cramping and muscle pain

[monji112000]

I have been plagued with Bicep and leg cramping for some time.
I have been eating bananas so its prob not potassium . I'm drinking enough water... any other ideas? its gotten so bad during rolling i almost tap... lol

any ideas?

[Pork Chop]

I used to cramp a lot in my old kung fu school in DC.
The solution they had for me was sodium and water; so I'd carry a salt shaker to class and try to drink as much water as I could stomach to stay hydrated.

In your case, are you sure it's not overuse, overtraining, or possibly damage?
My coworker grapples and he does 30 rep sets of bicep curls just to increase his bicep endurance - according to him it makes a huge difference in his grappling.
If that's the case, epsom salt baths help, try increasing your protein, and maybe some L-Glutamine.
Some of the recommendations for shin splints might help as well.

hope it gets better.
if all else fails email cjurakpt :)

[Becca]

I have been plagued with Bicep and leg cramping for some time.
I have been eating bananas so its prob not potassium . I'm drinking enough water... any other ideas? its gotten so bad during rolling i almost tap... lol

any ideas?
Try diching carbonated beverages? And bananas aren't nesissarily the best potasium rich food. It has a lot of potasium, but not nesisarily the other minerals needed for your body to use it effectivly. Here's an interesting article on the topic:
http://www.eatpotassiumrichfoods.com/

Here's a list on high potasium foods if you want it.
http://www.essense-of-life.com/info/potassiumfoods.htm

[Egg fu young]

I drink 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar after I workout. Seems to help.

[monji112000]

I used to cramp a lot in my old kung fu school in DC.
The solution they had for me was sodium and water; so I'd carry a salt shaker to class and try to drink as much water as I could stomach to stay hydrated.

In your case, are you sure it's not overuse, overtraining, or possibly damage?
My coworker grapples and he does 30 rep sets of bicep curls just to increase his bicep endurance - according to him it makes a huge difference in his grappling.
If that's the case, epsom salt baths help, try increasing your protein, and maybe some L-Glutamine.
Some of the recommendations for shin splints might help as well.

hope it gets better.
if all else fails email cjurakpt :)


Try diching carbonated beverages? And bananas aren't nesissarily the best potasium rich food. It has a lot of potasium, but not nesisarily the other minerals needed for your body to use it effectivly. Here's an interesting article on the topic:
http://www.eatpotassiumrichfoods.com/

Here's a list on high potasium foods if you want it.
http://www.essense-of-life.com/info/potassiumfoods.htm

thanks for the links I give them a read. I drink allot of water so its not hydrating thats the problem. It could be overuse.. but that won't stop me(i'm too stubborn).
I stopped doing arm stuff in the morning.. thinking thats the problem. Maybe I go back to it and see if that helps. I don't drink carbonated drinks, I thought bananas was the best thing to eat.. ok hmm my multi-vitamin doesn't have potassium...
I'll update when something changes..

[kfman5F]

Try quinine water. The reason it is used for malaria is for the cramps, not the disease. I have also been told to take calcium/magnesium as well. I get cramps in the bottom of my feet but not very often.

[jow yeroc]

You're prolly in good health monji but it wouldn't hurt to get your blood
pressure and cholesterol checked as cramps are also a sysmptom of
poor circulaton. Also make sure you stretch the affected areas often. Massages
and hot/warm compresses help me as i tend to cramp a bit as well, but mine
are usually in the hamstring and calf areas and also my hands/fingers and
usually after over exertion like a long sweaty day at work and then trying to
work out at night. duh.

[RUFNTUFGIRL]

I tried grape seed extract a COQ10 and it worked.

[jow yeroc]

And also FYI a few prunes have double the potassium of a banana.:cool:

[Becca]

Na, na, na. You don't get to give up without posting something intelligent to cut the BS with Chris. Are you sugesting that maleria treatments wouldn' work for run-of-the mill training issues?:eek:;):p

[kwaichang]

Cramping is sometimes caused by dehydration, drink more water Try Os-Cal effervescent it works great KC

[jow yeroc]

Huh?? Did i post something stupid for you to be done? I must've missed
something for you to say you're done. Or are you referring to the malaria
thing?? Jus' wondering because you seemed to be replying to my post but i
was just giving the advice given to me by my physician after i complained of
muscle cramps and ironically heard the same advice yesterday on the radio
from an osteopath. But i know you're a knowledgable guy in these matters
so i actually was looking forward to your advice.

corey

[Becca]

Huh?? Did i post something stupid for you to be done? I must've missed
something for you to say you're done. Or are you referring to the malaria
thing?? Jus' wondering because you seemed to be replying to my post but i
was just giving the advice given to me by my physician after i complained of
muscle cramps and ironically heard the same advice yesterday on the radio
from an osteopath. But i know you're a knowledgable guy in these matters
so i actually was looking forward to your advice.

coreyLOL! Chris is a very well know PT in the real world and gets disgusted with on-line "medical advise" from time to time. His objections were not nessisarily to the cure, but to the fact that a cure was offered without a medical examination by people who are obviously not medical professionals.

[jow yeroc]

Oh, OK and excuuuuse the hell outta me.:) Didn't think i needed a medical
degree to help a friend out with cramps. FWIW i did say he should have his
bp and cholesterol checked which implies he should see a physician as i do
for a yearly physical but i take your point. Thanks.

ps: these statements have not been evaluated by a medical professional
and should not be considered a cure or treatment endorsed by the FDA.:D

[BruceSteveRoy]

I have been plagued with Bicep and leg cramping for some time.
I have been eating bananas so its prob not potassium . I'm drinking enough water... any other ideas? its gotten so bad during rolling i almost tap... lol

any ideas?

i didn't read any one elses posts so sorry if i repeat something that was already said. try exercising complimentary muscles. if your bicep cramps do more pushups to exercise your triceps. if its your quads work your hamstrings and vice versa. a lot of people i know that maintain proper hydration and still regularly cramp can attribute it to muscle inbalances. also bananas aren't the best source of potassium. they are better than nothing but there are foods/supplements that you could take that would help more,

[Becca]

So the musle that cramps is the stronger muscle? I know when I was having major issues with my lower back aching and getting tierd long before it should, a trainer had me work my hip flexors in several ways. I'd assumed that my back was aching because it was the weeker rgion. Was it really my hip flexors being week causing my lower back to work harder?

[Becca]

Wow! I guess I'll just be satisfied with "stopped hurting."

But if you ar interested:

the variables are what sort of activity (concentric, isometric or eccentric), what part of the range you worked in; to what degree of intensity you did what you did (e.g. - to point of relaxation or actual failure)

Always to the point of muscle failure. It su cked very much bad for the first 2-3 weeks because it was pretty much my whole body. But it did work and I've been able to maintain the results.

He had me doing walk-throughs, duck walk, wrestling style shots, some other wrestling drills I have no clue what are called, gain stepping, ect. I got to rest as much as I needed, but a session wasn't over till I literally couldn't get my body move the way it needed to. This took only about 15-20 minutes at first, but I was able to go for almost an hour after a month or so. I did this 1 day a week with him and had "homework" for the rest of the week that was usually yoga based. (this is where I learned to love yoga.)

[Becca]

oh, BTW, shadowlin said i was supposed to apologize to you after i responded to one of your posts on my "Life After Forms" thread - I guess he must have intuited how crushed you were by my response or some such...I'm guessing you were so broken up about it, that you forgot to mention it to me...
??? I'm a forms person, you aren't. We are never going to see eye to eye on that topic. No reason to be pizzy about it.... Is there?:confused:





Besides, I was trolling on that thread. :D

[Becca]

I usually ignore the holier-than-though- I get enough fo that from my ex and his new wife. I like this forum for the mix of "types" but that doesn't meen I pay attention to all of them. And I only troll people whom I know won't take it too seriously. ;)