preventing cramps

[JP]

i get cramps sometimes especially in the larger muscles like legs - sometimes very painful.

Some of this is due to taking creatine which ties water in muscles, or so i have been told.

Are there any measures i could take to prevent cramping?

Does stretching make a difference? Different dietary things like eating more bananas? Drinking more (quite obvious one i guess!) and other tips?

[fredrikw]

the most obvious solution is stop taking creatine, but that's perhaps not an option

a common reason for cramps when doing endurance sports is lack of salt, and I guess if your body absorbs a lot of water the electrolyte balance might become a bit off... but this is just pure speculation of course. one easy and non-intrusive thing you could try is actually to eat more bananas, they have a good electrolyte content. and if not you won't have eaten anything that's bad for you.

another reason for cramps is pushing too hard, but that might perhaps not be an option either...

[JP]

intrusive and chemical tips are also welcome, you cant make a vegan omelet without breaking open few packs of tofu

[fredrikw]

intrusive and chemical tips are also welcome

yeah, I bet they are

anyhow, I thought a bit more on this, and dehydration can of course also be a reason for muscle cramps. if the creatine use makes your muslces absorb fluids you might also need more water than usual.


but perhaps it's better to treat the cause and not the symptom? perhaps cutting down on creatine is a good idea as well?

[SpugFab]

I've been getting a calf cramp or two recently and was looking at ways to prevent it last night.

First up - I'm going to stretch more. This is a no-brainer since it has application beyond the avoidance of cramp.

Second - stay hydrated. But I tend to do this anyway. In fact I've been wondering if the cramp is due to doing a lot of sport, sweating and drinking a lot and not replacing the electrolytes. Which leads me onto:

Third - replace the electrolytes. Bananas might be a plan, but I've been eating quite a few of those already. I saw this product:

http://www.eletewater.com/

Something like that might be a good idea (I've not checked the ingredients or the quality of that particular product, was just looking for the existence of that kind of thing).

I didn't realise a vegan omelette with tofu was possible. I thought a vegan omelette was one you made when no other vegans were looking...

[JP]

but perhaps it's better to treat the cause and not the symptom? perhaps cutting down on creatine is a good idea as well?

nah, i'll just up the water.

So with the bananas, do you think there is any value with some electrolyte drinks/sports drinks as well?

[fredrikw]

but perhaps it's better to treat the cause and not the symptom? perhaps cutting down on creatine is a good idea as well?

nah, i'll just up the water.

how surprising

So with the bananas, do you think there is any value with some electrolyte drinks/sports drinks as well?

hmm, good question... it's always a good thing to add electrolytes when you drink lots of water in order to avoid any electrolyte imbalance, and another thing that can cause muscle cramps is muscle fatigue, and some high-GI carbs will do your tired muscles good I'd say.

but then again, I'm no weight lifter and have limited experience on the subject so I'm just guessing based on my endurance training, so I might be completely off

[mtbkid]

I've heard good things about these but haven't tried them. Not 100% sure they are vegan, but the fact that they used plant cellulose is probably a good sign. If they are, I am definitely gonna try them, as I have had major cramping problems in the past. I notice they also have worldwide distribution . . .

[fredrikw]

hmmm, interesting indeed. I just sent them an email asking about that, I'll post their reply here.

[fredrikw]

wow, that was super fast, just three minutes

Hello Fredrik-
Our Endurolytes are completely animal free as well as most of our other products, obviously the Fish Oil would not be. The Tissue Rejuvinator is also not animal free, nor is the Recoverite or Whey protein. Other than those 4 products, everything else is animal free. Please let me know how I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Jason Kinley

good news in other words

[mtbkid]

wow, that was super fast, just three minutes

Hello Fredrik-
Our Endurolytes are completely animal free as well as most of our other products, obviously the Fish Oil would not be. The Tissue Rejuvinator is also not animal free, nor is the Recoverite or Whey protein. Other than those 4 products, everything else is animal free. Please let me know how I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Jason Kinley

good news in other words

COOL!! Now that is some customer service . . . and good to know about their other products as well.