Muscle Cramps :mad:

[Thoth]

Woke up this morning screaming in pain as the muscles in my right calf locked up and did their best to tear themselves into shreds. Now I can barely walk. Seems to happen about once every year or two.


Anyone else get bad muscle cramps? Any suggestions to prevent them and/or deal with the after effects?

[Asher]

Need more calcium

[Riesstiu IV]

Maybe you should stop kicking your kids.

[Japher]

Not calcium, potassium. Eat a banana or take a multivitamin.

[Thoth]

Thanks Asher.


@ Riesstiu: Seal clubbing season is over, gotta beat on something defenceless.

[Thoth]

Not calcium, potassium. Eat a banana or take a multivitamin.

I eat bananas a lot.

The muscle cramping runs in my family, both my sister and my Dad get them as well.

[Asher]

Not calcium, potassium. Eat a banana or take a multivitamin.

magnesium, potassium, calcium deficiencies are the #1 causes of the cramps.

For me, it's calcium typically.

[Thoth]

Sounds like I need a good multi-mineral supplement. I'll pick something up when I can walk again. ain:

[Mon River Monarch]

my wife said to try Midol for cramps

[SpencerH]

I used to get agonizing calf cramps at night while I was training and taking creatine (which tends to make you retain water and causes a salt imbalance).

[Dis]

isn't it called a charlie horse?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_horse

I got a small one a couple weeks ago. Problem is I wake up and have the strong urge to stretch my leg and calf muscle. It's hard to resist this urge. So when I stretch- then release that's when it hurts. During the release part. The next week I had it again and was able to slowly release, that seemed to help. In both cases the pain was temporary and went away in an hour or so. But it hurts like a mother****er. Sorry for the language, but that's the only way to describe the pain.

I'm not working out my lower body right now (knee pain) so I'm not sure what's causing it. I am doing pretty strong upper body workout right now though. Perhaps I'm not getting enough potassium or salt.

[SpencerH]

As it says in the wiki article, a charley horse is a bruise of the quadriceps. We (and you) are talking about severe cramps in calf muscles.

[Straybow]

For once I agree with Asher. Calcium is what works for me, though in my case cramping stems from heavy work.

Calcium is part of the muscle tissue sheath lubrication system, or something like that, and it is used to neutralize lactic acid. Potassium is consumed in the muscle somehow, and the lack results in cramps.

[Dis]

As it says in the wiki article, a charley horse is a bruise of the quadriceps. We (and you) are talking about severe cramps in calf muscles.

read the second part of the article

As for calcium I take 2 pills a day which equals over 100%. I can't eat too much dairy, hence why I take them. I think it's the lack of potassium. They often don't have bananas at our stupid employees dining room at work (my primary source of food lol). I might have to start buying them again...

A cramp can be quickly defused with active stretching of the affected muscle. Cramps in the calf muscle can be defused by outstretching the leg, pushing the heel downward, and pointing your toes toward your head. Standing up with most of your weight on the ball of the foot on the cramping side will also stretch the gastrocnemius muscle and diffuse the pain. If you feel a cramp starting, this will usually stop it from becoming more painful. Persistent cramps should be treated by a doctor.[9]

he term "charley horse" is also used to describe simple painful muscle cramps in the leg or foot, especially those that follow strenuous exercise.[4][5][6] These muscle cramps can have many possible causes including hormonal imbalances, dehydration, low levels of potassium or calcium in the blood, side effects of medication, or more seriously, diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neuropathy.[7] They are also a common complaint during pregnancy.[8]

[Dinner]

Drink water.