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Lead Stories: Monday, December 1, 2008

Will potassium supplements treat fatigue in an athlete?

Posted January 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: Nutrition, Supplements, Health & Fitness

Tiredness and cramps in athletes can have many causes, but lack of potassium in their diets is not one of them. Many years ago, Dave Costill of Ball State University tried to create potassium deficiency in runners. He couldn’t do it because potassium is found in all foods except refined sugar, and his athletes would not stay on a diet that consisted only of hard candy.

The kidneys and sweat glands conserve potassium so well that you don’t lose much. If an athlete develops potassium deficiency, it is usually caused by drugs, such as diuretics or corticosteroids, or by diarrhea or repeated vomiting.
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