<p><span style="font-weight: 400">I’ve spent over a decade coaching people to use the ketogenic diet as a tool to achieve their body recomposition goals. If I had to condense my career into just 30 seconds of advice, I would spend at least 5 seconds on electrolytes.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Ignoring electrolytes is probably the biggest mistake people make on a low-carb or low-processed-food diet. Few people understand the importance of sodium, </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/potassium-benefits-and-best-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">potassium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, and </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/magnesium-benefits-and-best-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">magnesium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. Headaches, fatigue, cramps, and other </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-is-keto-flu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">symptoms of keto flu</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> often follow when we don’t get enough of these vital minerals—especially sodium—and as a result, people stagger around in a low-energy, cranky fuzz… like a grizzly disturbed during hibernation.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The truth is, those who eat a ketogenic, paleo, or low-carb diet simply need more sodium than the general population. Why? A number of factors contribute, but some </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5858534/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">interesting facets</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> of low-carb and keto physiology add a new layer to the problem of </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/electrolyte-imbalance-or-deficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">electrolyte deficiencies</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">It’s the perfect salt storm. And unless they fix their electrolyte deficiencies or imbalances, these folks don’t tend to stick with keto for long. I don’t blame them! Most people adopt a low-carb or keto diet to look, feel, and perform better, not to feel like they’re wading through the gravity of Jupiter. At this point people usually ask me </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">“If this (keto or paleo) diet is so healthy, why would you need to supplement electrolytes?”</span></i></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">My answer? Just as humans have always prioritized water and food, they have also actively sought out salt deposits. It’s one reason why big civilizations have found success around rivers and salt deposits, and thrived in salt trade. It was so valuable, in fact, that Roman soldiers were sometimes paid with salt instead of money. The word for their monthly allowance, “</span><span style="font-weight: 400">sal</span><span style="font-weight: 400">arium,” even persists today in the English word “</span><span style="font-weight: 400">sal</span><span style="font-weight: 400">ary.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">So today I’ll share what you need to know about electrolytes on keto. Which </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-are-electrolytes-and-why-are-they-important" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">electrolytes</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> should you target? What are their benefits? And how can you optimize your electrolyte intake? I’ll answer these questions soon. First, let’s review some basics.</span></p><h2><b>What Are Electrolytes?</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Do you know how your nerve impulses fire, muscles contract, and heart beats? These actions (and many others) depend in large part upon </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">electrolytes:</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400"> minerals that carry electrical charges. In your body, this electricity helps cells communicate with each other.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Allow me to introduce you to the </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-electrolytes-do-for-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">sodium-potassium pump</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">: a protein found in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">every living cell in your body.</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400"> This workhorse pumps sodium and potassium ions in and out of the cell, creating electrical events called “action potentials.” These action potentials then travel from cell to cell until they reach our muscle fibers. Once they do, calcium ions engage the muscle fiber, producing a contraction.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Why am I telling you all of this? Because a lack of electrolytes can make this process less efficient, weakening your muscle contractions. Electrolytes literally prime the machinery that keeps you thinking, breathing, and moving.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">But it’s not just about action potentials and sodium-potassium pumps. </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/is-sodium-good-or-bad-for-you"><span style="font-weight: 400">Sodium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> and potassium also mediate fluid balance. In other words, they help maintain optimal fluid levels in your blood, brain, skin, and organs. This is why electrolytes are crucial for hydration. Hydration isn’t just about drinking water. It’s also about getting enough electrolytes.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Neglecting electrolytes disrupts fluid balance. You see this </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5334560/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">A LOT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> in marathon runners who drink plain water on a predetermined schedule, develop </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/hyponatremia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">hyponatremia</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> (low blood sodium levels), and lurch across the finish line (or don’t) in a fog. It’s sad because exercise-associated hyponatremia is easily preventable.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Along with sodium and potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, phosphorus, and bicarbonate also conduct electricity in the human body. Not all electrolytes, however, need to be consciously prioritized. More on that later.</span></p><h2><b>Why Keto Dieters Need More Electrolytes</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400">There are three main reasons why low-carbers need more electrolytes:</span></p><ol><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Whole food diets lack sodium</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">The keto diet <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC301756/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">depletes</a> sodium levels</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Health-conscious people are afraid of salt</span></li></ol><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Let’s take these one at a time.</span></p><h3><b>#1: Whole food diets lack sodium</b></h3><p><span style="font-weight: 400">When people switch to keto, they often replace refined foods with whole foods as a result of being more conscious of their health decisions. That’s not to say that </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">everyone</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400"> does. Some eat what’s called </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/dirty-keto-lazy-keto-wont-help" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">“dirty keto”</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> to receive the short-term benefits of eating keto, but it’s at the cost of their long-term health.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">In any case, the switch from processed to whole foods is great because whole foods are more satiating and nutrient-dense than processed garbage.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Yet, cutting out refined foods comes with an unintended consequence: it removes the primary source of dietary sodium. (Processed foods </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19955402/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">tend</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> to be salty foods.) If this sodium isn’t replaced, you’re likely looking at a sodium deficiency.</span></p><h3><b>#2: Keto depletes sodium</b></h3><p><span style="font-weight: 400">This is perhaps the biggest contributor, and definitely the most overlooked. When you restrict carbs, it keeps the hormone insulin low. Low levels of insulin then </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493179/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">facilitate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> the fat-burning state called ketosis.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Low insulin has other effects though, like </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5858534/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">increasing</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> urinary sodium excretion. This has long been noticed in fasting patients who </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4925695/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">rapidly</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> expel sodium via the “natriuresis of fasting.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Similar sodium excretion occurs on </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/ketogenic-diet-what-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">the keto diet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. Sodium should be bumped up accordingly to account for those losses.</span></p><h3><b>#3: The fear of salt</b></h3><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The US government has </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/the-fdas-misguidance-on-sodium" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">waged war on salt</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> since 1980. Today, it urges the public to cap sodium intake at 2.3 grams per day.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">I guess they haven’t noticed the </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22110105/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">science</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> suggesting that 4–6 grams daily is the sweet spot for heart health outcomes. (And in high-risk patients, no less!) Meanwhile, anti-salt propaganda continues to frighten people into hiding the salt shaker.</span></p><h2><b>Electrolytes and Keto Flu</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Keto flu is a nickname for the fatigue, </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-keto-headaches" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">headaches</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, and </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/how-to-stop-and-prevent-leg-cramps-on-keto" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">cramps</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> people may experience when cutting carbs. There are several causes of keto flu, with the most common being low sodium.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">If you compare </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/symptoms-of-low-sodium-and-how-to-treat-hyponatremia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">low sodium symptoms</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> to keto flu symptoms, you’ll find plenty of overlap. This isn’t a coincidence. The consequence of inadequate salt is keto flu, and eating a ketogenic diet is a contributing factor to sodium deficiency.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The standard advice for keto flu? Wait it out while your body </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/4-ways-to-become-fat-adapted-and-why-its-different-than-ketosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">fat-adapts</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. This may be okay for a period of days, but what if you’ve been in keto hell for weeks or months? Something else is wrong, and it needs to be addressed.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">There’s no downside to starting with electrolytes. Get your electrolytes in check with the salt shaker, nutrient-dense whole foods, and some </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-recharge-electrolyte-drink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">LMNT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. That often solves the problem, right then and there.</span></p><h2><b>Keto Electrolytes: Benefits and Sources</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400">When we surveyed hundreds of our clients</span><span style="font-weight: 400">, we found many weren’t getting enough electrolytes. Specifically, they weren’t getting enough:</span></p><ol><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Sodium</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Potassium</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Magnesium</span></li></ol><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Each of these minerals has a unique profile. Let’s dive into them.</span></p><h3><b>#1: Sodium</b></h3><p><span style="font-weight: 400">If you want to understand the benefits of sodium, try noticing what happens when you don’t get enough of it. Or save yourself the headache and read this list of the consequences:</span></p><ul><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Headaches, fatigue, </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-keto-brain-fog#:~:text=Brain%20fog%20is%20one%20of,fog%E2%80%94are%20called%20keto%20flu." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">brain fog</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, and other keto flu symptoms</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6901412/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">Frequent</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> muscle cramps</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Low energy</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/keto-insomnia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">Insomnia</span></a></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.446.6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">Elevated blood pressure</span></a></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6140170/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">Decreased bone mineral density</span></a></li></ul><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Our sodium retention system causes many of these problems. When you don’t get enough salt, you release aldosterone, epinephrine, renin, and other stimulating and blood-pressure-elevating hormones in an attempt to spare your body the loss of sodium.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Inadequate electrolyte intake also impairs bone health. Why? Because bone is your primary electrolyte reservoir. If dietary intakes are low, bone gets tapped.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">If you want to get enough sodium, make friends with the salt shaker and drink </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/electrolyte-water-benefits-and-best-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">electrolyte water</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. As I mentioned above, I recommend getting at least 4–6 g of sodium per day. More if you’re sweaty and active.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">It’s important to note that, while “sodium” is often used as a synonym for salt, they are not the same. Salt, in the form that we typically consume, is sodium chloride plus small amounts of other minerals. By weight, 1 gram of salt is about 40% sodium. This lesser known fact is one big reason that people don’t get enough sodium. People think they’re consuming more than they actually are.</span></p><h3><b>#2: Potassium</b></h3><p><span style="font-weight: 400">About 97% of Americans </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30369637/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">don’t consume</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> enough potassium. Why? Because the vast majority of Americans don’t consume enough </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/what-causes-hypokalemia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">potassium-rich foods</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Ideally, we should be consuming between 3.5 to 5 grams of potassium per day. That’s the intake of potassium </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30369637/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">shown</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> to minimize the risks of high blood pressure and kidney stones. Some of my recommended sources for potassium are raw spinach, avocado, mushrooms, salmon, steak, pork loin, and coffee.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">People often blame high sodium diets for high blood pressure, but this claim doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. It’s not too much sodium driving the problem, but </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/potassium-deficiency-and-how-to-get-enough-potassium" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">too little potassium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, too much sugar, and too little exercise.</span></p><h3><b>#3: Magnesium</b></h3><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Producing energy. Synthesizing DNA. Growing muscle. Building bone. Maintaining your heart beat. What do these functions have in common? That’s right, they all depend on magnesium.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Because magnesium does just about everything, magnesium deficiency can be tricky to diagnose. The </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5786912/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">list of symptoms</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">—chronic inflammation, anxiety, irritability, cardiac arrhythmias, osteoporosis, tremors, migraines, hypertension, etc.—is too long to list here. (See this </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/magnesium-benefits-and-best-sources#:~:text=Because%20deficiencies%20in%20this%20mineral,this%20is%20a%20widespread%20problem." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">blog</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> by LMNT co-founder Robb Wolf for a deep dive on magnesium.)</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The best sources of magnesium are leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard, and beet greens. Nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate are also rich in this mineral. If you’ve already optimized your diet and want to use a supplement, I suggest ZMA (Zinc + Magnesium Aspartate) or any other form of magnesium with high bioavailability, except Magnesium Oxide, which can cause diarrhea.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is </span><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">around</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> 400 mg for men, and 320 mg for women, but I recommend shooting for between 400 and 600 mg per day based on the </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5786912/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">evidence</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> I’ve seen. Assuming you have healthy kidneys, there’s no downside to getting a little extra magnesium.</span></p><h2><b>Calcium and Other Electrolytes on Keto</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400">To keep your bones strong, aim for 1 gram of calcium per day. That means eating calcium-rich foods like dairy, soft bones (i.e., canned sardines), and cruciferous vegetables.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">I recommend avoiding large calcium supplements. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Supplementing</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400"> too much calcium can cause transient </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/hypercalcemia-and-hypocalcemia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">hypercalcemia</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> (high blood calcium), and some of that calcium can end up in your arteries. This is likely why calcium supplementation has been </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33530332/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">linked</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> to increased heart disease risk. This is not to be confused with </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">dietary</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400"> calcium, which </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31625814/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">does not</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> appear to increase risk of heart disease.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">On that topic, most people get enough dietary calcium to begin with. However, if you’ve done a dietary analysis and determined that you aren’t getting enough calcium, my favorite pro tip is to save your egg shells, clean them, pulverize them, and then add them to a shake or beverage of your choice. A single egg shell contains about 3,500 mg of calcium.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">What about the other electrolytes? Here’s why you shouldn’t worry about them:</span></p><ul><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Chloride always comes with sodium in salt. If you’re getting enough sodium, you’re likely getting enough chloride.</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Phosphorus is abundant in the food supply. Most people even </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23719553/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">get too much of it</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">.</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Our bodies can synthesize bicarbonate. It’s not an essential mineral.</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Bottom line? Focus on sodium, potassium, and magnesium.</span></p><h2><b>Getting Enough Electrolytes on Keto</b></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400">To optimize your keto electrolyte intake, start with a dietary analysis. Tally your meals in an app like </span><a href="https://cronometer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">Cronometer</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, then see where you stand. Aim for:</span></p><ul><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">4–6 grams of sodium</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">3.5–5 grams of potassium</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">400–600 mg of magnesium</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">1 gram of calcium</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-weight: 400">After hitting these targets through diet and supplementation, calibrate your sodium intake to your </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/electrolyte-imbalance-or-deficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">lifestyle</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. For example, if you’re active, you may need double or triple the baseline dose to replace sweat loss. (NHL athletes, for example, may consume several sticks of </span><a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-recharge-electrolyte-drink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400">LMNT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> in a single game!) </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">For most people, it’ll be all smiles when you dial in your electrolytes on keto. Get them handled up front, and your body will thank you.</span></p>