Thread: Muscle cramps

Are you staying hydrated?

I have like 3 proteins shakes a day, always with water, about 16-24 ounces. I'll occasionally with drink straight water or powerade.

I think over all I'm well hydrated.

Try using a foam roller.
Used 1 for 1 time this morning and took all my aches away!

Gettin enough potassium?

Originally Posted by Thresh

I have like 3 proteins shakes a day, always with water, about 16-24 ounces. I'll occasionally with drink straight water or powerade.

I think over all I'm well hydrated.

Occasionally drinking water won't do the trick, have to drink enough to stay hydrated. I never count the water in shakes towards my daily goal. Is your urine clear? If not, you need more water. And Powerade is crap in my opinion. Others may disagree and that's ok, I never drink it.

Originally Posted by Dustdatarse

Gettin enough potassium?

Good call. Forgot that.

I know my muscles cramp bad when i dont get enough potassium for a few days...to the point to where it hurts to take a step because my toes and calves cramp really bad. Also will start experiencing twitching in the muscle right before i start to cramp. Thats how i know im running low on potassium.

Originally Posted by Anabolic5150

Occasionally drinking water won't do the trick, have to drink enough to stay hydrated. I never count the water in shakes towards my daily goal. Is your urine clear? If not, you need more water. And Powerade is crap in my opinion. Others may disagree and that's ok, I never drink it.

I agree, powerade has to much sugar for my taste.

Originally Posted by Dustdatarse

I agree, powerade has to much sugar for my taste.

Used to use powdered Gatorade, creatine, glutamine and grape BCAA'S in my workout drink. Use it all now except the Gatorade.

Originally Posted by Anabolic5150

Used to use powdered Gatorade, creatine, glutamine and grape BCAA'S in my workout drink. Use it all now except the Gatorade.

Smart water from glaceau has added electrolytes. Still 0 calories. Just a thought, that along with potassium.

Potassium might be the culprit. I'll have to check my multivitamins and other things I eat, but that might be the key.

Bananas or a potassium supp would be helpful

Remember it's not necessarily just low potassium, it can be an imbalance of your electrolytes. If you are on low sodium and jack yourself full of potassium then you can run into problems as well. However, it is really hard to have a truly low sodium diet.

People also forget that calcium (also an electrolyte) is a major contributor to muscle contraction. Try having some milk.

taurine may help as well.. stay hydrated

how long you been training?
sometimes, its not the lack of hydration, electrolytes or potassium, but just the muscles not use to the movements.. if you do and were doing a few sets of squats, then upped it recently to 4-5sets, your muscles cramp up a bit from just not being use to the workload..
rare, but its not always the lack of fluids. sometimes it just takes time to get use to a greater workload, if this is the case.

Originally Posted by Thresh

I've been getting discomforting and sometimes sever muscle cramps mostly when training but even at random times.

Anyone else experience this?

if they are chronic then you probably are just low in general in your electrolyte intake.

what time do you train? how many meals do you get in before exercise?

Ive been training for 5 months (after 7 years off). Ive been doing arnold's 6 day split for 2 weeks now, before that I was doing my own 4 day routine. My own 4 day routine is fairly hardcore as well.

The thing is I don't get cramps in my muscles worked, I get them in weird places like when you make an intense face when doing bicep curls, the left side of my face will cramp and slowly release in a painful way.

When I do bench press sometimes it feels like someone punches me I'm the thigh (Charlie horse cramp). So I have to rack the barbell bell, shake my leg to get he cramp to go away, then go right back into bench (takes only seconds to get those to go away).

Then once when I was at work I bent over and my right abdominals contracted so hard I was stopped dead in my tracks, couldn't stand up for a min before it slowly released. My right abs were sore for 2 days after that contraction (wish I could do that at will, what an ab workout!)

I know some will rip on me for doing the Arnold routine, but keep in mind this has been happening before that.

And yes the results of the Arnold routine are amazing

I eat usually 6 meals a day, I try to get near 400g protein a day. Calcium might be low cause I have not been consuming milk, just water in my protein/weight gainer shakes.


Getting lots of great info from everyone, thanks guys!

The face one is weird, maybe see a doctor.

Lots of good suggestions here, start with square one actually take note of how much water you're taking in, by the sounds of your initial post it doesn't sound like much. 1 Gal a day.

Originally Posted by Anabolic5150

The face one is weird, maybe see a doctor.

Was considering it cause of the weirdness of the cramps and there locations.

Originally Posted by Curlingcadys

Lots of good suggestions here, start with square one actually take note of how much water you're taking in, by the sounds of your initial post it doesn't sound like much. 1 Gal a day.

Great idea, I'll start logging it tomorrow and see if water amount corresponds directly with cramps.

You need Electrolytes.

I get muscle cramps towards the end of my workout when I don't get enough or skip my pre-workout meal.

Someone above mentioned urine color. Try and keep it as clear as possible by drinking tons of water. Its healthy for you, water filters the body.

Well If you are on reduced sodium and jack yourself full of potassium then you can run into difficulties as well. However, it is actually hard to have a really reduced sodium diet.