Leg Cramps

justsarah07
justsarah07 Posts: 18 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I am following the Whole 30 way of eating for about 9 days now and I love it! For those of you who don't know about it: http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/ No grains, dairy, or sugar. The last couple of nights I have been dealing with leg cramps in my sleep. It's not unusual for me have leg cramps, but almost every night is getting wearisome! With my old eating habits I could have OJ or a ton of bananas for their potassium and that would help, but now I can't. What is missing in my diet that my legs are cramping up? Water? Any suggestions?

Final note: I have been using Hyland's Leg Cramp herbal products and they work, but I feel like I could add something to my diet?

Replies

  • JulesAlloggio
    JulesAlloggio Posts: 480 Member
    might want to add some dairy in there..calcium is a HUGE factor when it comes to bones....if youre getting cramps that might be the cause of it.

    I'm no expert but a good glass of milk will do the job =)
  • justsarah07
    justsarah07 Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks, but I am trying to stay away from dairy at the moment. I feel like I am getting enough salt ( Real Salt - with the minerals) so I am going to try calcium and magnesium tonight before I go to bed. Hope it helps.
  • cherryblossomrose
    cherryblossomrose Posts: 41
    hi
    did you sort out the legs cramps? what was the secret? I have just started getting them during the night. Thanks.
  • debraran1
    debraran1 Posts: 521 Member
    I was getting them almost every night, I did up potassium and drank some low calorie gatorade instead of water after my nightly workout. I also drank a little more water...they "seemed" to have stopped...whether it worked or my muscles got used to exercise more?? But I am still drinking more water , Gatorade if I really work out hard and having a banana in the morning every day.
  • kittykins76
    kittykins76 Posts: 5
    Hi.

    Glad you found some relief for your leg cramps. I used to always suffer with night leg cramps too. Occasionally it was due to my winter bedding being too heavy around my feet - forcing my ankle/calf muscles to contract.... but most of the time it was due to dehydration, so keep up those fluids. :happy:
  • jrr07080
    jrr07080 Posts: 18
    Take Tums before bed and throughout the day... :) really! Google it! :)
  • Genetic_tea_drinker
    Genetic_tea_drinker Posts: 125
    See a doctor.
  • sissiluv
    sissiluv Posts: 2,205 Member
    I can only say this for myself but usually when I get charlie horses it means my electrolytes are low, so for me a gatorade a day keeps the pain away. c:

    Course you can make your own electrolyte solutions too. http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/how-to-make-a-homemade-electrolyte-drink.html#b
  • kganc001
    kganc001 Posts: 317
    Potassium supplement! :)
  • chinatbag
    chinatbag Posts: 249 Member
    Be careful with potassium, you can in fact OD on potassium (source, I'm in healthcare). You can add potassium to your diet in various ways. Black coffee has good amounts of potassium, as does avocados and coconut, but both of these also have high calories with coconut also having more carbs (for those of you carb conscious). Beets are also a good source of potassium, but it's a root vegetable, so carbs.
  • red8424
    red8424 Posts: 160 Member
    Potassium for sure. I used to have the same problem when I drank too much water but not enough potassium because it depleted my levels.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Yeah, it may be electrolytes. But I find drinking water makes them go away for me. It gets me through the night.

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