Ouchhh... Leg Cramp!!

Potassium is what I've heard recommended as well, so I agree with the banana remedy. Hope it gets better!!

also if it happening like mine do when i stretch like yawning or something, try to flex your feet not point your toes..

I think its potassium you need. I used to get the leg cramps a lot when I was pregnant and started eating bananas which helped. I couldn't go a day without a banana. But bananas are pretty high sugar when you're trying to lose weight so look into different foods high in potassium.

Recently returned to swimming.
Occurs at increasing intervals 20 mins-1hour.
Will add bananas to pre swim snack.

Do your calcium tablets have magnesium? I take magnesium to avoid leg cramps. It helps me. Maybe you could ask your dr about potassium and magnesium.

Proper hydration could be key (as others have suggested, potassium/magnesium particularly being important) - but make sure that's what it is before you go ham. You could eat more bananas (that's my go to potassium)....I also have Nuun tablets that I use routinely since I'm a runner and it's hot and I've had some awful feeling runs without being properly hydrated. Drink often throughout the day -- having to pee a lot sucks but it's better than cramping or feeling like *kitten*.

Stretching routinely can help too - and also paying attention to the circulation in your legs.

I get muscle spasms/cramps in my big toe/foot....hard to explain, but when I feel it coming on I IMMEDIATELY have to press my toe against something to stop it from making my foot curl up. That seems to stop it in it's tracks but I'm always terrified how it will feel if I don't catch it in time...

I second the magnesium for cramps. I was stricken with a nasty bout a few nights ago. I'd been doing so well so it was more than disappointing to have it come back. So I did the logical thing.......... an internet search. What I came up with, I'd cut my magnesium back so reinstated that one. Then, having low t3 came up as another possibility. Being hypothyroid is my downfall. In the last 8 years I've generally found relief with nutritional guidance and private professional supplements, I foot the bill.

I've known for years, I do better in every way when the ambient temperature is 20 degrees C 24x 7 so when its been hotter I've been able to cut back a little depending on my activity levels. Long story short, our temperature had dropped from the 20's to 11 or similar over night for a couple of weeks. I restored my supplements to my normal levels and back to normal again after a couple of days.

I accept not everyone can have thyroid issues, many do, though for those who do achieving a diagnosis and treatment which gives you the balance you personally need rather than, the usual story, you are within the "normal range" for anyone, when what matters is, what is right for you personally. I live in the UK where it is not considered useful let alone essential to test for t3 etc full counts, all that matters here is tsh. I hope one day NICE who set the supposed gold standard treatment will get the message, t3 is essential for so many bodily functions. For those of you with a long term history of cramping with may be other irritating issues reading up on hypothyroid issues could give you a way to find relief for the cramps and so much more.

Leg cramps can also be caused by edema. So people who are told to hydrate often exacerbate the problem.

sodium, potassium, magnesium.

When I first started dieting and exercising, I was trying to keep my sodium really low...that on top of then sweating everything out on a regular basis had me cramping up all of the time. Potassium for me was never really and issue or concern as I consume quite a few high potassium foods.

I continued to occasionally get those Charlie Horses at times in my calves (few times per month) when I'd get out of bed or something and started taking a magnesium supplement at night and haven't really had much problem since. Bonus, it helps with sleep as well.