I have never gotten a cramp in my calf before, despite playing sports most my life. But just tonight, I was playing a particularly grueling game of ultimate frisbee, and on one play I had to accelerate very quickly and my left calf just cramped up terribly. I finally rubbed it out so that I could walk on it again, but my problem now is that it is still quite tight, and if I sit still for too very long, it gets bad again so that I almost can't walk. Are there any good little tricks or methods for getting my leg loose again?
Take in potassium...Bananas are a good source. Stretch them often, rub them down, lay off the plantar flexion...replenish your liquids. Good luck...
This happens to me from time to time. I think it is due to not getting enough potassium. I say that it was probably pretty humid when you played your game, Raven, so I am guessing that your body lost some potassium. I have always been told to eat bananas because they can prevent getting cramps from not having enough potassium; however, I can't stand eating them & I don't know of any other foods that are rich in potassium. What I do is just try to stay calm and relax by massaging it. If is a really bad one, I will feel the effects of it into the next day; however, besides being a little sore, it has not hinder me in doing my daily routine of things.
Dang, calf cramps are REAL bad from my experience. I've had about maybe 4 or 5 in the last 4 years or so. (Maybe a little less, I can't remember.) One time I was doing a layup drill during basketball practice. When I jumped off my left leg..BANG...got a cramp in my calf. I made the layup, but I had tom sit out for a while. I think I got my first playing tag or something like that. It was terrible. Really freaked me out too, not really knowing much about cramps. If I rememeber correctly, most of mine were felt for a few days. But they were pretty bad, IMO. Oh, you wanted solutions. Hmm...like the others said just take potassium. Maybe you should stretch you calf more before working out. That's all I know.
Someone else gave me the same advice and said that bananas and raisins are high in potassium. So maybe in the future, you can eat raisins instead of choking down bananas. Me now, I LOVE bananas. Thanks for the advice, guys. Edit: Oh yeah, what is the plantar flexion, Talon?
To get rid of the cramp, I usually bend my foot back towards me, which stretches the muscle out. Occasionally, it also requires some rubbing of the calf, but it usually goes away pretty quickly. I'd try to let it rest as much as possible afterward until the next day, plus some of the food tips everyone else has suggested - a combination of it all should get you back and running after a day or two.
Typically, when you think of muscle flexion, it is associated with a muscle bringing the body part towards you. For example, when you flex your bicep, you bring your lower arm towards your body. Plantar flexion involves the flexion of the lower leg. Simply put, instead of bringing your toes up towards you and flexing the calf muscle (gastrocnemius and soleus), plantar flexion involves using the "calf" muscle to pull the heel up, causing the toes to drop or point down. Don't do it, cause it'll hurt...
Hold up...a cramp is caused by an imbalance of certain minerals in your body. It causes the muscles cells to activate the "trigger" for muscle contraction. If you pull your foot backwards, you are allowing for the muscle to contract without resistance (stretch). No offense, but I wouldn't try that...
i had that problem flare up and did some internet research. seems like the recommendations for potassium and magnesium are both possibilities. the best recommendation i heard, and that i now do, is to take a multivitamin everyday. just found one with both of those things in it...'Centrum"
I used to get leg cramps a lot. The best thing to do after you get a leg cramp is to massage it until it loosens up a little so you can walk on it. Once you can walk on it, you need to stretch it. Walk on it for a minute then go up to a wall where you can put your foot up againt the base of the wall. Put your toes of one foot up on the wall, with the heel on the ground. Keep the other leg back and push forward. I've never found another stretching excercise that works better for calves. It may not get all of that cramp out, but it'll get most of it.
Pregnant women get those cramps often...even in the middle of the night...wakes them...OOOOUCH! I guess the baby absorbs all the potassium, so Mommy needs to supplement extra potassium.
