leg cramps

[Adk_dib]

Anybody have this problem. the first couple of years hiking I had no problem with my legs. last year i started having this problem. Today I hiked mt adams. it was a cool day, and i drank 2 full water bottles full of gatoraide. I even stopped in Old forge for a soda ( man is that mcdonalds lame). I left the trail at 1 in the afternoon, drove for 3 hours with no problem. sitting on my back deck at 5 pm my leg cramped up. its always the right one first, and then the left about 1/2 hr later. and man is it painfull. i get locked up in a knot. if it ever happen while i drive i could kill someone. last year i did Dix and Hough. i went down hunters pass and just before i hit the beckhorn trail it hit me. would a aspirin help?

 

[Adk_dib]

I forgot to mention that i started streaching this year to head off the problem, but obviously it didn't work

 

[shadowcat]

no pain-no gain? #$%# that!

boy i can sure sympathize with anyone having pain during hiking. about 1 yr into my beginning to seriously hike i started having horrible sharp pains in the balls of my feet (yes, your feet do have them! ) so bad that i could not walk without tears in my eyes. at first i thought i needed diff boots so that began a 1.5yr venture to find the perfect boot. needless to say after trying dozens of boots and acquiring quite a collection i came to realize that boots weren't my problem. it was you folks who got me on the right track and told me about metasaraglia (sp?). i finally saw a dr. on tuesday who said that on both my feet, the bones of the 2-3 & 4th toes are very, very close together & pinching my nerves. so much so that i have what is basically referred to as tumors in my feet! so the 1st thing we are trying are steriod injections which i did. but now my feet hurt just from the bruising caused by the injections! has anyone else had this done? how long before this goes away, and did they work for you? i guess they will try injections up to 3 times, if they don't work, then the only option is surgery to remove the nerve.
so anyway, slightly off course but i know 1st hand how much pain can ruin a great hike. could it be any type of lactic acid build up? does that happen in your muscles? i don't remember? do you take vitamin e?
try reading this: http://www.betterbodz.com/library/muscle_cramps.html
good luck - i hope you can work thru and around your problem.
have a great weekend

 

[Head]

Being in the healthcare field, I know a few things about the subject. Your body is trying to tell you something...It's saying, "DUDE! Back off a little." The first few years I hiked, I was a peak baggin' machine. I was drinking tons of H2O before going out (like a gallon during the hike), but at the end of a long hike, I would still get terrible leg cramps. It happened a few times while driving home (I had to pull over quick!) Not fun. The only solution that worked for me was to hydrate bigtime the day before a hike and the morning of. I also eat salty foods the night before, which retains the water a little better, and kept the distances lower than when I was on my peak baggin' missions. Needless to say, I don't have any problems with cramping after a hike now...Hope this helps...
HEAD

__________________

BirdHead Studios

 

[iceNsnow]

SALT!

There are many types of salt - so I get a capsule with a variety and take a couple of them every couple of hours. They definitely prevent cramps and can relieve cramps if you waited too long to take them. They also speed recovery.

I learned about SUCEED ( purchase online , sorry I don't have the address), at an ultra marathon. At 40 miles my quads seized up. One of the volunteers gave me a couple SUCEED capsules and a drink. In a half hour I was running again!

Now I carry them for all endurance efforts and have great results!

Salty foods would work just as well, but I'm not a big eatter when I'm hiking.

PS I also find that when I don't use salt supplements, whatever I drink goes right through me. So the salt helps retain the fluid and I don't have to carry many liters.

I hope this helps!

 

[iceNsnow]

spelling??

That may be spelled SUCCEED ?

 

[CatskillsYeti]

Gatorade may not be the best

Adk_dib - My wife and I can both sympathize with the leg cramp agony - and my wife doesn't hike very often. But she suffers from them anyway, but especially so this last week. We rerurned a week ago from a 2-week vacation, during which we walked (in cities) more than I ever remember her walking. A good few miles a day. She has had 2 spine surgeries and has some hardware still in her spine, so walking this much was (we thought) a real challenge. It was, but she did fine, not experiencing any pain or cramps. We both kept hydrated (just water) and neither of us experienced any problems. And then we came home. Within two days, the cramps started - kind of mild for me, but excruciating and frequent for her.

Here's what we have found works - Gookinaid (now called Hydralite) mixed to the proper strength. I believe Gookinaid is better balanced than Gatorade, I use it hiking and at the gym. She drinks some at night and it seems to help. My suspicion is that the leg muscles tighten up from extensive, intense exercise and, when you're not exercising as intensely, the muscles loosen up again, sometimes causing them to "kink" when they get into certain positions. Just speculation on my part. But the balanced electrolyte drink really helps as a preventive, and tonic water (no gin) is a good quicky remedy.

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

I've had cramps twice... both times on Algonquin (see my March trip report: Iroquois Attempt). I just did the whole MacIntyre Range this past weekend (see recent trip report: MacIntyre Range) and didn't have any cramps.

I've been training twice a week on a flight of stairs at one of the local State Parks... 2100+ steps in about 45 minutes. It has definately helped.

Assuming you're well hydrated, lactic acid is likely the culprit. BTW, Gatorade, etc. is good because it contains sodium AND potassium, which need to be in balance. The typical American diet is nowhere near lacking in sodium, but potassium is a little easier to under-consume. Some foods high in potassium include bananas, oranges, and tomatoes. You can also by potassium salt as a salt-substitute.

My advice... get moving so your body isn't shocked by the intense effort of mountain climbing. Send me a PM if you want to discuss further.

 

[LittleBear]

My husband suffers from leg cramps - sometimes it's worse than others. He has less problems hiking than he has while biking. Anyway, we did a bunch of research and then some experimentation, and this is what works for him: While potassium is the real key, calcium and magnesium are also important. Apparently calcium helps the body retain more of the potassium and the magnesium helps the body absorb the calcium better. There are some calcium supplements out there that include magnesium - that's what he uses. He normally takes the calcium/magnesium the day before he hikes/bikes, and then during the hiking/biking. He also eats at least 2 bananas in the morning, and drinks plenty of water and gatorade. Since establishing this little routine, he's not had any problems with cramping. The real test of all of this came a couple of years ago when he did a 3-day biking event (180 total miles) and the first 2 days were in extreme heat - above 95 degrees and off the pavement the temps were above 105! He had no cramps during this time, which for him was totally amazing. (Fifteen years ago he did a 100 mile bike ride event, and was unable to finish because of the cramps he experienced. And the temps were mild - in the mid-70s.)

Try experimenting with calcium and magnesium, it has really made a huge difference for my husband! Good luck!

 

[iceNsnow]

night cramping

PS If you have troubles with night cramping or "charlie horses" in you feet or calves, look into hydration or a chromium supplement.

 

[skidoc22]

I have also had experience with leg cramps but primarily while bicycling. I've consumed good quantities of Gatorade without success. Most recently I switched to Cytomax - it has a good deal more potassium and seems to work better. I have spoken to others about this problem and they have also found cytomax to be superior to Gatorade. No doubt all the electrolytes play a part, as does hydration. Tanking up before, during and after is the key.

 

[woodstrider]

I used to get the worse leg cramps- usually in the middle of the night.
Then, I met an old showgirl- she told me to take more potassium in my diet. (actually she recommended some pills, major ingredient being potassium). Well, I tried eating more bananas and a multi- vitamin every day and lo and behold- no more cramps.

But- I would have a Doc check you out- make sure it isn't something sinister, like a blood clot or some other pesky problem