Potassium Rich Foods
Improve Your Swimming Performance By Including Foods High in Potassium in Your Daily Diet
There is a huge population with potassium deficiency in the United State and all over the world. Potassium is a very important mineral for your body just like sodium and calcium. People are consuming more than the recommended amount of sodium but they are nowhere close to recommending a daily intake of potassium. A lot of sodium will deplete other minerals including potassium which is not a good thing.
Swimmers should definitely monitor their diet and potassium intake. Low potassium in the body will massively impact your performance in the pool or in the open water. Muscles need minerals to work at optimum performance.
How much potassium do you need in a day?
It is recommended to 3,400 milligrams (mg) of potassium every day. Most people don’t even get 1000 milligrams a day!
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 400 mg | 400 mg | ||
| 7–12 months | 860 mg | 860 mg | ||
| 1–3 years | 2,000 mg | 2,000 mg | ||
| 4–8 years | 2,300 mg | 2,300 mg | ||
| 9–13 years | 2,500 mg | 2,300 mg | ||
| 14–18 years | 3,000 mg | 2,300 mg | 2,600 mg | 2,500 mg |
| 19–50 years | 3,400 mg | 2,600 mg | 2,900 mg | 2,800 mg |
| 51+ years | 3,400 mg | 2,600 mg |
Foods High in Potassium
- Bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, apricots, grapefruit (some dried fruits, such as prunes, raisins, and dates, are also high in potassium)
- Cooked spinach
- Cooked broccoli
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Peas
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Pumpkins
- Leafy greens
Juice from potassium-rich fruit is also a good choice:
- Orange juice
- Tomato juice
- Prune juice
- Apricot juice
- Grapefruit juice
Certain dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, are high in potassium (low-fat or fat-free is best).
Some fish contain potassium:
- Tuna
- Halibut
- Cod
- Trout
- Rockfish
Beans or legumes that are high in potassium include:
- Lima beans
- Pinto beans
- Kidney beans
- Soybeans
- Lentils
Other foods that are rich in potassium include:
- Salt substitutes (read labels to check potassium levels)
- Molasses
- Nuts
- Meat and poultry
- Brown and wild rice
- Bran cereal
- Whole-wheat bread and pasta
| Food | Milligrams (mg) per serving | Percent DV* |
|---|---|---|
| Apricots, dried, ½ cup | 1,101 | 23 |
| Lentils, cooked, 1 cup | 731 | 16 |
| Prunes, dried, ½ cup | 699 | 15 |
| Squash, acorn, mashed, 1 cup | 644 | 14 |
| Raisins, ½ cup | 618 | 13 |
| Potato, baked, flesh only, 1 medium | 610 | 13 |
| Kidney beans, canned, 1 cup | 607 | 13 |
| Orange juice, 1 cup | 496 | 11 |
| Soybeans, mature seeds, boiled, ½ cup | 443 | 9 |
| Banana, 1 medium | 422 | 9 |
| Milk, 1%, 1 cup | 366 | 8 |
| Spinach, raw, 2 cups | 334 | 7 |
| Chicken breast, boneless, grilled, 3 ounces | 332 | 7 |
| Yogurt, fruit variety, nonfat, 6 ounces | 330 | 7 |
| Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, 3 ounces | 326 | 7 |
| Beef, top sirloin, grilled, 3 ounces | 315 | 7 |
| Molasses, 1 tablespoon | 308 | 7 |
| Tomato, raw, 1 medium | 292 | 6 |
| Soymilk, 1 cup | 287 | 6 |
| Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat, 6 ounces | 240 | 5 |
| Broccoli, cooked, chopped, ½ cup | 229 | 5 |
| Cantaloupe, cubed, ½ cup | 214 | 5 |
| Turkey breast, roasted, 3 ounces | 212 | 5 |
| Asparagus, cooked, ½ cup | 202 | 4 |
| Apple, with skin, 1 medium | 195 | 4 |
| Cashew nuts, 1 ounce | 187 | 4 |
| Rice, brown, medium-grain, cooked, 1 cup | 154 | 3 |
| Tuna, light, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces | 153 | 3 |
| Coffee, brewed, 1 cup | 116 | 2 |
| Lettuce, iceberg, shredded, 1 cup | 102 | 2 |
| Peanut butter, 1 tablespoon | 90 | 2 |
| Tea, black, brewed, 1 cup | 88 | 2 |
| Flaxseed, whole, 1 tablespoon | 84 | 2 |
| Bread, whole-wheat, 1 slice | 81 | 2 |
| Egg, 1 large | 69 | 1 |
| Rice, white, medium-grain, cooked, 1 cup | 54 | 1 |
| Bread, white, 1 slice | 37 | 1 |
| Cheese, mozzarella, part skim, 1½ ounces | 36 | 1 |
| Oil (olive, corn, canola, or soybean), 1 tablespoon | 0 | 0 |
Make sure to check your kidney health before consuming large amounts of potassium. You need healthy kidneys to filter out excess amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Now that you have learned about the top 6 benefits of swimming, it’s time to include a swim session in your daily or weekly schedule. Getting fit and toning your body with low impact and relaxing workouts like swimming is always a good idea.
If you live in Austin, Texas, and need private coaching to learn swimming for yourself or your kids, you should contact Rocket Swimming. We offer world-class Private Swim training.
Sources :
www.webmd.com
ods.od.nih.gov
