Relieving leg cramps

[Maineiac64]

Pure planet sports salts, magnesium, potassium, salt cured my very bad leg cramping problems. 2 tablets 1 hour before the trail works for me.

[rocketsocks]

BBQ flavored Fire starters, l like it!

[Venchka]

Y’all might want to take a look on this new fangled Internet thing for DIY electrolyte replacement recipes.
A question for the NUUN fans:
How many of the tablets do you need per day?
Thanks.
Wayne


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[peakbagger]

With respect to Nuun, unless there are special conditions I usually have one at the end of the hike. Special conditions are a longer duration hike (longer than 6 hours actual hiking time), lots of above treeline exposure, and it also may sound strange but in winter weather. If there are special conditions I might have one mid hike. If its warm out, and the hike is over 12 hours I may end up having one every 4 hours.

[pandabacon]

I was listening to People's Pharmacy this morning and they were talking about how pickle juice, yellow mustard, and capsaicin work to relieve leg cramps. The hypothesis is that, rather than working through digestion, certain acids and oils react with nerve receptors in the mouth and throat.

Anybody carry yellow mustard packets in their med kit? I had never heard of that one.

Ive used pickle juice it works. There a company that puts it same little bottles they put 5 hour energy in so no giant jar lol


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[Greenlight]

+1 for pickle juice. Thanks, pandabacon. There is now another entity out there putting pickle juice in 5HE bottles. Me! Excellent idea. I was struggling with leg cramps at Old Orchard Shelter last May. Lookout (class of 15) started a bonfire and was passing out trail magic when I got there, and all I was thinking was, "I'm gonna have leg cramps all night if I don't get some pickle juice or something." About half an hour later, Blue Bear sat down next to me and pulled out an individually wrapped dill pickle and started eating it. "You gonna drink that pickle juice?" I asked. After the initial weirdness of the conversation passed, he laughed and said, "leg cramps?"

"Bad ones" I said.

It was the first real trail magic I'd experienced. The trail provides.

Ive used pickle juice it works. There a company that puts it same little bottles they put 5 hour energy in so no giant jar lol


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[Venchka]

Thanks peakbagger! Exactly what I wanted to know.
Wayne


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[sfdoc]

When I used to do long distance cycling (100mi.+), I'd use Tums at the first sign of leg cramps. Worked pretty quickly.

[peakbagger]

There was a big bucks startup about a year ago that was teasing a completely different way to deal with cramps using spices to impact the nerves so they didnt cause a cramp. I think they crashed and burned as I never saw a roll out but here is their website http://www.teamhotshot.com/. I saw a couple of articles that the testing wasn't as independent as claimed and there was a lot of paid endorsements in the background.

Its a real slick website.

[devoidapop]

There was a big bucks startup about a year ago that was teasing a completely different way to deal with cramps using spices to impact the nerves so they didnt cause a cramp. I think they crashed and burned as I never saw a roll out but here is their website http://www.teamhotshot.com/. I saw a couple of articles that the testing wasn't as independent as claimed and there was a lot of paid endorsements in the background.

Its a real slick website.

Yeah, those were the folks on the show. The product is available on Amazon now.

[RangerZ]

Hydration and electrolytes. When I get pretty dehydrated hiking, I wake up in the middle of the night with calf cramps. When I stay well hydrated...then no cramps.

Staying hydrated is always good advice, but then I still wake up with cramps and for other reasons.

[egilbe]

Staying hydrated is always good advice, but then I still wake up with cramps and for other reasons.

Try stretching your legs before bed? I’ve made an effort to have a couple cups of Nido before bed. Stopped having cramps after I added milk to my before bed ritual.

[RangerZ]

Try stretching your legs before bed? I’ve made an effort to have a couple cups of Nido before bed. Stopped having cramps after I added milk to my before bed ritual.

A couple of cups of Nido before bed may cure cramps but will create the other reasons to wake up in the middle of the night.

[peakbagger]

I used to get late night leg cramps until I started taking electrolytes during the day and post hike.

[egilbe]

A couple of cups of Nido before bed may cure cramps but will create the other reasons to wake up in the middle of the night.

I would much rather get up to pee than wake up with blood-curdling screams because my calf's are all knotted. Icango back to sleep easily after peeing, not so much after my leg muscles are sore and knotted.

[devoidapop]

A couple of cups of Nido before bed may cure cramps but will create the other reasons to wake up in the middle of the night.

I would much rather get up to pee than wake up with blood-curdling screams because my calf's are all knotted. Icango back to sleep easily after peeing, not so much after my leg muscles are sore and knotted.

At a certain age, getting up to pee in the middle of the night is a certainty anyway. I'm with you, anything to prevent a charlie horse. I can't imagine trying to fall out of my hammock with my calf locked up.

[rhjanes]

At a certain age, getting up to pee in the middle of the night is a certainty anyway. I'm with you, anything to prevent a charlie horse. I can't imagine trying to fall out of my hammock with my calf locked up.

Oh....yeah....that is fun! Actually, I lay there and as quick as I can, start flexing my foot and massaging it.....all while chanting "relax...relax...". When the charlie horse starts lessening, keep massaging....eventually get up, limp to a tree.....fall back into the hammock and hope that was it for the rest of the night.....

[sqidmark]

Not trying to be contrary but I added a daily magnesium pill and did not get any relief from my calf/foot cramps. I take calcium too.

I'm not an expert on any of this so...

I have read that there is a fine balance between potasium, magnesium and calcium, and I believe calcium is the one you don't want too much of as it can interfere with the other two.

Magnesium can be taken in a number of different forms, some work and some are useless. Sorry, I don't recall them all. Not all forms are actually absorbed by the body and pass right through. Further, some folks respond well to certain forms while others respond to a different form. Some people do better with magnesium oil on the skin.

I take it via Natural Calm. Too much too soon and you can suddenly experience intestinal distress. Easy does it. Also, I found it takes a considerable amount of time for my body to become acclimated to it, to where it actually "works". I think it just takes time for the body's overall magnesium level to rise where it needs to be. Think months, not days or a week.

I take a heaping teaspoon with water first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I no longer get leg cramps. On the very rare occasion I feel one starting, it dissappears before developing.

About a year and half ago I decided to try taking a different form via capsule. I recall it was the form that is generally considered to have the best bioavailability. After a few months the night cramps returned with a vengence. I went back to natural calm.

Some months ago I had slacked off for a while (maybe we ran out?) and I wound up one time with one of those "slammed in the calf with a sledgehammer" kind of cramps. My wife quickly grabbed a jar of mustard and I took a big mouthful. It didn't kill it instantly but it sure did seem to alleviate it much quicker than without. That was the only time I've tried it, so it's not much to go on.

[Alligator]

I'll look into that idea about balance. As far as absorption, my doc ran a bunch of lab tests for screening/wellness recently. He went through the whole list but I think he commonly checks Mg right off the bat. He had just pulled out my results and said out loud, "So how's your Mg...oh Mg is good." It's just Mg from the vitamin aisle. I need a new bottle though or else I would report exactly what brand it is.

[Malto]

I'll look into that idea about balance. As far as absorption, my doc ran a bunch of lab tests for screening/wellness recently. He went through the whole list but I think he commonly checks Mg right off the bat. He had just pulled out my results and said out loud, "So how's your Mg...oh Mg is good." It's just Mg from the vitamin aisle. I need a new bottle though or else I would report exactly what brand it is.

I make my own electrolyte mix out from 41g of Morton Salt Balance and 108g of Calcium/Magnesium Complex. This makes 100 servings and can be added to any food or drink or put into empty capsules. This recipe matches the electrolyte product sold by Hammer.