Well, I have written about my problems with this in the past and since I am training for a long swim and suffer from both foot and leg/thigh cramping, I have been experimenting with vitamins. I did the Gatorade (too much sugar), I did the private product things, and I stumbled across many websites that mentioned taking Calcium with Magnesium may be of benefit.
I started taking a Calcium pill and a Magnesium pill along with a separate vitamin that promotes good blood health (the B's), and all foot/leg cramping has completely stopped. Finally. It was preventing my being able to get past the 6 or 7 mile mark regularly. I started taking these supplements about 4 weeks ago. Since I returned to Roatan, I have not swam for 12 days due to ocean storms. Today was my first day back. I did a 6 miler and had no cramping at the 3 mile mark like I usually do.
So, it may be worth a try for people suffering greatly from this debilitating problem. I'm taking 384 mg of Magnesium, and the Calcium tablets have other ingredients, but the calcium is and of itself 334 mg. And of course I do know that we are all different and it may not work, but this, so far, has worked for me. I was about ready to do this: :whiteflag:
Donna
Leg cramps, calcium, etc.
Calcium: basic needs to resupply passive losses (i.e., to run your nervous system - brain, muscular system - heart, etc., with no extra stresses such as pregnancy, lactation, smoking, or heavy exercise): equivalent to amount of calcium in 1 qt of milk a day.
That's around 1500 mg of calcium per day (1200 minimum) for women and men both. Check supplement labels for elemental calcium. That's what you're getting, and it's typically lower than the amount blazoned on the package. (Avoid calcium from shells, coral, etc. because those things create problems for the kidneys, and calcium from coral has been detected with high amounts of lead and other heavy metals from the processing method.)
Also needed (for exercisers) is potassium, magnesium, and probably electrolyte supplementation. Hydration is important to avoid cramps.
The dr. I saw about swimming-associated leg cramps said take Tylenol, an anti-inflammatory med. He was not a sports med guy, but I decided to try it. I take a high-dose pill 30-60 minutes before a significant workout or long swim. I believe, in conjunction with everything else, it does help.
What really helps is getting those muscles and tendons more flexible and used to a hard workload, hard in this case meaning stuck in an unusual position without much relief over a long swim. And that means step classes 2-3 times a week.
I don't think there is a single bullet, magic, silver, or other, for leg cramps. You have to work every possible angle. Foot cramps are comparatively trivial -- they won't stop you dead, the way leg cramps will -- but try specifically warming up the feet before a swim, using dancer's exercises.
Regards, VB
Leg cramps, calcium, etc.
Calcium: basic needs to resupply passive losses (i.e., to run your nervous system - brain, muscular system - heart, etc., with no extra stresses such as pregnancy, lactation, smoking, or heavy exercise): equivalent to amount of calcium in 1 qt of milk a day.
That's around 1500 mg of calcium per day (1200 minimum) for women and men both. Check supplement labels for elemental calcium. That's what you're getting, and it's typically lower than the amount blazoned on the package. (Avoid calcium from shells, coral, etc. because those things create problems for the kidneys, and calcium from coral has been detected with high amounts of lead and other heavy metals from the processing method.)
Also needed (for exercisers) is potassium, magnesium, and probably electrolyte supplementation. Hydration is important to avoid cramps.
The dr. I saw about swimming-associated leg cramps said take Tylenol, an anti-inflammatory med. He was not a sports med guy, but I decided to try it. I take a high-dose pill 30-60 minutes before a significant workout or long swim. I believe, in conjunction with everything else, it does help.
What really helps is getting those muscles and tendons more flexible and used to a hard workload, hard in this case meaning stuck in an unusual position without much relief over a long swim. And that means step classes 2-3 times a week.
I don't think there is a single bullet, magic, silver, or other, for leg cramps. You have to work every possible angle. Foot cramps are comparatively trivial -- they won't stop you dead, the way leg cramps will -- but try specifically warming up the feet before a swim, using dancer's exercises.
Regards, VB
