Leg Cramps

[hank4elk]

Used to cramp up alot surfing and hiking.
Calcium/Magnesium & bananas worked for me. Tumms with minerals work good,after lots of chili.
That & lots of water.
I have never liked sodas,powder or jock drinks. Cancer in a can IMHO.

 

[kzkammo3]

shot of pickle juice works every time.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

I used have used the Hot Shot stuff, I got a bunch free 2 weeks ago at aid stations during a 6 hour mountain bike race and it seems to work well after exercise for cramps that are common right around bed time. It helped some during the race, but I was too far gone on fitness and nutrition so I didn't really expect it to work that well. Using the Hammer brand electrolyte pills worked really well for me as a preventative measure during a 3 day long canoe race in 95 degree heat. I should preface all of this by saying I've long been an endurance athlete that doesn't use hardly any supplements. Look for Gatorade endurance, it has more electrolytes than the normal stuff. Bananas are great but if you are already cramping there seems to be a 30 minute lag while using them to seeing the effects which has to do with their sucrose content being fairly high and that being much slower to digest than glucose or fructose.

 

[smalls]

Salt.

It's what sports teams use when they are going to play in high heat/humidity games where the conditions are condusive for cramping. A bag of potato chips in the evening (with plenty of water) will help. I believe the high sodium causes your body to retain more water and help relieve the cramping.

 

[SpotNStalker]

Personally I am a huge fan of Wilderness Athlete. They make lots of products but their Hydrate & Recover is amazing for exerting yourself in the back country. It's a powder, which unlike other sports drinks(gatorade) keeps the most nutritional value because it doesn't break down in a solvent after packaging. I hunted 9 hard days in Idaho last year. Very steep and unforgiving ground, and was able to push through it without soreness or cramping. I drink the Hydrate & Recover with their Energy & Focus every morning, and it has made a huge impact on my overall health and ability to push myself harder without suffering from soreness or fatigue. I'd definitely recommend checking the stuff out. The founder has coached many professional athletes and Olympians, and they have some sound science behind their products. It's healthy and effective. Best of luck!

http://wildernessathlete.com/collections/nutrition

 

[katqanna]

Minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium with some sodium. Sodium is beneficial in that where your water goes, there go your minerals, hence avoiding diuretics like tea and coffee if you are already short. Sodium helps to retain water, hydration important to avoiding muscle cramps. But your other three minerals are specific to calming your body, electrical nerve transmission and calcium for muscle contractions (including the heart).

You might want to avoid chocolate (chocolate milk), as it chelates (binds to) calcium and other minerals, causing them to not be absorbed in your body. So if you drink chocolate milk for calcium, it literally acts like an oxymoron, contradicting what you want and need for minerals.

What you should drink to increase bioavailability if grapefruit juice or eat one fresh. Grapefruit is a synergist, which is why many prescriptions warn not to take it with grapefruit juice, as it increases your body's absorption. Also, the best time of the day to take these minerals is after dinner, before bed for increased bioavailabilty and calming muscles for sleep.

Avoid the cheap magnesium form of magnesium oxide, which most supplements rip people off with, as it is one of the worst absorption forms, and Magnesium glutamate and aspartate are from aspertame, which can become neurotoxic.

 

[idelkhntr]

Thanks for all of the feedback. After doing some research and speaking with my doctor it seems that part of my problem is the high blood pressure I'm on. Since I have high blood pressure I don't use salt very much at all. Combine the lack of salt with the medicine and there it is. I'm going to try come potassium pills during my hunts this year and take in more salt during that time.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I'm glad you spoke to a Medical Professional. You still might want to invest $9.00 for Caleb Treeze leg cramp medicine (it is only apple cider vinegar).
Might save you some discomfort.

 

[IEATELK]

shot of pickle juice works every time.

Exactly!!!! Playing highschool football, i kept a jar on the sidelines. Pickle juice and self massage.

 

[one ate E grain]

Just out of curiosity are you taking any statins for cholesterol? Leg cramps are a common side effect. Since my doctor switched me from the generic Lipitor whatever it was called, I have hardly ever had cramps.

Back when I did have cramps I'd simply pop a couple magnesium tablets before bed, available over the counter in the vitamin section. Easier to pack than bananas. I'd tried hydrating and getting plenty of salt etc.

 

[sbhooper]

A simple and effective remedy is to drink a couple bottles of tonic water a day before you go. If you didn't do it, or can't stand it, keep some small packets of mustard available and at the first sign of cramps, eat a couple doses. It works.

 

[A-5_Guy]

I have a neurological disorder called "benign fasciculation syndrome" or BFS. Basically my calves twitch, without effecting joint movement, 24/7/365. The one thing that has helped my cramping and fasciculations are the magnesium/calcium-glycerine supplements. Also, be aware that drinking tons of water, like others stated, can lead to an electrolytic imbalance and make it worse.

Another thing to have your Dr. check out is your iron levels. Apparently is associated with muscle cramping, fasciculations, etc.

Good luck and sorry you're having to deal with it.

 

[idnative1948]

He beat me to it. Dad went this route when the doc told him not to take quinine.

A simple and effective remedy is to drink a couple bottles of tonic water a day before you go. If you didn't do it, or can't stand it, keep some small packets of mustard available and at the first sign of cramps, eat a couple doses. It works.

 

[bobbydean]

Great ideas. I knew most of them. Mustard and pickle juice have me puzzled. If it works, it works.

 

[shoots-straight]

Its the vinegar in the mustard and the pickle juice. Just take a shot of vinegar. I know I was cramped up big time, and my daughter gave me a shot of the nasty stuff and instantly the cramps went away.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Its the vinegar in the mustard and the pickle juice. Just take a shot of vinegar. I know I was cramped up big time, and my daughter gave me a shot of the nasty stuff and instantly the cramps went away.

Yep. It only takes about 30 seconds for the cramps to go away after taking the apple cider vinegar. Works every time.

 

[bobbydean]

thanks, for the explaining, I was drawing a blank.

 

[Mr.Bill]

Ditto on the Wilderness Athlete products. Several years ago I picked the dried bananas out of trail mix and it worked within 5 minutes.

 

[fetter66]

I would get leg cramps at night and I went to my Doctor and he told me to take Magnesium Citrate not oxide because oxide is worthless he said. You can get it in liquid form or order it on line. I use the liquid and so does my wife because she is a food server and her legs get craps in them all the time too. Trust me it will make a world of difference and relieves the craps fast.

 

[Maxxis31]

Thanks for all of the feedback. After doing some research and speaking with my doctor it seems that part of my problem is the high blood pressure I'm on. Since I have high blood pressure I don't use salt very much at all. Combine the lack of salt with the medicine and there it is. I'm going to try come potassium pills during my hunts this year and take in more salt during that time.

I had high blood pressure up until this spring, it was like 145/105 average on the dept. store readers. I started a Ketogenic diet in January which is a low carb high fat diet, I have lost a little weight, only like 20lb but the biggest thing it has done for me is helped with my aches and pains and lowered my blood pressure. I use to not be able to sleep though the night since i had surgery on my shoulder a couple years ago and my knees would ache at night, after about 3 weeks on the diet i found myself sleeping through the night with zero knee or shoulder issues. I checked my blood pressure here about a month ago at safeway and it was 109/76. I mostly eat meats, nuts, eggs, butter and some cheese, I try to avoid all of the processed foods, pretty much anything man made i try to avoid, but i do also take in a lot of salt. It has worked great for me and I feel really good, IMO if you are having to take medicine to keep you alive then you really should consider a major diet or exercise change.

Good luck with the cramps and getting rid of the high blood pressure.