I have scrolled through the forums and have noticed that several people have experienced fatigue and headaches while implementing the 5:2 diet. I may know why this happening. It could be from a lack of electrolytes.

Last year I began implementing a Keto way of eating. This is a high fat, moderate protein and low-carb way of eating. When I first began I didn’t read any of the tips of replenishing my electrolytes but soon realized I needed to.

So how did I know? I had headaches and very low energy. I could sleep 8 hours the night before and still need a 4 hour nap the next day.

As soon as I started getting enough sodium, potassium and magnesium I started to feel better, and I stopped having heart palpitations. Heart palpitations can also be a sign of low electrolytes.

Now, on a keto diet I had about 5000 mg of sodium a day, 1000 mg of potassium and 200 to 400 mg magnesium. I’m not sure but I would think with the 5:2 diet one doesn’t need this much because they probably aren’t in a constant state of ketosis.

What causes one to enter into ketosis? We use glucose for fuel and once we deplete our glucose we begin to use ketones. Fasting can cause us to use up our glucose and enter ketosis. Also, you will begin to notice you are urinating a lot. When this happens you’ll begin to wash out your electrolytes faster.

I noticed somebody in the forums had said that they didn’t understand why even after drink tons of water why they felt tired. It’s probably because it wasn’t a hydration issue but an electrolyte issue.

Everybody will have to experiment to figure out what works best for them but here is what I do. If I am feeling unusually tired I will have a bowl of broth. I also will put a half teaspoon of lite salt (for potassium) in 1.5 liters of water. For magnesium I eat almonds and rely on my multivitamin.

If you are interested in learning more about electrolytes and how to replenish them then I would suggest reading more here: https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_how_do_i_replenish_electrolytes.3F

You could actually read the entire wiki on ketosis to see what is happening to you twice a week.

I hoped this helps those who are experiencing fatigue, headaches, and/or heart palpitations.