leg cramps

[gymbuddyrothwel]

Can anyone out there give me some advice please, terrible calf cramps when I run next Park Run today so jog/walk cannot get rid of these extremely painful cramps I have tried the 10 seconds run 30 seconds walk regime did not make any difference, seeing physio who gave me exercises no difference been referred to vascular department by GP, I though since I started in March with Park Runs I would have got over these cramps by now, it's not as if I am new to exercise attending gym most days & started long walks before taking up Park Runs, I emailed Runners World forum but no ones replied.  I have come to a brick wall.

[Esya]

Do you have enough magnesium in your diet? A lot of people don't.  If not you might want to look into some foods or supplements for magnesium. Raw cacao (cacaonibs or dark chocolate bars of 90% or up) is also a great source for magnesium, but don't eat too much of it. I eat 20 grams daily to help with cramps. Then there are nuts and seeds. Simply google for magnesium rich foods.

[gymbuddyrothwel]

Thanks for your reply, I started taking magnesium about 2 weeks ago as since I had a heart attack in 2013 I cut salt out of my diet. I also have started having a little piece of 85% dark chocholate, I rubbed deep freeze gel on the otherday no effect.

[Esya]

Magnesium and stretching is the only advice I am aware of and that I can give. If the cramps sustain despite doing both of that for a few weeks, I suggest you take it up with your doctor again.

[Esya]

Also I would not cool it. I am not 100% sure how to put this in English, as it is my second language. But cooling makes your veins tighten up, making the blood flow less. Cramps is a sign of "trash/acid" not being taken away with the blood/cleansed fast enough. This is also why you are more likely to cramp up on cold days.

[Bhuvana]

@gymbuddyrothwel: Hydration! you should drink lot of water too. When you are running, have some water or any kind of electrolyte. Also try to have hot Epsom salt bath. It might help you. Check this article! Good luck!

[Vallen]

Electrolytes are a common explanation, but in actuality if that were totally true you would cramp in many muscles not just one.

One cause that is often overlooked are imbalances elsewhere in the body. Over periods of time exercising (like running) the cramping muscle compensates for postural/muscular imbalances and so it becomes overworked (fatigued) and thus it will seize up from that prolonged fatigue. Even a slight imbalance can be exacerbated over time in an activity where the muscle must compensate over and over again for long periods of time.

Determine first if you have any imbalances (most people do, even athletes, except they have a staff of physical therapists sports doctors, anc coaches on hand that constantly program mobility and corrective exercises) There is a myriad of information online about self assessments for identifying imbalances and treatments. The posterior chain -  (the muscles of the back of the body essentially) the hip, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back are common culprits.  

I'd recommend looking at your normal standing posture first, then your running posture. If nothing is glaringly wrong to you, then consider working on all those areas one at a time, process of elimination starting your back and working your way down. Also finding the right physical therapist would greatly speed the recovery and progress, of course at a cost. 

[gymbuddyrothwel]

Thank you for your advice, I am seeing my Physiotherapist tomorrow so will pass on what you have said, it's funny you mention my posture because my calfs hurt so much when trying to jog I tend to hunch over I try to stand tall but its hard, a lady at my last Park Run when she had finished stayed to watch me run she said I have a shoulder higher than the other when I run & do I curl my toes which I don't. I did a training 5k yesterday which was still very hard & disheartening I had bought some compression socks they made no difference. It is coming up to 3 months since I started 5k training I keep thinking it has to get better, when I ran when I was younger I never suffered cramps & I refused to give in to age. I have an appointment at the Vascular department on Tuesday so let's see if that brings anything up.

[Esya]

@gymbuddyrothwel

Your perseverance is inspiring.

[Dave001]

Hello @gymbuddyrothwel,

Firstly, please remember that seeking medical advice from strangers on the internet is a perilous business! Whilst there is doubtless a great deal of expertise out here in the world, there is also a risk of running in to well intentioned idiots and unfortunately those with malign intent. 

As soon as I read your symptoms, I reached the impression the problem could be Intermittent Claudication. This thought  was reinforced when I read that you'd had a heart attack. 

For my money, your GP is absolutely right to refer you for a vascular opinion.

I wish you well for the future. 

[Mukluk4]

My calves tend to cramp up after basketball.  For a pre-workout routine, I jump in place on my toes (like jumping a rope) for 30 seconds or 50ish jumps.  I also try to do 100 calf raises every night before I go to bed.  

I've also lost weight and included strength training in my routine and it seems to help.  I went from cramping from an hours worth of games to taking about 2-2 1/2 hours of excessive activity to get debilitating cramps.