Carbs and Cramps

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn

I've noticed the last several times I've had a carb binge, I end up with SEVERE leg cramps all night. When I'm good and stay on plan, cramps are a thing of the past. Anyone else have this issue or am I just some freakish anomaly?!! (Should be reason enough to stay good, but, well, you know...)

kpk54

Perhaps when you're not on plan you're not staying as well hydrated? Or it is muscle over use?

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn

I'm not sure. I know that after each time like this, I wake up super dry, so could be hydration. Oddly, I usually have cramps if I drink too much water.

ccrdragon

I would also chalk it up to dehydration - here is why:

When you cut carbs, your body will use the carbs that it has stored (as glucose in the muscles and liver). As those are used, your body will be dumping water since it takes 4 grams of water to store 1 gram of glucose - this is the biggest part of the initial weight loss that happens when you first start low-carbing. So the opposite will happen when you binge on carbs - the body will restore the glycogen in the liver and muscles and each gram of glycogen takes 4 grams of water and all that water has to come from someplace...

If you are aware of the fact that you are binging on the carbs, you might try drinking extra water at the same time and see if it has any effect on the night-time muscle cramps.

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn

Thank you @ccrdragon, this makes TOTAL sense to my foggy brain!!