Leg discomfort and charlie horses?

Pale_Green

I have been really working hard over the last 4 months to get more in shape and healthy. I have been treadmilling and taking up actual jogging on treadmill over the last 2 months and was doing okay. No issues. I also took up a Zumba class once a week. Again no issues...I believe I didn't start anything too aggressively and its been a slow progress of more activity.

However I went on vacation a few weeks ago and my exercise has slowed a bit. I did try to exercise a bit while on vacation in the hotel. And once I got home I still have my active job 10+ hours of janitorial I do weekly. But I haven't Zumba classed, or treadmilled in about a week. And the last couple days all of a sudden I have to be very careful at night, if I stretch in my sleep I feel my leg tense up and the start of a charlie horse will begin and it wakes me up...most of the time I'm able to stop it before it turns full charlie horse (ouch!) but now I find I am sleeping lighter cause I'm afraid of getting a full blown charlie. And last night both my legs just totally ached...a weird ache too,,,not just a tired of the day ache...it was a lot more uncomfortable.

So what gives, my activity has lowered...shouldn't my legs be not as tense and sore? Is this odd?

Pale_Green

All these months were I have been jogging or brisk walking on treadmill for 55 mins every day or every second day..I have felt totally fine after, no discomfort. I try to protein up with a good protein shake after each work out, so that helps. But what I don't get is with this slowed down routine with less exercise why am I all of a sudden having leg cramps and discomfort?

sofaking6

When I started getting charley horses at night it was due to a shortage of potassium in my diet. Have you recently stopped eating bananas or avocados by any chance?

Pale_Green

Nope I had banana's regularly. At least a few times a week.

sofaking6

I've heard it can be magnesium also, but for me it was definitely potassium.

Also you can try rolling out the muscles before bed with a tennis ball, using some hot/cold therapy, baths etc to try and relax the muscle.

Pale_Green

sofaking6 wrote: »

I've heard it can be magnesium also, but for me it was definitely potassium.

Also you can try rolling out the muscles before bed with a tennis ball, using some hot/cold therapy, baths etc to try and relax the muscle.

Thanks I will try that, I do take a pretty good multi-vitamin so I wouldn't think it would be a vitamin, mineral issue, but ya never know

I did so badly want to wrap my legs in warm towels last night...so uncomfortable, luckily I was also so tired I eventually fell asleep without having to. But I do find it odd these irriable legs only started up when I stopped exercising as much
Now I'd like to resume (now that I'm back and back in routine from vacay) and a little concerned to push it.

alpine1994

For me it was not drinking enough water. I had the same problem where the charley horses would wake me up at night. I asked my doc about it at a regular physical and she said to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (I kept a 32oz water bottle at my desk and made sure I had 2 bottles by the end of the workday) and see if they go away, and they did! Obviously if that didn't work we could check out potassium/magnesium etc. but hydration did the trick. Of course I drink more when I eat a lot of sodium (soups and Chinese food really dehydrate me) or sweat a lot during workouts and in the summer.

Pale_Green

alpine1994 wrote: »

For me it was not drinking enough water. I had the same problem where the charley horses would wake me up at night. I asked my doc about it at a regular physical and she said to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (I kept a 32oz water bottle at my desk and made sure I had 2 bottles by the end of the workday) and see if they go away, and they did! Obviously if that didn't work we could check out potassium/magnesium etc. but hydration did the trick. Of course I drink more when I eat a lot of sodium (soups and Chinese food really dehydrate me) or sweat a lot during workouts and in the summer.

Ya I'm a water hog too...I have those contigo water bottles and I easily drink 5-6 of those a day. They are 24 oz. I don't drink any other liquids besides the water, and my BIG cup of coffee in the morning.

sofaking6

Pale_Green wrote: »

alpine1994 wrote: »

For me it was not drinking enough water. I had the same problem where the charley horses would wake me up at night. I asked my doc about it at a regular physical and she said to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (I kept a 32oz water bottle at my desk and made sure I had 2 bottles by the end of the workday) and see if they go away, and they did! Obviously if that didn't work we could check out potassium/magnesium etc. but hydration did the trick. Of course I drink more when I eat a lot of sodium (soups and Chinese food really dehydrate me) or sweat a lot during workouts and in the summer.

Ya I'm a water hog too...I have those contigo water bottles and I easily drink 5-6 of those a day. They are 24 oz. I don't drink any other liquids besides the water, and my BIG cup of coffee in the morning.

What about during vacation? Did you booze it up?

The only thing I'm wondering about is that general ache you mentioned. I have not ever experienced that or heard of it, although it could be a side effect of the calves cramping...

ncbeachybum

I had this issue for a while, too, but it was because I was drinking soda here and there. More specifically diet mtn dew. I cut those out and I also take potassium pills twice daily and mine has eased off. But, I still have RLS.

SingingSingleTracker

Pale_Green wrote: »

So what gives, my activity has lowered...shouldn't my legs be not as tense and sore? Is this odd?

Tons of stuff has been written on this. Potassium, Endurolytes, sodium, calcium, magnesium, hydration, pickle juice, SportLegs, and on and on.

Periodization in your training to build your muscles and adaptation up to the point that they will not cramp. As I said, tons of stuff has been written, and even the sports community cannot come up with concrete conclusions and evidence.

The more you train, the more you adapt and the rest and recovery cycle prepares the legs for the next training cycle. Wash, rinse, repeat and the cramps should go away.

Pale_Green

sofaking6 wrote: »

Pale_Green wrote: »

alpine1994 wrote: »

For me it was not drinking enough water. I had the same problem where the charley horses would wake me up at night. I asked my doc about it at a regular physical and she said to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (I kept a 32oz water bottle at my desk and made sure I had 2 bottles by the end of the workday) and see if they go away, and they did! Obviously if that didn't work we could check out potassium/magnesium etc. but hydration did the trick. Of course I drink more when I eat a lot of sodium (soups and Chinese food really dehydrate me) or sweat a lot during workouts and in the summer.

Ya I'm a water hog too...I have those contigo water bottles and I easily drink 5-6 of those a day. They are 24 oz. I don't drink any other liquids besides the water, and my BIG cup of coffee in the morning.

What about during vacation? Did you booze it up?

The only thing I'm wondering about is that general ache you mentioned. I have not ever experienced that or heard of it, although it could be a side effect of the calves cramping...

Not a ton, I had one beer and one rum and diet coke. And not the same day.

sofaking6

Pale_Green wrote: »

sofaking6 wrote: »

Pale_Green wrote: »

alpine1994 wrote: »

For me it was not drinking enough water. I had the same problem where the charley horses would wake me up at night. I asked my doc about it at a regular physical and she said to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (I kept a 32oz water bottle at my desk and made sure I had 2 bottles by the end of the workday) and see if they go away, and they did! Obviously if that didn't work we could check out potassium/magnesium etc. but hydration did the trick. Of course I drink more when I eat a lot of sodium (soups and Chinese food really dehydrate me) or sweat a lot during workouts and in the summer.

Ya I'm a water hog too...I have those contigo water bottles and I easily drink 5-6 of those a day. They are 24 oz. I don't drink any other liquids besides the water, and my BIG cup of coffee in the morning.

What about during vacation? Did you booze it up?

The only thing I'm wondering about is that general ache you mentioned. I have not ever experienced that or heard of it, although it could be a side effect of the calves cramping...

Not a ton, I had one beer and one rum and diet coke. And not the same day.

Well, unless someone else comes up with a good idea, I'd say that if the massaging/heat/ice treatments don't help, you should see a doctor. Otherwise you could spend ages guessing at the root cause and having been there, I KNOW you don't want to have this issue for any longer than you have to Good luck and I'd love to know what ends up working for you!

Pale_Green

SingingSingleTracker wrote: »

Pale_Green wrote: »

So what gives, my activity has lowered...shouldn't my legs be not as tense and sore? Is this odd?

Tons of stuff has been written on this. Potassium, Endurolytes, sodium, calcium, magnesium, hydration, pickle juice, SportLegs, and on and on.

Periodization in your training to build your muscles and adaptation up to the point that they will not cramp. As I said, tons of stuff has been written, and even the sports community cannot come up with concrete conclusions and evidence.

The more you train, the more you adapt and the rest and recovery cycle prepares the legs for the next training cycle. Wash, rinse, repeat and the cramps should go away.

So should I ignore and push through and start up my jogging / brisk walking again. Or wait a bit? Not that I'm not active in just general everyday life, but I'd like to get back on the treadmill. But with how achy my legs have been they constantly feel on the urge of charlie horsing.

I eat banana's regularly, I take a good multi-vitamin, drink alot of water. Eat fairly good, stick to mostly highly nutritious foods, have to on a cal deficit if you don't want to feel hungry.

Just checked your links, so you suggest a good electrolyte? Water isn't cutting it?

Pale_Green

sofaking6 wrote: »

Pale_Green wrote: »

sofaking6 wrote: »

Pale_Green wrote: »

alpine1994 wrote: »

For me it was not drinking enough water. I had the same problem where the charley horses would wake me up at night. I asked my doc about it at a regular physical and she said to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (I kept a 32oz water bottle at my desk and made sure I had 2 bottles by the end of the workday) and see if they go away, and they did! Obviously if that didn't work we could check out potassium/magnesium etc. but hydration did the trick. Of course I drink more when I eat a lot of sodium (soups and Chinese food really dehydrate me) or sweat a lot during workouts and in the summer.

Ya I'm a water hog too...I have those contigo water bottles and I easily drink 5-6 of those a day. They are 24 oz. I don't drink any other liquids besides the water, and my BIG cup of coffee in the morning.

What about during vacation? Did you booze it up?

The only thing I'm wondering about is that general ache you mentioned. I have not ever experienced that or heard of it, although it could be a side effect of the calves cramping...

Not a ton, I had one beer and one rum and diet coke. And not the same day.

Well, unless someone else comes up with a good idea, I'd say that if the massaging/heat/ice treatments don't help, you should see a doctor. Otherwise you could spend ages guessing at the root cause and having been there, I KNOW you don't want to have this issue for any longer than you have to Good luck and I'd love to know what ends up working for you!

Thank you

SingingSingleTracker

Pale_Green wrote: »

SingingSingleTracker wrote: »

Pale_Green wrote: »

So what gives, my activity has lowered...shouldn't my legs be not as tense and sore? Is this odd?

Tons of stuff has been written on this. Potassium, Endurolytes, sodium, calcium, magnesium, hydration, pickle juice, SportLegs, and on and on.

Periodization in your training to build your muscles and adaptation up to the point that they will not cramp. As I said, tons of stuff has been written, and even the sports community cannot come up with concrete conclusions and evidence.

The more you train, the more you adapt and the rest and recovery cycle prepares the legs for the next training cycle. Wash, rinse, repeat and the cramps should go away.

So should I ignore and push through and start up my jogging / brisk walking again. Or wait a bit? Not that I'm not active in just general everyday life, but I'd like to get back on the treadmill. But with how achy my legs have been they constantly feel on the urge of charlie horsing.

I eat banana's regularly, I take a good multi-vitamin, drink alot of water. Eat fairly good, stick to mostly highly nutritious foods, have to on a cal deficit if you don't want to feel hungry.

Just checked your links, so you suggest a good electrolyte? Water isn't cutting it?

Sorry to say, but "no pain, no gain". Seriously monitor your sodium and endurolyte intake. I assume you are allowing for adaptation (recovery) between workouts?

If life and exercise were pain free, then everybody would do it. ;-)

There's nothing wrong with a charlie horse. Hydration, stretching, endurolytes, potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, periodization of training, blood, sweat and tears all lead to performance gains and eventually will get you beyond cramps.

Wait until you get over 50 (if you are not there yet). Just getting out of bed in the morning is a major accomplishment physically...