Cramps

Cramps are a common problem, but there is no agreed treatment or cure that appears to work in all cases - just the sort of situation that gives rise to folk remedies, superstition and charlatans. There are, however, pointers to a low carbohydrate diet (<50g/day) easing night cramps. As this coincides with a palaeo diet, we have begun this page.

Types of cramps - Cramps seem to have five main manifestations:

• overuse cramps - that generally develop over a 2-60 seconds in athletic events such as distance running or rowing

• sudden cramps - that appear immediately after a single sudden exertion such as a jump

• twisting cramps - that appear over 1-3 seconds when the body is put in an awkward unaccustomed position such as reaching to pick up an object over a shoulder. A subset of these is when the body is required to hold an unaccustomed position for an extended period of time - some minutes

• holding cramps - that occur when bearing a weight in an unaccustomed position or in a position from which no variation is possible - such as carrying a heavy load using a firm grip (not a convenient handle).

• night cramps - that emerge over 1-15 minutes during sleep and may take up to 30 minutes to ease. These are generally location specific, occurring most often in, for example, the left calf, but never in different muscle groups such as the arms.

About this page - This page presents anecdotes of people for whom cramps - particularly night cramps - have been a problem in the hope that their experiences will help others searching for some easing of their condition. We are straddling both conventional and unconventional views on cramps, unlike all other sites which focus on either conventional Western medicine or a narrow range of unconventional treatments. This page is beginning as a collection of anecdotal evidence with a view to developing some order over time as more evidence comes in and patterns emerge. To help readers skim through we highlight what appear to be key terms; this will also help search engines. We also identify contributors to help associate related events.

Anecdotes

Phil: I used to get cramps in my feet beginning probably in my 20's, and after foolishly using a GI doc's prescription (daily-dose Glycolax) on a regular basis to treat my IBS-C, they became excruciating and one of my toes would actually suddenly bend backwards, distortedly against the joint. I stopped taking the Rx and the cramps stopped worsening, but continued. I found that large, regular doses of potassium supplements resolved the cramps .... (30 August 2009)

Phil: I tried a raw carnivorous palaeo diet and within weeks my cramps diminished to the point where I no longer needed supplements. This surprised me, because eating lots of supposedly high-potassium bananas had never been able to stop the cramps .... (30 August 2009)

Phil: When I returned from the raw carnivorous palaeo diet to eating some fruits, nuts, red wine, or sweet mead the cramps would return, though milder than before (regular mead did not have this effect). A fellow Paleo dieter told me that when the body metabolizes carbs for energy it uses potassium in the process. So if your cramps were potassium-deficiency-related, that could be the source. Another possible source is magnesium-deficiency, which has also been linked to consumption of carbs .... (30 August 2009).

Phil: one of my mother's former doctors used to get night cramps and she recommended he try magnesium. He was amazed that it completely resolved the cramps. (31 August 2009)

Keith: I followed Rob Faigin's Natural Hormonal Enhancement (NHE) eating pattern for a couple of years, but dropped it in December 2003 because I had tried a bit too hard and ate more than Rob's recommended 100g carbs on my carb-load meals (up to 200g in my case) and this may have been too much of a shock to my system. It may have been the excessive twice-weekly carb-loading which precipitated night cramps which began at this time (30 August 2009)

Keith: night cramps seem to begin in middle-age; this may be because accumulated damage passes a tipping point, it may be lifestyle changes or age-related hormonal changes (30 August 2009)

Keith: I have inherited from my mother poor peripheral circulation (possibly very mild Raynaud's disease) and I think this gives me a propensity to night cramps, particularly as I shift sleeping position relatively infrequently during a night's sleep. If I take 3-4 fish oil capsules during the day, I experience fewer or less intense cramps the following night (30 August 2009)

Keith: An experienced physiotherapist told me that some people "swore by" sleeping with cork next to the muscles affected by night cramps. I bought 20 cork-only drink coasters, wrapped them together in a 700mm long cloth and slept with them next to me for 6 weeks over April-May 2009. They appeared to reduce the frequency for about 4 weeks, but then this beneficial effect - if it was an effect - disappeared (31 August 2009)

Keith: A frequently-cited folk remedy is tonic water - for its quinine content. My own experience is that tonic water is ineffective as a preventative, but is an effective way to speed up recovery. This may be more to do with the water itself than the quinine additive (31 August 2009)

Keith: The most certain thing I can do to precipitate night cramps is to eat lots of fresh apricots or plums (my favourite fruits when home grown) in the heat of summer, particularly in the afternoon or later (31 August 2009)

Keith: Another thing I can do to precipitate cramping is to go to bed slightly dehydrated. I find that I need to drink more water during the day than is indicated by my sense of thirst, particularly if I have been doing physical work. Likewise, I find that I can reduce the occurrence of night cramps by drinking about 500 ml at bedtime more than would be dictated by thirst alone (3 September 2009). Experience leads me to believe that restoring my hydration only in the evening does not eliminate the cramp-inducing propensity that has been accumulating during the dehdrated day (2 November 2009)

Keith: And another: heavy leg work in the gym (deadlifts, leg presses with >2x body weight) the previous day will tend to lead to night cramps the following night (6 October 2009)

Keith: In contrast to heavy leg work, just sitting (say, at a computer) for a couple of hours on a seat that puts pressure on the quads rather than on the buttocks. This seems to limit the circulation just enough to make leg cramps more likely on some occasions. Walk around every half hour, keep more hydrated than you would if driven solely by thirst (16 October 2009)

Keith: Although a very low-carb diet, especially from about midday, reduces the incidence of cramps, I found that eating sheep's liver (400g) in the evening leads to night cramps as surely as would eating 2-3 apples at the same time of day. Liver contains more sugars than other meats. Whether this is simply the carbs (as sugars) or if there is something more complex and less immediate going on, I can't say (26 September 2009)

Keith: After cramps every 2-3 nights January - May 2009, they virtually disappeared when I did three things simultaneously: (1) began exercising according to Body by Science protocols (2) drinking unpastuerized cows' milk with 100% pure (no sugar) cocoa and carob powders and (3 - as a result of 2), put on about 5 kg body fat (31 August 2009)

Geoff: I had awful muscle-cramps until I gave up all dairy (raw or pasteurised) from my diet (probably due to magnesium-deficiency caused by the unhealthy calcium/magnesium ratio caused by dairy products). Took me a couple of months or so to get rid of them (3 September 2009)

Keith: There is the odd phenomenon that, when I wake up in the night with no feeling of cramp, I sometimes feel an urge to tense all my muscles, particularly those in my legs, tensing to the point where they shake. I'm usually too sleepy to warn myself not to do it and too sleepy not to act on the warning. This tensing - a form of pandiculation - often precipitates a cramp. The sensible thing would be to get up in a smooth, relaxed way and walk around for a few minutes, but I have yet to be sufficiently alert, critical and disciplined to do this. (3 November 2009)

Keith: I have found that halving the size of my evening meal is effective in eliminating night cramps. (10 April 2010)

Ian: (Keith's son) has had cramps when squeezing awkwardly into a slim sleeping bag with boots after an exhausting day on military manoeuvres (2009)

Evfit home    Please contribute your experience with cramps

Page established August 2009. Updated 10 April 2010