So I've been exercising more lately, and have gotten some muscle cramping.

One possible cause is a potassium deficiency. While I'd prefer to get my potassium from food, one easy way to rule it in or out is to take a potassium supplement to see if it makes a differnence.

Daily potassium recommendation is upwards of 5000mg. But all the supplements are like 99mg, which means I'd have to take a handful to make a difference.

From the linked article: "Your kidneys help regulate potassium levels in your blood. But age, diabetes, heart failure, and certain other conditions may impair kidney function. As a result, potassium levels can rise to high levels, leading to dangerous heart rhythm problems and even cardiac arrest.

Because of this potential danger, the FDA limits over-the-counter potassium supplements (including multivitamin-mineral pills) to less than 100 milligrams (mg). That's just 2% of the 4,700 mg recommended dietary intake for potassium. You'd have to take lots of potassium supplements to get close to that amount—another reason to get the nutrient from your diet.

However, grocery stores carry salt substitutes that may contain much higher amounts of potassium. People trying to curb their sodium intake may try these products. A mere one-quarter teaspoon of one brand contains about 800 mg of potassium."

So because a small segment of the population is at risk from ODing on potassium, the rest of us can't have supplements with a controlled and effective dosage.

But hop a few aisles over in the grocery store and take a salt supplement, and you can easily make your potassium go off the charts by mistake.