I thought I would poll the collective intellect of SH for an answer to my lifelong problem with muscle cramps. Needless to say I have tried most of the ordinary cures with no luck. I have eaten bananas until I should be able to swing from trees. I hydrate and have tried both water and every sports drink made. I do sweat more than most so hydration is something I stay on top of. I am currently taking vitamins, calcium, and magnesium but haven't noticed much difference. Any ideas would be appreciated as I am trying to build endurance for some upcoming shooting events and fear that by the last day I will be cramping everytime I shoot from any non-prone position.
- Thread starter TxShooter63
- Start date
Re: Muscle Cramps
There is a section in this book on Muscle Cramps:
The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate ... and Enjoyable,
In short they recommend:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Drs. Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney recommend taking 3 slow release magnesium tablets such as Slow-Mag or Mag 64 for 20 days, then continuing to take 1 tablet a day afterwards. NOTE: if you have kidney problems or kidney failure, don't take oral magnesium supplements without checking with your doctor.</div></div>
As long as your kidneys are healthy you may want to try it (if you haven't already).
There is a section in this book on Muscle Cramps:
The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate ... and Enjoyable,
In short they recommend:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Drs. Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney recommend taking 3 slow release magnesium tablets such as Slow-Mag or Mag 64 for 20 days, then continuing to take 1 tablet a day afterwards. NOTE: if you have kidney problems or kidney failure, don't take oral magnesium supplements without checking with your doctor.</div></div>
As long as your kidneys are healthy you may want to try it (if you haven't already).
Re: Muscle Cramps
Calcium, and potassium have always worked for me. Hydration is key though. When are you taking the potassium, magnesium and calcium? Multi-vitamins may actually help cause the cramps, as the influx of so many vitamins and minerals can cause your body to freak out because of the drastic imbalance. Your body needs time to process it all.
Allowing yourself a proper cool down, and streching may help to. This also helps with lactic acid build-up in the muscle fibers. Proper hydration needs to start long before you are ready to do any strenuous activity. If you are only drinking water right before you start, and as you are exercising, that is not sufficent. Trying starting to drink water a few hours before, AND while you are exercising.
Calcium, and potassium have always worked for me. Hydration is key though. When are you taking the potassium, magnesium and calcium? Multi-vitamins may actually help cause the cramps, as the influx of so many vitamins and minerals can cause your body to freak out because of the drastic imbalance. Your body needs time to process it all.
Allowing yourself a proper cool down, and streching may help to. This also helps with lactic acid build-up in the muscle fibers. Proper hydration needs to start long before you are ready to do any strenuous activity. If you are only drinking water right before you start, and as you are exercising, that is not sufficent. Trying starting to drink water a few hours before, AND while you are exercising.
Re: Muscle Cramps
You might also consider the quality of vitamins you are taking. I recommend on reading more from this website: http://www.phoenixnutritionals.com/
Banana's actually have little to no potassium. Potassium is created when the banana ripens on the tree. Now what color are the bananas in the super market?
Other high foods high in potassium are: spinach, tomatoes, avaocado's, tuna and cucumbers.
Hope you can find some answers soon!
You might also consider the quality of vitamins you are taking. I recommend on reading more from this website: http://www.phoenixnutritionals.com/
Banana's actually have little to no potassium. Potassium is created when the banana ripens on the tree. Now what color are the bananas in the super market?
Other high foods high in potassium are: spinach, tomatoes, avaocado's, tuna and cucumbers.
Hope you can find some answers soon!
Re: Muscle Cramps
did not read the responses thus far but a large contributor to cramps is dehydration. try drinking lots of water if you currently do not; enough so that your urine is close to clear.
did not read the responses thus far but a large contributor to cramps is dehydration. try drinking lots of water if you currently do not; enough so that your urine is close to clear.
Re: Muscle Cramps
Hydration can't be emphasized enough, esp. in Texas, but it might be worth a visit to either a PMNR (physical medicine and rehab.) physician or endocrinologist to evaluate if there is a metabolic reason for your cramps (such as an enzyme deficiency or electrolyte wasting condition). A regular metabolic panel that a regular primary care/family doctor would probably order is likely be of no use in this scenario because it wouldn't reflect changes during exercise versus without, there are a whole host of problems from aldosterone issues, adrenal glands, kidney function, lactic acid metabolism etc. Trying to "empirically treat" (= try a treatment and if get a positive result conclude that's the diagnosis is not a good idea when the range of problems can be broad), i.e. add potassium and if conditions improves assume low potassium causes cramps, but is your problem intake or are you actually losing potassium and if so why.
Hydration can't be emphasized enough, esp. in Texas, but it might be worth a visit to either a PMNR (physical medicine and rehab.) physician or endocrinologist to evaluate if there is a metabolic reason for your cramps (such as an enzyme deficiency or electrolyte wasting condition). A regular metabolic panel that a regular primary care/family doctor would probably order is likely be of no use in this scenario because it wouldn't reflect changes during exercise versus without, there are a whole host of problems from aldosterone issues, adrenal glands, kidney function, lactic acid metabolism etc. Trying to "empirically treat" (= try a treatment and if get a positive result conclude that's the diagnosis is not a good idea when the range of problems can be broad), i.e. add potassium and if conditions improves assume low potassium causes cramps, but is your problem intake or are you actually losing potassium and if so why.
Re: Muscle Cramps
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dbransco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">OP, how old are you and do you ever notice spells of low blood sugar (shakes, uneasy feeling, etc.) with intense exercise/exertion? </div></div>Actually I do have those symptoms at times. I have been checking my blood sugar and seem to have a hypersensitivity to sugar change. If my sugar gets to the low 90's I feel weak and shaky which seems a bit high for those symptoms but I am no expert and most doctors really don't know that much about sports medicine. I am going to add potassium tablets to my diet and cut back on multi-vitamin to about every third day. Thanks for the responses.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dbransco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">OP, how old are you and do you ever notice spells of low blood sugar (shakes, uneasy feeling, etc.) with intense exercise/exertion? </div></div>Actually I do have those symptoms at times. I have been checking my blood sugar and seem to have a hypersensitivity to sugar change. If my sugar gets to the low 90's I feel weak and shaky which seems a bit high for those symptoms but I am no expert and most doctors really don't know that much about sports medicine. I am going to add potassium tablets to my diet and cut back on multi-vitamin to about every third day. Thanks for the responses.
Re: Muscle Cramps
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TxShooter63</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dbransco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">OP, how old are you and do you ever notice spells of low blood sugar (shakes, uneasy feeling, etc.) with intense exercise/exertion? </div></div>Actually I do have those symptoms at times. I have been checking my blood sugar and seem to have a hypersensitivity to sugar change. If my sugar gets to the low 90's I feel weak and shaky which seems a bit high for those symptoms but I am no expert and most doctors really don't know that much about sports medicine. I am going to add potassium tablets to my diet and cut back on multi-vitamin to about every third day. Thanks for the responses.
</div></div>
Thats good that you are watching your sugars. Are you diabetic? I am currently 31 and have always worked out, been in good shape and have eaten well. When I use to work out intensely, sometimes I would get myself to a point where I would feel sick and would shake because my sugars got too low. I would also cramp more than other people despite the fact that I drank lots and lots of water, eat bananas and so on. When I was 26/27, I was working a lot of hours and trying to maintain my workouts (I believed stressed my body) and I ended up with shingles. I flew home from work and went to my doctor. Several days later I was told that I had become a Type 1 diabetic. I know of no family history with diabetes and like I said, I keep in good shape. I still cramp more than other people.
I didn't want to post this to suggest you have diabetes or are pre-diabetic; however, it is a good thing to monitor.
Good luck.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TxShooter63</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dbransco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">OP, how old are you and do you ever notice spells of low blood sugar (shakes, uneasy feeling, etc.) with intense exercise/exertion? </div></div>Actually I do have those symptoms at times. I have been checking my blood sugar and seem to have a hypersensitivity to sugar change. If my sugar gets to the low 90's I feel weak and shaky which seems a bit high for those symptoms but I am no expert and most doctors really don't know that much about sports medicine. I am going to add potassium tablets to my diet and cut back on multi-vitamin to about every third day. Thanks for the responses.
</div></div>
Thats good that you are watching your sugars. Are you diabetic? I am currently 31 and have always worked out, been in good shape and have eaten well. When I use to work out intensely, sometimes I would get myself to a point where I would feel sick and would shake because my sugars got too low. I would also cramp more than other people despite the fact that I drank lots and lots of water, eat bananas and so on. When I was 26/27, I was working a lot of hours and trying to maintain my workouts (I believed stressed my body) and I ended up with shingles. I flew home from work and went to my doctor. Several days later I was told that I had become a Type 1 diabetic. I know of no family history with diabetes and like I said, I keep in good shape. I still cramp more than other people.
I didn't want to post this to suggest you have diabetes or are pre-diabetic; however, it is a good thing to monitor.
Good luck.
Re: Muscle Cramps
Also, 90's is a bit high to be seeing signs of low blood sugar. If I had to guess, you might be routinely seeing higher blood glucose values so the 90s actually feel low. If it seems like blood sugar may be an issue, you might want to ask your doctor to perform an A1C test. That will give you an idea of your average blood sugar over a 3 month period.
Also, 90's is a bit high to be seeing signs of low blood sugar. If I had to guess, you might be routinely seeing higher blood glucose values so the 90s actually feel low. If it seems like blood sugar may be an issue, you might want to ask your doctor to perform an A1C test. That will give you an idea of your average blood sugar over a 3 month period.
Re: Muscle Cramps
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dbransco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Also, 90's is a bit high to be seeing signs of low blood sugar. If I had to guess, you might be routinely seeing higher blood glucose values so the 90s actually feel low. If it seems like blood sugar may be an issue, you might want to ask your doctor to perform an A1C test. That will give you an idea of your average blood sugar over a 3 month period. </div></div>
I agree that low 90's is odd to have hypoglycemic symptoms - I used to run low 40s when doing 38hour shifts before I became symptomatic. HbA1c is useful to monitor diabetic patients over a time period, but what it sounds like you need is a glucose tolerance test (GTT). Consider seeing an endocrinologist for reasons I mentioned above
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dbransco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Also, 90's is a bit high to be seeing signs of low blood sugar. If I had to guess, you might be routinely seeing higher blood glucose values so the 90s actually feel low. If it seems like blood sugar may be an issue, you might want to ask your doctor to perform an A1C test. That will give you an idea of your average blood sugar over a 3 month period. </div></div>
I agree that low 90's is odd to have hypoglycemic symptoms - I used to run low 40s when doing 38hour shifts before I became symptomatic. HbA1c is useful to monitor diabetic patients over a time period, but what it sounds like you need is a glucose tolerance test (GTT). Consider seeing an endocrinologist for reasons I mentioned above
Re: Muscle Cramps
Thanks for the info I agree with your comments on sugar sensitivity. I am not diabetic but borderline type 2 thus the reason for working out. In fact, I have every symptom of diabetes without the high blood sugar(including sore feet and constant thirst). That is the reason I bought the glucose meter on my own. I may seek an endocrinoligist as my family doctor has been no help at all. Thanks for the info this has been helpful. It is just one of those deals where you know something is wrong, you don't feel the way you should and the reasons aren't easily determined. Hell, maybe I am just old......
Thanks for the info I agree with your comments on sugar sensitivity. I am not diabetic but borderline type 2 thus the reason for working out. In fact, I have every symptom of diabetes without the high blood sugar(including sore feet and constant thirst). That is the reason I bought the glucose meter on my own. I may seek an endocrinoligist as my family doctor has been no help at all. Thanks for the info this has been helpful. It is just one of those deals where you know something is wrong, you don't feel the way you should and the reasons aren't easily determined. Hell, maybe I am just old......
Re: Muscle Cramps
Mine come from electrolyte depletion.
Sometimes all I actually need to do is wet my finger, shake a little table salt on it, and pop it into my mouth.
I figured that one out when I was recovering from major surgery on a no salt diet and getting wracked with cramps. The nerses told me "Shush...!", and brought out the salt shaker. A Charm.
Greg
Mine come from electrolyte depletion.
Sometimes all I actually need to do is wet my finger, shake a little table salt on it, and pop it into my mouth.
I figured that one out when I was recovering from major surgery on a no salt diet and getting wracked with cramps. The nerses told me "Shush...!", and brought out the salt shaker. A Charm.
Greg
Re: Muscle Cramps
Interesting solution. I will have to try that.
Interesting solution. I will have to try that.
Re: Muscle Cramps
Stretching is also good. I always try to do a full range of stretches before anything physical.
Stretching is also good. I always try to do a full range of stretches before anything physical.
Re: Muscle Cramps
I once got a cramp in my muzzle, turns out it was gas
I once got a cramp in my muzzle, turns out it was gas
