Do you need supplements for fasting?

It depends on the type and duration of your fast.

Intermittent Fasting and short-term Extended Fasting (up to 48 hours): Most people don't need supplements for short-term fasting. Your body has enough micronutrients stored in your body to last throughout this period. 

Extended Fasting of over 48+ hours: Electrolytes supplementation is strongly recommended for most people as the amounts stored by the body usually get close to depletion after 2 days. 

Long-term Extended Fasting for 7 days and longer: At this point, electrolytes are essential and non-negotiable. Fasting for that long without electrolyte support is potentially dangerous. You should also consider additional supplements for your refeed phase after breaking a long fast.

Do electrolytes break a fast? 

A fast is “broken” when you consume calories or ingredients that significantly stimulate digestion or insulin.

Electrolytes are mineral salts that have no macronutrient value and zero calories. So a pure electrolyte supplement will not break your fast or have any impact on autophagy.

Purity is essential so always double check product labels and ingredients. Many electrolyte products on the market are loaded with sugar, sweeteners and artificial flavourings.

Even those that are marked as zero-calorie might derail your fast if they have high levels of sweeteners or junk ingredients like maltodextrin. These ingredients can cause an insulin response even if technically there are no calories. 

What are the key electrolytes to supplement?

Our bodies need the following electrolytes:

• Sodium (Na)
• Potassium (K)
• Magnesium (Mg)
• Chloride (Cl)
• Calcium (Ca)
• Phosphorus (P) 

The first three – sodium, potassium and magnesium – are the key ones to replenish during fasting.

Phosphorus and calcium play less of a role during your fast but become more important during the refeed phase.

What are the optimal electrolyte ratios for fasting?

Electrolytes interact with each other in the body. It's important to consume them in the right ratios. The optimal ratios for fasting are not exactly the same as with generic electrolyte supplementation.  

There is no "one size fits all" answer, so it's best to think of them as ranges rather than precise numbers.

Most expert advice and community best practice recommendations for fasting electrolytes fall within the following ranges:

• Sodium: 5000-7000mg
• Potassium: 1000-3500mg
• Magnesium: 300-500mg

Read more on how to work out fasting electrolytes levels that are optimal for you personally, or use our dosage calculator.

Why aren't these fasting electrolyte dosages the same as 100% NRV / DV recommendations?

Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) in UK/EU and Daily Values (DV) in the USA reflect government recommendations for optimal micronutrient intake for an average healthy adult under standard dietary conditions. Other scenarios, such as fasting or following a different diet like Keto or Carnivore, were never included in these recommendations.

During fasting, several physiological shifts make these numbers even less relevant.

• Different intake baseline: You’re not consuming any food at all , so your dietary sources of sodium, potassium, and magnesium stop completely.
• Hormonal shifts: Lower insulin levels cause for your kidneys to excrete more sodium and water, which in turn increases loss of potassium and magnesium.
• Reduced digestive demand: Micronutrients used for digestion and metabolism are needed in smaller amounts when those processes slow down.
• Fat mobilisation and autophagy: Fat loss releases small amounts of fat-soluble vitamins, while cellular recycling processes temporarily alter nutrient turnover.

Because of these factors, the “100 % NRV / DV” numbers don’t map cleanly onto fasting conditions.

Fasting electrolyte targets are functional maintenance ranges designed to offset increased mineral loss and maintain optimal electrolyte balance throughout your fast. That's not the same as daily intake goals for a standard diet.

Is table salt enough to support fasting?

Table salt is mainly sodium chloride, so it covers sodium + chloride. This may be enough for Intermittent Fasting or short-term Extended Fasting. 

But it does NOT cover potassium or magnesium, which are commonly needed during extended fasting.

If you only use salt to supplement, you may still feel deficiency symptoms because potassium and magnesium are not being replaced.

Is Pink Himalayan salt good for fasting?

Unfortunately, just like plain table salt, Pink Himalayan salt provides mostly just sodium and chloride. This may be enough for Intermittent Fasting or short-term Extended Fasting. 

Although it's advertised as containing trace minerals including potassium and magnesium, their levels are typically way too low and not enough to sustain your requirements while fasting. 

There are also potential purity issues with Pink Himalayan salt. There is a higher risk of heavy metals contamination, so always buy from reputable suppliers and ask for third-party test results if unsure.

Read more about Pink Himalayan salt for fasting   

Do I need to take a multivitamin during my fast?

Most people don’t need to take multivitamins during fasting.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. They are stored in fat tissues. As we lose the fat with fasting, those vitamins are released and the body can access them. 

Water-soluble vitamins B and C are also stored in our body tissues. One interesting point to note about them is that the body uses these vitamins to assist the digestive system and nutrient metabolism. These processes work very differently during fasting so you use up a lot less of this type of vitamins.

There are some exceptions. If you have a pre-existing vitamin deficiency or if you get any symptoms of it during your fast (for example, hair loss), then you may need to get a multivitamin. 

Read more about multivitamins and fasting

How much electrolytes do I need during Extended Fasting?

As mentioned above, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

The concept of government-approved “recommended daily values” contributed to a myth that our nutritional needs are uniform.

We can use their figures as a very approximate starting point. But our individual requirements for electrolytes can vary significantly based on multiple factors, and especially so during fasting.

Here are the key factors to consider.

Duration of the fast 

Your electrolyte needs will increase gradually as the reserves stored in your body deplete. If you are only fasting for 2-3 days, you won’t need as much as someone who plans to go for 7-10 days.  

Body build and composition

If you are big and/or tall, you may need more electrolytes than someone with a smaller body. Body composition matters as well because muscle tissue, fat and bones utilise electrolytes in different ways.

Exercise

If you exercise a lot, you will need more electrolytes than someone who doesn’t. We lose electrolytes with sweat so high-intensity exercise depletes your electrolyte levels quickly. Muscle recovery after anaerobic exercise also uses them up.

Medical conditions and medications

Certain medications and medical conditions (especially those related to kidneys, cardiovascular health and digestive system) may affect the level of electrolytes in your body. Supplementation may also interact with the medication in unpredictable ways.

It goes without saying that if you are on any medication or have any kind of medical condition, you should discuss fasting and electrolyte supplementation with your doctor before attempting it.

Diet

If you normally eat plenty of foods that are rich in electrolytes, you will have more of them stored in your body tissues and may require less supplementation, especially in the beginning.

Weather and climate

Sweating depletes electrolytes quickly, so you may need more electrolytes if you live in a hot climate, or during periods of hot weather.

Drinking water

The quality of drinking water varies widely by region. Some areas are lucky to have tap water that’s rich in electrolytes and others have hardly any. Likewise, if you usually drink bottled mineral water instead of tap water, that will provide more electrolytes.

Read more about Fasting Electrolytes 

How to find your personal optimal level of electrolytes

The best way to find your own optimal dosage is to start small and gradually build up. 

Listen to your body and adjust the dosages depending on how you feel. 

If the dosage is too low, you can always take more later. But if it’s too high, getting it out of your body may be unpleasant (vomiting, diarrhoea).

Fasting Electrolytes Dosage Calculator

You can use our online dosage calculator to estimate your electrolyte requirements with more precision.

The calculator provides dosage recommendations for Nutri-Align Fasting Salts Powder products - Original and Advanced versions. But you can use the results to get a better idea of dosages even if you choose to use other products. 

The quiz asks eight simple questions about you and your fasting plans. Your supplementation requirements will be determined as either High, Medium or Low. Read more about how we calculate the results.

You will get a results page with detailed dosage recommendations of Fasting Salts Powder for your requirement level.

We will NOT ask for your email address or any other personally identifiable information.

Try Nutri-Align Fasting Electrolytes Dosage Calculator

 

Supplements for Intermittent Fasting / OMAD

There are many different protocols for Intermittent Fasting with varying length of fasting window. But they all typically include at least one refeed meal per day. 

Even with OMAD, your fasting window would be less than 24 hours. You have enough nutrients and electrolytes stored in your body tissues to last throughout this period. Any actual deficiencies are unlikely. 

There are a few exceptions. For example, if you do a heavy exercise session during your fasting window (or another sweat-inducing activity like sauna), your electrolytes may deplete enough for you to start feeling unwell, so you would need to replenish them.

If you already take generic well-being supplements like Multivitamins and Omega Oils on a regular basis, then by all means continue taking them throughout your IF. It’s best to take this type of supplement together with your refeed meal rather than during your fasting window. 

Supplements for Alternate Day Fasting

Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) is a slightly extended version of IF with fasting window stretched to last a whole day, followed by refeed.

Just like with IF, it’s unlikely that you’d run into any vitamin deficiencies during this time.

However, because of the longer duration of the fasting window, electrolytes may become depleted. The rate of depletion is different for everyone and depends on factors like lifestyle, genetics and body composition.

Listen to your body and start taking electrolytes if you feel any symptoms of electrolyte deficiency. 

Supplements for Extended Fasting

If you plan to fast for more than 48 hours, you will definitely need to supplement it with electrolytes. 

Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that are essential for the normal functioning of almost all of your body’s systems and organs. Normally we get a steady supply of them with food and drink.

During fasting, you are no longer getting your electrolytes from food. Your body has a small reserve of electrolytes stored in its tissues. But they deplete quickly, usually within the first 24-48 hours.

As soon as your body runs out of electrolytes, you will start feeling the symptoms of electrolyte deficiency. The most common ones are headaches, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, muscle cramps, nausea and just generally feeling unwell overall.

The only way to prevent these symptoms is to supplement electrolytes throughout your extended fast.

Supplements for your Refeed Phase after a long EF

If your extended fast was 14 days or longer, you may want to consider some additional supplements to assist your refeed phase.  

Take the following at least 30 minutes before breaking your fast: 

• Phosphorus
• B vitamin complex 

Continue taking your electrolytes in smaller dosages for several days after the end of your fast. 

Nutri-Align Fasting Supplements

We've been designing clean supplement products for fasting since 2019. 

Nutri-Align Fasting Range includes best-selling products like Fasting Salts.