And what are your ketone levels? Perhaps you can back off on your ketosis level a bit to see if your fast heart rate resolves.Rainbow wrote:My heart rate has gone up significantly since I started playing around with a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting. One consequence is that the beating of my heart sometimes keeps me awake at night. It's been worrying me for the past few months, and I'm not sure what to do about it.
I've tried supplementing with 2000 mg magnesium a day (on top of eating lots of greens), but this hasn't helped. Perhaps it's an issue with potassium (which I've never taken as a supplement). But since I don't know my levels, I'm not sure whether it's necessary.
I hope the magnesium dose you mentioned is a typo and not actually 2000mg daily. This seems very high to me, especially if you don't know for sure that you are deficient. Until your fast heart rate resolves, please stop any mineral supplements. Once you've gotten a clean bill of heart rate health, add food sources of minerals rather than supplements, unless you know for sure that you are low. Too much magnesium, potassium, sodium etc can be just as bad as too little, and the body has a hard time getting rid of excess minerals in supplement form.
The Linus Pauling Institute is a reputable source of information on vitamins and minerals. You can find information on magnesium here.
Slacker
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Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
Just as a reference point, I also take 2,000 mg of magnesium and my blood level is still below Dr. Bredesen's recommended goal. Also, a side effect of magnesium is a reduction in heart rate. Abruptly stopping, could significantly worsen your issue. I agree with Slacker that checking in with your doc is a good idea. My guess is that you're likely a bit dehydrated from the keto.
Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
I have been on a low carbohydrate diet for 5 years. My heart rate also increased from a resting level of 68 to 80. My doctors tell me 80 is normal but I am exceptionally fit so I feel it is. Perhaps it is normal for a low carber. Ivor Cummins has discussed this. I believe it is a common side effect.
Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
I found this on Pub Med.
The Effects of a Ketogenic Diet on Exercise Metabolism and Physical Performance in Off-Road Cyclists
Adam Zajac,1 Stanisław Poprzecki,2 Adam Maszczyk,1,* Miłosz Czuba,1 Małgorzata Michalczyk,3 and Grzegorz Zydek3
"The heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake were significantly higher at rest and during the first three stages of exercise after the ketogenic diet, while the reverse was true during the last stage of the exercise protocol conducted with maximal intensity. "
The Effects of a Ketogenic Diet on Exercise Metabolism and Physical Performance in Off-Road Cyclists
Adam Zajac,1 Stanisław Poprzecki,2 Adam Maszczyk,1,* Miłosz Czuba,1 Małgorzata Michalczyk,3 and Grzegorz Zydek3
"The heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake were significantly higher at rest and during the first three stages of exercise after the ketogenic diet, while the reverse was true during the last stage of the exercise protocol conducted with maximal intensity. "
Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
Thanks everyone for the support and suggestions! Some things I'm currently trying:
- Drinking salted water in the morning, as well as after exercise. I do at least an hour of exercise a day, and this includes a lot of cardio/sweating. Previously my diet contained almost no sodium, and I think this might've been one of my mistakes. I'm also including some Marmite in my diet after noticing the B-vitamin content.
- Getting more potassium into my diet. I've started using the Cronometer, which has been really insightful. As I suspected, potassium's looking low. Magnesium seems fine, but of course I don't know how much I'm absorbing, and yes it's probably a good idea to take stock of my levels before supplementing like crazy! The 2000 mg wasn't a typo.
- Simultaneously, I'm dialing back a bit on the keto. I'm looking at 90 to 150 g carbs per day, and a 7-hour eating window. I don't have a ketometer at the moment, but plan to buy one when I move to the US in a few months.
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Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
For potassium you might this usefulRainbow wrote:Thanks everyone for the support and suggestions! Some things I'm currently trying:
[*]Getting more potassium into my diet. I've started using the Cronometer, which has been really insightful. As I suspected, potassium's looking low. Magnesium seems fine, but of course I don't know how much I'm absorbing, and yes it's probably a good idea to take stock of my levels before supplementing like crazy! The 2000 mg wasn't a typo.
3 Ways to Get Enough Potassium | Chris Masterjohn Lite #52
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jcJPLa87b4
Simon
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Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
Hi Rainbow,
According to Dr Phinney (an expert on ketogenic diet, he has books and plenty of free videos out there) if you are consuming less than about 60 gms of carbohydrates your body changes how it handles sodium and begins not trying to conserve it. In order to avoid having your sodium levels go too low you should be consuming about 2 additional gm of sodium each day. If not I think you will see your heart rate go up. Your body will also start losing potassium and I think you may also some some muscle wasting if this goes on long enough (I believe he made that comment in a response to a question from the audience at a lowcarb conference). You may also experience exercise and heat intolerance (and he does mention a higher rate maybe because you're slightly hypovolemic?) He says unless you're on diuretics you will want to take some extra salt to avoid all this if your carb intake is really low.
According to Dr Phinney (an expert on ketogenic diet, he has books and plenty of free videos out there) if you are consuming less than about 60 gms of carbohydrates your body changes how it handles sodium and begins not trying to conserve it. In order to avoid having your sodium levels go too low you should be consuming about 2 additional gm of sodium each day. If not I think you will see your heart rate go up. Your body will also start losing potassium and I think you may also some some muscle wasting if this goes on long enough (I believe he made that comment in a response to a question from the audience at a lowcarb conference). You may also experience exercise and heat intolerance (and he does mention a higher rate maybe because you're slightly hypovolemic?) He says unless you're on diuretics you will want to take some extra salt to avoid all this if your carb intake is really low.
Re: Ketogenic Diet: Transitioning, Experiences, Reasons, Cautions ...
Thanks simonh01 and Whatnow! I feel much better after upping my salt intake.
For reference, the foods high in potassium (but low in net carbs) mentioned here are: watercress, spinach, purslane, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, arugula, red leaf lettuce, celery, white mushrooms, green leaf lettuce, zucchini, Chinese cabbage, asparagus, common cabbage, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes. Very useful!simonh01 wrote:For potassium you might this useful
3 Ways to Get Enough Potassium | Chris Masterjohn Lite #52
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jcJPLa87b4
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