04/17/2003

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Chow Line: Potassium-rich foods deter muscle cramps (for 5/4/03)

Writer:

Melissa Karcher
karcher.19@osu.edu
(614)292-2011

Source:

Sharron Coplin

What can I eat to help reduce muscle cramping?

Spring is in full swing and park paths are full of joggers and walkers shedding that winter weight. While the workout can be refreshing, cramping muscles late in the night aren't nearly as appreciated.

As some might have been told by their old track coaches, a banana a day keeps the cramping away -- or something like that. Bananas are a good source of potassium, and too low a level of this mineral may be one cause of muscle cramping.

Potassium, an essential nutrient in the diet, is an electrolyte -- an ionized salt in the body that can become electrically charged. Potassium and sodium work together across cell membranes to regulate muscle contractions, among other critical body functions. If there's too little potassium, a condition called hypokalemia can result. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle weakness and cramping, intestinal complications, and in a worst-case scenario, muscular paralysis.

The recommended daily amount of potassium is 2,000 milligrams for anyone 10 years or older, but some health authorities recommend up to 3,500 milligrams a day to help reduce high blood pressure.

Foods higher in potassium include a medium baked potato with skin (721 mg), one-half cup dried prunes (633 mg), one-half cup raisins (598 mg) and six fluid ounces of prune juice (530 mg).

Potassium-rich foods in the middle range include a medium banana (467 mg), six ounces of orange juice (354 mg), one-half cup cooked lima beans (478 mg) and one-half cup cooked spinach (419 mg).

Lower (but still good) sources of potassium include: one ounce almonds (211 mg), a medium tomato (273 mg) and an ounce of sunflower seeds (241 mg).

For a complete list of potassium-rich foods, go the National Nutrient Database at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl. Click on "Nutrient Lists" and scroll down to potassium.

While bananas may not make you a faster jogger, they could make spring training a little less painful, and that's nothing to monkey around about.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

This column was reviewed by Sharron Coplin, registered dietitian and Ohio State University Extension nutrition associate in the College of Human Ecology.