Leg Cramps Spreading Over the Body

by Jeff
(Poplar, WI)

I am a 25 year old male. I ran sprints in high school track and for the last five years i have run longer distances; marathons and half marathons.

My major difficulty is cramping. it starts in my calfs, moves up to my thighs and will continue on up my body, even causing my tongue to cramp. I have tried drinking more water and sports drinks, eating bananas and taking "Hammer" supplement pills and gel to no avail.



I saw a sports doctor and he did blood tests but all my values are within the normal ranges but the cramping continues. He is at a loss as to what I can do to stop the cramping. I am wondering if you or one of your readers has any suggestions...


Answer by Dominique:


Hi there,
Thanks for your question.

Honestly, I have no clue.

One thing you have not mentioned is the situations under which you experience this cramping. If you haven't already done so, start keeping a log of when the cramping occurs. I.e. is it mostly in the races you do, or are there other circumstances as well which make you cramp up?

Generally, muscle cramps occur when you push yourself to your limits or when you are not well hydrated or don't have enough nutrients in your body, predominantly sodium and potassium.

Also see my running and calf cramps page. It seems like you have taken care of eating and drinking the right kind of foods for this, but I am not sure what the rest of your diet is like and if there is still an imbalance.

If you are into it, I would recommend going to a homeopath or somebody who practices alternative medicine. They are not replacements for going to a doctor, but they usually take a more holistic view to your body and your health and may find imbalances that a regular doctor would not.



Other than that, I would hope that somebody who reads this has got some advice as well!

Kind regards,
Dominique