Cramp and irritable legs

[AndreaUK]

Hi

I dont know if this is normal or what but here goes.

I started as an adult beginner skater six weeks ago. Im skating 2 to 3 sessions per week and having private coaching. The skating is going very well and progressing at a rather quick pase, I am allready learning spirals and 3 turns however Im finding that recently, the last couple of weeks Im having some undesirable irritants.

Firstly I have not been an active person in the past and really my first bouts of exercise have been since I started skating at age 31. The last two sessions I have worked very hard, hammering moves over and over and over again until I get them.

In the evening I am finding that occasionally I am getting really bad cramp in my calf muscles which then leaves the muscle sore for a few hours after. When I go to bed at night I am finding that on the days I have skated I have really horrible irritable legs which often causes me difficulty in dropping off to sleep.

Now, my husband thinks that its likely that my body is sort of salt due to the exercise however ive found since I started to lose weight and become fitter for some reason ive gone right off the taste of salt and no longer add it to any food. Ive also had to completely cut out caffiene as it started to affect me where as before I became fitter I would guzzle coffee like there is no tomorrow.

Does anyone else have any of these symptoms and if so, do I need to alter my diet in any way or do you think it may just be my body adjusting to the new athletic me?

Andrea xx

[rf3ray]

Yeah I had these, its called using muscles you havent worked for a while :-)

[chantelly]

Yeah I get this too, if you think its something to do with the salt have you thought about drinking more while skating and in general? Especially if you are doing lots? I forget to drink more when I skate its easily done! Well done on the skating though! xx

[quarkiki2]

Do you warm up before getting on the ice? I try to do about 5 minutes or so of cardio to get my blood moving and muscles warm, then stretch. And stretch after skating, too.

Make sure you're getting enough potassium and calcium in your diet. When I was in college, I was taking a ballet class for phys ed credit and would get crampy feet until I started making low-fat banana milkshakes for breakfast. Milk, ice, and a banana and no more cramps!

[PattyP]

I would also recommend drinking a sports drink such as Gatorade within 30 minutes of getting off the ice. I had this problem when I started running more than 60 minutes at a time and it helped a lot.

[newskaker5]

Potassium and calcium, if too low, can cause muscle cramping. Dehydration can also make this more. Make sure you have a good source of potassium daily (fruits, vegetables, etc) and at least 1-2 dairy servings per day to ensure adequate calcium. A multivitamin helps too. Drink at least 64 oz water a day and an extra 4-8oz for each 30 minutes of skating/ aerobic exercise you do to replace fluid losses. Hope this helps

[samba]

Dont strap your boots up too tightly, simple as it sounds, it does make a difference, but at the same time not too loose either.

[AndreaUK]

Hi

Looking at these replies it seems that I can work out where Im possibly going wrong. I really do not drink anywhere near enough, I dont even think im reaching a litre of fluids per day which I know is too low. Also Im not having hardly any dairy products so I would imagine calsium and potassium are low also. I will look at my diet and see if I can make changes and hope that some of this cramping stops.

Thankyou friends

Andrea xx

[Casey]

I've been affected by this in the past as well. Stretch before you skate, stretch harder after you skate, and eat a bunch of bananas. Works for me (and I don't even do the stretching parts as much as I should though I do love me some bananas)... ;)

Good luck in finding a solution that works for you.

[rf3ray]

Bannas Cost $12.99 AUS due to the Cyclone we had in the eastern states

I've been affected by this in the past as well. Stretch before you skate, stretch harder after you skate, and eat a bunch of bananas. Works for me (and I don't even do the stretching parts as much as I should though I do love me some bananas)... ;)

Good luck in finding a solution that works for you.

[techskater]

If you are under 1 liter of water a day, that is WAY too low, especially if you are exercising a great deal more than before. Cramps (according to the Pilates instructor!) come from being dehydrated when working the muscles.

[doubletoe]

Yes, drink lots of water and eat bananas (or oranges/orange juice) for the potassium. But here's another thing. . . Are you stretching your calves, quads, hamstrings, hips and glutes every day after you skate?? If not, that's probably why you have this lactic acid buildup. You need to stretch those muscles, especially the calves!

[BlueIcePlaza]

Eat a high fibre/ high carb breakfast / lunch, such as Bran, wholemeal bread, wholmeal pasta/ rice, at least an hour and a half before warming up to go on the ice. About half an hour before - have a banana, or even two. Keep drinking plenty of fluids, starting the evening before (but preferably at all times, on or off ice, anyway), particularly plenty of water. Take regular short breaks during your session, and if you feel like a bite - try a handful of nuts and raisins, which are high in energy, but won't make you feel full up.
Continue drinking water reguarly during breaks, not to the extent of 'feeling full' though.
After you session, continue drinking either water, or a glucose drink, and ideally, eat a little high glucose product such as chocolate around 20 to 30 mins after your session. Remember also, to 'wind down' the muscles after your session, by gently stretching.