Today I got the worse legs cramps at the end of cross fit training during stretch out.

My workout was not anything crazy hard today. However, I was more tired then usual in between sets and really huffing and puffing. Felt like I was going to pass out.

Warmup:

1 mile run

20 push-ups

20 pull ups

20 sit-ups

20 lunges

20 air squats

Stretching

WOD 1

3 sets:

20 ght sits as fast as possible

30 second rest

WOD 2

5 sets:

250 m row as fast as possible

75 lb clean jerk @ 10 rep

Burpee and bar hop @ 10 rep

1 min rest

Stretching

I started to cramp up during the 5 sets above, but the cramping afterwards had me on the floor desperately trying to make it go away. I probably looked funny thrashing around on the mat and my trainer probably thought I was just stretching out awkwardly after the 2 WOD. Lol. She was on the other side of the room and I told her afterwards what had happened. My calf muscles are still cramping now an hour later (now) and I have little muscle aches everywhere (upper arm, butt?). This is new for me. I usually do not have an issue with my body aching or cramping and workout 6 days a week for 30-60 min hard.

My trainer had 5 pieces of advice:

1. Drink more Water. I told her I already am drinking over a gallon a day.

2. Drink Gatorade with sugar. I told her I have not had sugar anything in many months.

3. Drink coconut water - I could do this and, in fact, had a coconut water before training today.

4. Drink tonic water. She said it has something in it (starts with Q) that helps with cramping. I do not think the carbonation would be good for me, but did not tell her that.

5. Take a look at Vitamin consumption and make sure not taking too many as it dehydrates. I DO take a lot of Vitamins and minerals daily: optimen (way above RDA, especially B vitamins @ 3 pills a day), green drink ( above RDA alone), energy waters ( more vitamins) caffeine water (mix caffiene soda stream flavor with water). I think I need to cut out some.

I am chugging another coconut water as I write this.

Help?

This stuff is ok. Works now and again. Probably more the placebo effect. I have had severe leg cramps for years and years as most men in my family have. Gone to specialists the whole nine. Agree or disagree I will go with what I have lived through, has worked and failed regardless of hypothetical opinions. Bananas never did anything and potassium deficiency, maybe but you would need to be "deficient". Someone supplementing like this guy does is not "deficient". IMHE

The cramps in the calves went away yesterday so had them for a number of days. They went away mostly on their own. This week has been a little off for me. I don't know if off is the right word, perhaps unbalanced. I think my vitamins and minerals are not balanced out in some way and I need to get it checked out if it continues past next week. I've been getting uncomfortable (cramping) feeling around and above my stomach on the left side. Bowel movements have not been the best either (even though nothing has changed in terms of miralax/chia seeds) so perhaps it is just blockage or diverticulitis. Not sure. I don't like the fact that my stomach area hurts every time I eat something. Energy went way down after the OP on thursday. Good news is I still pretty much stayed on eating and exercise plan during the week. If anything, I ate less because of the stomach aches associated with eating. Should I be concerned about some stomach issue like ulcer? Or is it jus dehydration ndi should focus more on getting hydrated more effectively ( eg. coconut water or some drink with electrolytes). Dang it is hot outside today! Seeing flashies in front of my eyes.

Fiddle...man it sounds like you're having a rough week. From everything I've read, who ever said they aren't sure about the cause of cramps is right. They have no idea. Common knowledge always said it was potassium and salt, but then they tested people with cramps and found no correlation.

For me, I believe fatigue plays a huge role. And it would help explain why they always thought it was potassium. If you've been sweating heavily, chances are you've been working very hard and are also fatigued ...thus cramps. But I've worked in some very hot hot conditions in my life where we sweat so much are clothes were covered in salt by the end of the day....never lead to cramps. But then I'd go out and ride 20 miles on my bike and sweat very little, and cramp that night. As I've gotten in better shape, I've cramped less and less...until I over did it. And that's where you may be at. You train like a madman on few calories. Your body may be telling you that's it's overtrained. Maybe do some research into the symptoms of overtraining. We aren't as young as we used to be, and we've done a hell of alot in the last year. Perhaps your body needs a little time to recuperate.

Everyone has been super thoughtful in their advice. Thank you!

It's not really potassium, it is magnesium you need to worry about for those cramps!

Good luck!

Helen :-)

I cant drink anything with aspartame so i found this recipe on internet --- Have Not tried yet but will ----Here are the ingredients in a homemade electrolyte drink: 4 cups of coconut Water or water 1 cup freshly juiced/squeezed orange juice 1/2 cup of freshly juiced/squeezed lemon juice 6- 8 tablespoons of natural sweetener (raw, local honey) 1/4 teaspoon unrefined salt (NOT table salt)

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Magnesium helps with leg cramps. I take Calcium w/ Magnesium which keeps them away. Also' date=' my chiropractor sent me GNC for a supplement that contains quinine. It's called, funny enough, "Leg Cramps" and is produced by Hyland. It's like 6 dollars. You can also get it at Walgreen's and WalMart.[/quote']

Yes!!! Hylands Leg Cramps!! 2-3 under the tongue whenever cramping starts, stops them right away. Magnesium also helps. I've tried everything, have had leg cramps off and on for last 5 years with complete medical work up. Only thing that REALLY works is the Hylands natural remedy. You can buy it at any health food store and some pharmacies. Good Luck

There are different kind of cramps, caused by different deficiencies and/or of unknown etiology. The kind that comes on with stretching, or where you see your muscle actually pulling up, as though a ghost is pinching you, are generally caused by low potassium.

I don't know what studies everyone has read, but I can tell you, if I check a patient's bloodwork, and their K+ is 1.9 (i.e. low), they will be having muscle cramps. Which will go away when I give them potassium.

Bananas work great to supplement it. One can buy potassium supplements OTC, but I don't recommend it, as too high a potassium level can cause heart issues.

Caffeine is a diuretic, so excessive use of same could effect K+ levels. (Sodium follows Water, and potassium follows sodium).

Now, aching, a heavy feeling or a restless feeling in the legs are all often called cramps as well, and Mg, quinine and other mentioned remedies might help with those. But if one's potassium is low enough that one is thrashing around on the mats, there are other health consequences, and so it should be addressed.

That said, I'm a nurse, not a doctor, and I can't give medical advice, so feel free to take the advice of people with no license to protect. Of course, you can always take advice on how to change your brakes from a guy who's read an article on it, and I can't stop you from doing that, either.

Thanks everyone. I think it was the caused by low potassium. Since posting this thread, said mat thrashing episode has not repeated.