An interesting Idea, perhaps?

[jdurg]

This past weekend I was playing paintball with some friends and coworkers and spent a good six hour running around and putting my body to the extreme. After all the running, I rested for the rest of the day and felt some intense muscle cramps in my legs. (The type of cramping that makes you curl up into a ball and scream in agony. These things hurt BAAAAAAAAAAD and I hope they don't happen again). I know why the muscles cramped up, and that's due to the potassium ions in the muscle cells being depleted. Too little potassium and your muscles cramp up. Too much and they relax too much, almost to the point of paralysis. (Hence why KCl is injected into the bloodstream of the condemned. It stops their heart from beating). With this potassium defficiency, I thought of an idea.

 

I have a good deal of potassium metal in my element collection. What if I took about a cup-full of water and put in a tiny <1 gram nugget of potassium. I'd use a small chunk of K since a large chunk would result in a violent explosion. Once it's all reacted, I'd have a solution of KOH. Now let's say I neutralize it with a great deal of lemon juice; citric acid. (I'd know it's neutral by using a pH meter). I could then add a slight excess of lemon juice, some sugar to sweeten it up, and have a glass of high potassium content lemonade. This would prevent muscle cramping before a lot of exercise, and would be pretty neat to try. Are they any 'bad things' that could pop up which would make this not such a good idea?

[reverse]

Don’t poison yourself bud.

 

next you will be eating paperclips because you are low on iron.

 

The body requires these things in a particular form.

 

Can you not find normal food with high levels of the required material.

 

Apricots, raisins.

Your kidneys will regulate the excess quantities.

 

Better still, can you put the raisins and apricots into a blender then fill your paint ball pellets up with the juice.

 

Then you can just lick yourself each time you get shot.

[raivo]

I do not see any reason why body should not accept microelemnts from citrates. So nothing wrong with this part of your idea. There is another weak point though. Human body is very complex, there is surely more factors than just potassium deficiency that can make your muscles cramp. So your idea may not help but i do not belive it can hurt you.

[Skye]

Why not just buy some KCl salt if you want potassium?

[akcapr]

eat some bananas

[jdurg]

I've eaten plenty of bananas. But eating bananas or buying KCl isn't nearly as much fun as making your own potassium supplements.

[ed84c]

Why not just buy some KCl salt if you want potassium?

 

That is A HELL OF A LOT cheaper than reacting K (that just sounds crazy to me).

 

However, using Low Salt (1/2 KCl 1/2 NaCl) is not HALF as bad as using normal table salt. K+ ions still contribute to high blood pressure, even if not so as Na+. Especially dont dehydrate your self if you've been sweating a lot.

[budullewraagh]

the potassium citrate should be an antiurolithic and an antacid. it's a bit alkaline, so i suggest you make the dibasic salt.

 

why waste potassium though? if you want, i'll make some K citrate for you and trade it for K(s)

[jdurg]

But as I said, just buying the stuff isn't as much fun. If I go and react a tiny chunk, not only do I get to see a potassium reaction, but it can be useful as well.

[coquina]

But as I said, just buying the stuff isn't as much fun. If I go and react a tiny chunk, not only do I get to see a potassium reaction, but it can be useful as well.

 

How do you know how that tiny chunk of potassium was processed? Are you sure it is pure? If something is manufactured for human consumption there are all kind of stringent requirements... for example, the food processing machininery must be lubricated with vegetable oil. There's no telling what kind of trace of a deadly contaminant might be attached to it - I advise you strongly not to imbibe of that concoction.

[H2SO4]

How do you know how that tiny chunk of potassium was processed? Are you sure it is pure? If something is manufactured for human consumption there are all kind of stringent requirements... for example, the food processing machininery must be lubricated with vegetable oil. There's no telling what kind of trace of a deadly contaminant might be attached to it - I advise you strongly not to imbibe of that concoction.

 

 

Do you store your K in oil, because its not like you can wash oil of K with H2O.

 

Id go with the same thing Akcapr says, eat bananas. Better yet just try eating alot of fruits, vegetables, juices and maybe some meat for a day or two before your tournament. I obviuosly dont know anything about human health, but thats what id do. If your legs are hurting try jogging frequently. Over time it realy helps your performance.

[reverse]

I can see your mind is set.

 

Don’t inject it or it will cause heart failure.

 

Your kidneys are going to regulate the amount your body gets no matter how much you oversupply it.

 

You can buy straight pills of the stuff.

 

Have you thought about looking at improving the way the house is built rather than simply giving the builders more bricks.

[raivo]

How do you know how that tiny chunk of potassium was processed? Are you sure it is pure? If something is manufactured for human consumption there are all kind of stringent requirements... for example, the food processing machininery must be lubricated with vegetable oil. There's no telling what kind of trace of a deadly contaminant might be attached to it - I advise you strongly not to imbibe of that concoction.

 

Good point. Still i can not imagine deadly contaminant that may be occassionally attached to pure junk of potassium. What jdrug suggests is just the way medicines were made at old times.

[YT2095]

1 gram of K metal will need an awefull lot of Lemon juice to neutralise it, it probably wont keep for long either, so maybe make a smaller amount?

 

also Quinine is good for cramps too, so buy some Indian Tonic water as a mixer.

 

to be honest though, Rather you than me!

[jdurg]

1 gram of K metal will need an awefull lot of Lemon juice to neutralise it' date=' it probably wont keep for long either, so maybe make a smaller amount?

 

also Quinine is good for cramps too, so buy some Indian Tonic water as a mixer.

 

to be honest though, Rather you than me![/quote']

 

Good God 1 gram would be waaaaaaaaay too much. That's why I said <1 gram. I was planning on using a piece about the size of the head of pen. (That little metallic nub of the pen where the ink comes out of). It's not a large amount, and could easily be neutralized with some lemon juice. Plus, it would be fun!

 

Perhaps I should do this in some tonic water to get the benefits of quinine, potassium, and citric acid.

[Hactar]

Use draxxus paintballs, and you won't get cramps!

 

Anyways, i would just eat bananas and other fruits.

[jdurg]

It wasn't the paintballs that were cramping me. It was the running up and down rocky terrain, different elevations, and multiple miles worth of running that wore me out and led to the cramping.

[Hactar]

I know, I was just kidding around with you because my team gets paint from draxxus.

The more you play, the less cramps you get. I play twice a week and never get the terrible cramps and soreness that I got when I started playing. It gets you in shape really fast.

[jdurg]

Yeah, I've figured that part out. In a few weeks, once I've gotten quite a few games in, the cramps should go away. It just sucks when they hit because they aren't these weak little baby cramps. These are full-blown "say things that small children should never hear' cramps.

[Hactar]

Yeah, when i first started playing i would be sore for almost 5 days afterward. now i recover in a day or less, depending on how long the practices are.

[YT2095]

actualy, for a quick fix you could take some Rehydrat http://www.biowet.pl/eng/products/rehydrat.htm

 

or Dioralyte http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100000800.html

 

with you during the game in a canteen.

 

avoid things like milk and cheese as they make lactic acid, and that causes joint ache.

[jdurg]

Good point about the lactic acid stuff. That also allows me to compile a 'Good Idea/Bad Idea' list in regards to paintball.

 

Good Idea: Eat a plate of fettucine the night before the game.

Bad Idea: Eat a plate of Fettucine Alfredo the night before the game.

 

Good Idea: Wear your new camoflage shirt to the game.

Bad Idea: Wear ONLY your new camoflage shirt to the game.

 

Good Idea: Bring your best gun to the game.

Bad Idea: Bring your best shotgun to the game.

 

Good Idea: Drink plenty of fluids while playing.

Bad Idea: Drink plenty of alcohol fluid while playing.

 

Good Idea: Lay on the ground so that you can't be seen.

Bad Idea: Lay on the ground in the middle of an open field.

 

Good Idea: Bring plenty of ammo.

Bad Idea: Bring only the ammo.

 

Good Idea: Purchase an atheltic cup.

Bad Idea: Leave the cup in your car.

 

So these are some good pieces of advice that I'll have to remember for the next game.

[folder]

Use draxxus paintballs' date=' and you won't get cramps!

 

Anyways, i would just eat bananas and other fruits.[/quote']

 

I like PMI Premium myself. Boy, it's been entirely too long since I've played, I really should go.