General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Are these leg cramps? Rss Feed  
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2014-06-19 7:55 PM

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Subject: Are these leg cramps?
I've never had a problem with cramping, but this year I think I might. When I'm running (especially uphill) after a few minutes my calves feel very tight and achy. It starts to hurt more and more, and if I walk for a minute or less I'm OK to run again for a few minutes. Once in a while I get a similar feeling in my hamstrings. I've had no problems running uphill.
Once in a while I feel a similar thing while biking but if I concentrate on engaging my quads it goes away.
So does that sound like leg cramps? If so, what can I do about it?


2014-06-19 9:01 PM
in reply to: chayes

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Subject: RE: Are these leg cramps?
oops, I meant no problems running downhill. The cramps mainly happen uphill, or on a MUP if I'm on a bit of a grade and try to go fast.
2014-06-19 9:52 PM
in reply to: chayes


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Subject: RE: Are these leg cramps?
Sounds like cramps to me.

I used to get them all the time. My muscles would actually ball up though. My leg would literally look and feel like I had a large gumball under my skin, and I would be lucky to move. For me they were debilitating. I would literally not be able to move my foot because the cramp would tighten my calf so much my to would point up and massaging intensely was the only way to regain control of my foot. I only had this happen after long runs or after officiating several soccer matches, but when they hit, I was toast.

I was told to try adding a magnesium pill along with my multivitamin. I also add potassium in the form of a banana right before a long run, or after my first soccer match. These two things have completely stopped the major, sudden, debilitating cramps. I still on occasion get minor cramps like you are describing, but it is very rare. I'm no doctor or nutritionist, so take the advice for what it is... Me sharing my experience.

Good Luck, and find an answer now before you get really bad cramps. They can be extremely painful.
2014-06-20 10:10 AM
in reply to: chayes

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Subject: RE: Are these leg cramps?
Need more information to be sure.

It could be slight cramping or it could be one of a hundred other things.

You said that it happens worst when running downhill?
Running down hill puts a large eccentric load onto your muscles, which actually causes more stress/damage to them.

If this is something that's new you need to evaluate what has changed since they started:

Are you running faster/slower?
Is your gait changing?
Did you recently have an injury?
Has your diet changed?
Has the time of day you run in relation to meals/hydration changed?
More over all life stress?
Are you running more hills now than you used to?
New shoes??!!
Is it much hotter now than when you've ran in the past?
Have you changed your stretching/warmup/cooldown routine?

2014-06-20 2:02 PM
in reply to: drdking

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Subject: RE: Are these leg cramps?
As someone who gets the debilitating version of these rather frequently (aka crazy muscle spasm forming cramp in some part of the leg/foot at 3am), my initial reaction to the post title was "If you aren't sure, then no they aren't!". After reading I'm a bit clearer, and it sounds like what I call "precursors" - those little twitches/soreness in a muscle that lets you know that the big daddy is coming if you don't back off.
2014-06-20 2:29 PM
in reply to: CycloneVM

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Subject: RE: Are these leg cramps?
Originally posted by CycloneVM
"precursors" - those little twitches/soreness in a muscle that lets you know that the big daddy is coming if you don't back off.
Which are great to start feeling when you're 20 miles from home on the bike!


2014-06-20 10:08 PM
in reply to: chayes

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Subject: RE: Are these leg cramps?
OK, thanks for the replies. I know it's very hard to describe these feelings!
It seems like they happen more in the calves- does anyone know why that is? (And not in, say, the glutes?)
I will add in a magnesium supplement- seems like there is little risk to taking one pill/ day. I have pretty much cut out processed foods/ eating out recently, so possibly I'm getting less salt (although I eat a bowl of popcorn with a ton of salt almost every day). I also used to eat half a banana at breakfast but had cut that out to cut down on the overall sugar in my diet. I'll add in a banana too.
So far no debilitating cramps but my first tri of the season is next weekend, so I hope these measures take care of it!
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