Anything that helps me with cramps?

spiderguardman

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I have been strgling with calf cramps during grappling for a while now.

They usually comes after rolling for 1+ hour, sometimes they are under control and sometimes i have to quir for the day.

I feel that stetching has hleped me abit but i stil have them from time to time.

Some supps i
 
Dude, I have the same problem, and while I think the electrolyte/hydration stuff *helps*, the truth is, they happen anyway sometimes. If you do a Google search, you'll see that scientists don't really have a good answer as to why.
 
Am I the only one trying not to make a Midol remark here?

I agree with XT, sometimes muscle cramps are unavoidable, but I think just making sure you're well-hydrated & eating right is about all you can do.
 
1) Water

2) Stretch More

3) try and get more greens in your diet. Spinach, wheatgrass are good.
 
Potasium, magnesium, most likely low in both. Drink more water etc etc, do you even take a multi?
 
If I'm correct, potassium helps relieve cramps. I hear bananas are great for this since they're loaded with potassium.
 
like xtrainer said cramps are a bit of a mystery as to how they are caused.

You can't say "stay hydrated and supplement potassium" and never get cramps again.
Unless you have a major deficiency supplementing potassium is not going to do anything for you.

It's a combination of things that potentially cause cramps, with fatigue being apparently the biggest factor.

I have nothing to back it up with, but IMO it's genetic. Just like some people simply have bad circulation in their hands and feet, I think some folks just have some sort of bad wiring that makes them susceptible to cramping when fatigued.
 
I get cramps in my toes all the time while training. When they come, I try to stretch them by going up on my toes, and it helps, but once they start they will stick around to some degree for the rest of the session. I used to get them grappling too. It's always my left foot.
 
I am such a dumby. Duh, I forgot. TAURINE, 2-5 grams a day and the cramps go away. Dirt cheap too.
 
like xtrainer said cramps are a bit of a mystery as to how they are caused.

You can't say "stay hydrated and supplement potassium" and never get cramps again.
Unless you have a major deficiency supplementing potassium is not going to do anything for you.

It's a combination of things that potentially cause cramps, with fatigue being apparently the biggest factor.

I have nothing to back it up with, but IMO it's genetic. Just like some people simply have bad circulation in their hands and feet, I think some folks just have some sort of bad wiring that makes them susceptible to cramping when fatigued.

I agree with everything here, except the fatigue part...seeing as horrific calf cramps have woken me out of my sleep, it seems fatigue/exertion do not necessarily have to accompany cramps.

But I do agree that extra electrolytes/hydration can only help to a limited degree, and I also agree on the possible genetic component, from my own experience. My father suffers from them with roughly the same frequency and identical symptoms as myself, and our lifestyles/diets could hardly be more different.

I am such a dumby. Duh, I forgot. TAURINE, 2-5 grams a day and the cramps go away. Dirt cheap too.

That one I've never heard about. Was this studied, or is this something you've observed with your athletes?
 
Both. When AAS users take clen, they take tauring to prevent cramps. There is backing to it, and yes with myself and my athletes. It works, no two doubts about it.
 
Copied, but here is the how and why.

-Taurine: Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that is found in high levels in the skeletal and heart muscles of humans,as well as in white blood cells, and the central nervous system. Taurine aids the movement of potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium in and out of cells and thus helps generate nerve impulses.
Muscle pumps/cramping occurs when there is a disruption of the movement of these electrolytes in and out of muscle cells. See below for a more detailed explanation of the pathway. Dosing: (5-6) grams/daily can be taken to help limit excessive muscle pumps/cramping that may occur. I recommend dosing both pre(3 grams)/post(3 grams)workout.

-Fluid/electrolyte intake: It is also very important that you keep your fluid and electrolyte (sodium,potassium,c alcium,magnesium) intake very sufficient throughout the day. Fluid/electrolyte loss through training depletes interstitial fluids (basically the fluid that lies outside of the cells) which also attributes to muscle pump/cramping issues, and here's how:

Painful muscle pumps/cramps occur due to loss of the osmotically active particles (mainly NaCL or salt) outside the cell within the interstitial spaces. This causes a disturbance in the osmotic balance (pull) of fluid moving in and out of muscle cells. This then results in muscle cells excessively swelling (because they contain more osmotically active particles and fluid) and you develop very painful pumps.
This process can also lead to problems with the calcium pump inside muscle cells. This will cause VERY painful cramps due to the muscle being locked in a contractive state. This is why adequate fluid and electrolye intake during training is very important to maintain this balance and prevent these issues.
 
Copied, but here is the how and why.

-Taurine: Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that is found in high levels in the skeletal and heart muscles of humans,as well as in white blood cells, and the central nervous system. Taurine aids the movement of potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium in and out of cells and thus helps generate nerve impulses.
Muscle pumps/cramping occurs when there is a disruption of the movement of these electrolytes in and out of muscle cells. See below for a more detailed explanation of the pathway. Dosing: (5-6) grams/daily can be taken to help limit excessive muscle pumps/cramping that may occur. I recommend dosing both pre(3 grams)/post(3 grams)workout.

-Fluid/electrolyte intake: It is also very important that you keep your fluid and electrolyte (sodium,potassium,c alcium,magnesium) intake very sufficient throughout the day. Fluid/electrolyte loss through training depletes interstitial fluids (basically the fluid that lies outside of the cells) which also attributes to muscle pump/cramping issues, and here's how:

Painful muscle pumps/cramps occur due to loss of the osmotically active particles (mainly NaCL or salt) outside the cell within the interstitial spaces. This causes a disturbance in the osmotic balance (pull) of fluid moving in and out of muscle cells. This then results in muscle cells excessively swelling (because they contain more osmotically active particles and fluid) and you develop very painful pumps.
This process can also lead to problems with the calcium pump inside muscle cells. This will cause VERY painful cramps due to the muscle being locked in a contractive state. This is why adequate fluid and electrolye intake during training is very important to maintain this balance and prevent these issues.

Good stuff Vedic. . .I had a friend ask me this question the other day, know I have something better to tell him!
 
Also, if you are eating very low carbohydrates a la Kwasniewski's Optimal Diet or Stefansson's all-meat diet, ketosis is associated with more muscle cramps. Renal stones, too.

Up your carb intake and the problem goes away.

Messing with your Mg or K don't really do a whole lot. Dunno much about taurine.
 
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