Cramp in legs? (Human)

[kookicat]

I've been teaching a few beginner lessons a week for some extra cash. They're about an hour long, and by about 45mins in, I get awful cramp in my calves. It's so bad that I've had to sit down to get rid of it.

Ring is a rubber/wood fibre mix. I drink a lot of water, so I'm not dehydrated, and have changed that to a sports drink for the last couple of lessons, but I'm still getting cramp. I changed the water to a sports drink because it's been pretty warm over here for the last couple of days, and I figured I needed the electrolytes.

Any ideas what it could be? I'm pretty healthy and fit generally.

Thanks

[cloudyandcallie]

Eat more bananas. (Works for normal leg cramps.)

[kookicat]

Thanks. I hate bananas but will give it a try. :) (I can turn them into a milkshake, right?)

[Proud To Be Spotted]

Some foods high in potassium: apricots, bananas, beets, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, dates, figs, kiwi, melons, milk, oranges and juice, pears, potatoes, prunes, raisins, spinach, tomato.

Dont forget to get extra magnesium and calcium also.

[kookicat]

Thanks. I eat a lot of those already.

Hmm, might pick up a vitamin supplement on the way home tonight.

[Eventer55]

After reaching a certain age, I got leg cramps at night. My Doctor said you have to eat 10 bananas a day to get the amount you need I like them, but not that much.) I started taking potassium pills and the leg cramps went away the first night. I took 4 xs the reccomended dose for a couple of days and backed off. Believe it or not you should also drink Quinnine AKA Tonic water.

You may find you can stop taking the potassium for a while and you'll know when you need it again. The Quinnine works and I can't remember why. I also have to stretch a lot to keep my back from getting stiff and it helps my legs too.

[alabama]

Yep, it's probably either a sign of a potassium or calcium deficiency.


I get leg and foot cramps a lot if I don't take my supplements.

[twofatponies]

It can really help to move around more. Walk around the arena, following the student, etc. so your muscles aren't stuck in one standing-still position for so long. That helps me a lot. I get "stocked up" and sore-backed if I stand for a long time, no matter what shoes or footing.

[twofatponies]

After reaching a certain age, I got leg cramps at night. My Doctor said you have to eat 10 bananas a day to get the amount you need I like them, but not that much.) I started taking potassium pills and the leg cramps went away the first night. I took 4 xs the reccomended dose for a couple of days and backed off. Believe it or not you should also drink Quinnine AKA Tonic water.

You may find you can stop taking the potassium for a while and you'll know when you need it again. The Quinnine works and I can't remember why. I also have to stretch a lot to keep my back from getting stiff and it helps my legs too.

Oh good, gin and tonics come doctor recommended! :D

[deltawave]

I'm going to think WAY more simplistic than the sudden onset of nutritional deficiencies and ask what kind of shoes you're wearing, and how used to standing on your feet for an hour at a time you are. :)

And tonic water no longer contains any actual quinine.

[kookicat]

I thought shoes too, and have tried my MH boots, a pair of trainers (I hated that!) and a pair of hiking boots. So far, the hiking boots are the best.

I'm at a desk half the day at work, and on my feet or driving for the rest. Do you think it could be something to do with the footing? (Which is strangely springy and a bit deep at the same time.)

Thanks :)

[Eventer55]

"Tonic water is a carbonated beverage that derives its somewhat bitter taste (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-tonic-water.htm#) from the addition of quinine (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-quinine.htm). It is usually flavored with lemon or lime, lots of sugar, and often contains caffeine (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-caffeine.htm). Tonic is a frequent mixer in cocktails, most famous for its use in gin (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-gin.htm) and tonic, though vodka (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-vodka.htm) with tonic water is also popular. This beverage may additionally be used with sweet alcohols, like vermouth (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-vermouth.htm), to produce a balanced taste."

I'm looking at he ingredients on my tonic bottle and it includes Quinine. Without quinine a Gin and Tonic would be pretty dull. Some Tonics may not contain it, but Schweppes does and so do the european ones.

I pulled it off a food web site.

[Bluey]

Could you teach from horseback, at least some of the classes?

[bf1]

I actually got a RX from my dr for quinine when I was on my feet at horse shows. It did the trick! My dr. didn't quite know what to think when I asked her for it - but it was no big deal. I also have restless legs.... The rx was very cheap.

[kookicat]

Could you teach from horseback, at least some of the classes?

It would mean riding one of my trainer's horses, or trailering one of mine in, but I could.

Do people teach beginner lessons while riding though?

[deltawave]

OK, I'll amend that--the amount of quinine in tonic water is now infinitesimally small, compared to what it used to contain. :)

I'll still put my money on some combination of the footwear, the footing, and the act of standing/walking for an hour. Yes, deep footing can make you use a lot more of the intrinsic muscles in your foot and the ones that control ankle movement, which can cause those muscles (which are all up in the calf) to fatigue and "cramp". Hiking boots might feel best because they sort of support the ankle and take some of the work away from the muscles in the deep footing.

[Kathyt]

Try Bowen Therapy. It cured my problem which sound very much like yours.

[BarbB]

Tonic water (with quinine) works for me. I get leg cramps at night and my doctor recommended it. I throw a lime in to make it palatable, gin or vodka are optional. :D

[Bluey]

I remember that when I had leg, mostly foot cramps, a physical therapist told me to get on the edge of a step, where there are good handholds, or put a chair there for you to hold onto and lift and lower yourself on the ball of your feet.
Works also with one thick book to stand on, all you need is a couple or three inches to lower behind you, the lift is the main thing, tightening your leg and buttock muscles.

At first, you will only be able to do a few times, get off and wiggle your leg, pull your leg up behind you, bent at the knee, then repeat those few repetitions.
Eventually you will be able to do ten or twelve lifts twice, streching behind your leg and wiggling inbetween and that should be the limit.

That stretches and conditions your lower leg and makes it less apt to cramp.
You could try that also.:)

[Peggy]

Footwear can make a difference. A few years ago my leg (more upper, but sometimes all the way down) started cramping when I was driving home from the barn. Didn't happen driving other places. Didn't happen on the way to the barn. Didn't happen if I drove from the barn to work. Application of the scientific method made me consider my shoes. I had a pair of those ugly Land's End slip on shoes which died and I then replaced. The only place I wore them was driving to the barn, at the barn before and after riding, and driving from the barn to home (not to work where I'd have other shoes after changing). Issues started after the new shoes. New ones had a rocked heel (sort of the opposite of a wedge) that the others didn't. Stopped wearing those shoes. No more major cramps driving home from the barn. Really made me appreciate how a small change in shoeing and/or trimming could affect a horse. So maybe try a variety of shoes?

The supplements and/or foods and beverages suggested here might also help. But if you do both (ingesting and shoes) you might never figure out the issue due to changing more than one variable.