leg cramps during workout two days in a row??!

TracyS1076

So let me start off by saying, I am an avid exerciser, self proclaimed gym rat. I usually run at least three days a week with a long run on Saturday (5-8 miles). I do body sculpt classes on Monday, Step followed by yoga on Tuesdays, Body combat on Wed, Zumba on Thursday, Cycle sometimes on Saturday. This past Monday I skipped the gym due to a horrendous heachache....took off from work Tuesday (no gym either). Wed I went to body combat and with 15 minutes left in the class, both calves were SCREAMING in RIPPING pain. I ended up leaving the class....it wasn't a charley horse as I know what those feel like, and honestly in my 38 years on this earth I have never had calf pain in both at the same time DURING a workout. So I went home, stretched, got some potassium in my system and used the foam roller for about 45 minutes on them. Yesterday morning, calves felt a little sore but nothing bizarre. Went to the gym and ran 4 miles, then followed by zumba (again my NORMAL routine)....again with 15 minutes left in the class, both calves have this ripping pain....I stretched for a few and at least was able to finish class. This is bizarre...my husband thinks it is just a result of a few days of no real activity, lack of usual water intake along with a combo of too much migrane/sinus meds. Has anyone dealt with this before??

Mistraal1981

If you get muscle cramp you may need a bit more salt in your diet.

MinnieInMaine

A few days off shouldn't affect you that much. However, I agree with him on the water intake thing - you could be pretty dehydrated with the combination of sinus meds and not drinking as much fluids as usual. Up your water intake, keep eating foods rich in potassium and using that foam roller and hopefully you'll feel better soon.

stuffinmuffin

I was going to say look at your salt and water intake. Cramp can be a sign of a lack of sodium.

dlr165

I have to take 2 potassium pills a day because I simply cannot eat enough potassium rich foods to keep from having leg cramps. I would get leg cramps trying to push in the recliner at home. Now, I am cramp free.

dougii

I find I get horrendous leg cramps (usually at night) when my water intake has dropped off. I agree with the other posters - up your water, salt (a little) and your potassium and see if that remedies the problem.

HBMairi

Lack of potassium. I started getting this while swimming. So painful. Eat a banana beforehand. Seriously, it works x

SingingSingleTracker

There's a lot of voo-doo when it comes to cramps. Bro Science (BS) remedies abound. You can read scientific after scientific study on what causes it, how to prevent it, etc...and most usually end up with the same conclusion - it remains a bit of a mystery and voo-doo with no distinct answer from the scientific community.

That being said, the rest/recovery cycle of the training effect should be utilized by an athlete. Are you building in appropriate recovery time between workouts? Are you using periodization that includes every 2nd or 3rd or 4th week a lower volume, less intensity week for super-compensation? Are you using Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes or SaltStick Caps for sodium which most athletes rely? Are you properly using hydration? Have you dappled with using SportLegs which is a supplement that has a lot of fans and followers that swear by it?

My all time favorite is pickle juice. Stops cramps as they are happening dead in their tracks. Luckily, I happen to like the taste of dill pickles, so the juice mixed in with my water bottle doesn't bother me at all. I usually order a couple of cases of the smaller bottles of a pickle juice/sports drink per year. http://www.goldenpicklejuice.com/

Moving beyond all of the supplements and voo-doo surrounding cramps, most have found that training to handle the load is the only way out of cramps. In specific, periodization. If you haven't built up to the load of stress you are placing on the muscles - and suddenly push them beyond what they have been trained to do - boom! Something's gotta give.

As everyone has mentioned, it could be you were low on nutrition to handle the load of training you were doing. Could be you are fighting off a bug, or recovering from a bug and your body is lacking a good balance of nutrients, hydration, and strength. Could be you have not had enough recovery between sessions and the muscles need more time to build and bounce back between your sessions. Could be you over-extended from what your are trained to do. There is no one - or rather - correct answer to what caused your cramps.

But there are plenty of indications in your post of what might have led to your calves seizing up.

SingingSingleTracker

I forgot to mention - I'm voting with your husband. You are dehyrdated (hence the severe headache). Along with the dehydration, there is probably a shortage of sodium in your system. Witht the volume of exercise you mention that you are doing - you could be a candidate for something like SaltStick Caps, or Endurolytes (Hammer's are good).

TracyS1076

thanks for all the advice everyone...it was freaking me out that it was both calves during a workout. I never even thought about the sodium levels!

dbmata

headache and cramps...
yup, electros are off. Congrats!

Get right with the coconut and banana god, add in a little more salt to the diet, and during some hardcore workouts, maybe drop a nuun tab into your water.

I'm pretty sensitive to electro imbalance, and that's done wonders for me.