Leg Cramps After Diving

[Beachman]

I've only had this problem the past couple years, but it seems to be getting worse. When I ascend after a dive, go up the ladder, and then kneel on the platform for the DM to remove my fins, I frequently have been developing a very severe cramp in the back of my right thigh (hamstring area).
If I don't kneel down and just exit onto the platform standing up, it doesn't happen. When I kneel and it happens, I can step back down onto the ladder for a minute and straighten the leg and it subsides enough that I can return to a kneeling position briefly for fin removal with only slight discomfort.

I've heard someplace that potassium is good for cramps, so started trying to eat a banana before diving....no help. I also try to avoid dehydration by chugging liquids an hour or two before getting wet. I believe I'm in preety good shape because I run or workout six days a week, I'm 5' 11" and weigh 160 lbs., and never have a problem with cramps while in the water. I'm 60 years old, dive regularly and will log around 75 dives this year.

Anyone have any similar experience? All advice will be sincerely appreciated.....I'll try anything. It REALLY hurts when it occurs. Sure hope you won't tell me it's just old age creeping up on me!

DSAO

 

[HERB KING]

I had a similar problem, but in my thighs, sometimes the cramps would be severe and only when I bent my legs. I experimented with gator aid and found that if I start drinking it on Friday ( I dive every sat and sun) and continue to use it during the weekend that the cramps do not occure. I believe that this is due to the potassium and sodium in the drink. I went without doing this to see if it was truely working or just coincedence and the cramps returned so I went back to the routine. I divemaster on the weekends so I get alot of diving in and for me it does work
Hope this helps. DSAO

 

[Iguana Don]

Diving does cause an expenditure of postassium, I use "Poweer Aid" as it has the highest content of K of all the sport drinks, also I went to the health food store & got some K pills. This stopped all of my leg cramps. Like Herb King said, start on Friday or ealier and you shouldn't have any problems.

"The most common reason for cramps are low potassium, (which the body uses for muscle control), dehydration (which alters the availability of potassium and other minerals) and lack of fitness in the affected muscle group for the exercise it's doing. All of these can contribute simultaneously." PADI- Rescue Diver Manual

[Edited by don on 10-07-2000 at 10:10 PM]

 

[Walter]

You kneel on the platform? Why?

The best method of removing your fins is to STIFF arm the BOTTOM rung of the ladder, remove your fins, place the strap over your wrist (open heel fins) then climb the ladder. If you have full foot fins, do exactly the same except you hand your fins up to the DM. Kneeling on the platform seem way too difficult even if you never get cramps.

If the Captain or DM ask me to take my fins off on the current line behind the boat instead of on the ladder, I'll do it, but the technique is not quite as good IMHO. Any other instructions on removing fins, I ignore.

Walter

 

[BillP]

Hi Beachman:

Quinine has been used for years to relieve leg cramps. It also has the benefit of being an anti-malarial when diving in those tropical locations (but malaria has been reported as far north as Minnesota in the US, so you can't be too careful.) I have trouble swallowing pills myself, so I take my quinine dissolved in water. Quinine is quite bitter, so it helps to add sugar and a little carbonation to the water as a "tonic" to help make it palatable. It still doesn't taste that good, so I add some gin to really help it to go down. When I'm on a dive trip, I make it a point to drink lots of gin and tonic to relieve leg cramps and also avoid malaria.

OK, I'm just kidding. It's just another lame excuse to drink. Do not drink lots of gin and tonic when you dive. Quinine is used for nocturnal leg cramps, but it doesn't work very well, and it's not really an effective anti-malarial. (It doesn't prevent infection, but can suppress recurrent attacks.)

Bananas are a great pre-dive snack, and they're a relatively good dietary source for potassium, but there's really not that much potassium in a single banana. If you have a low potassium level you might get cramps, but if you're potassium is normal a banana before you dive is unlikely to prevent cramps (as you found out.) They do put potassium in sports drinks, but you'd have to drink about 3-4 liters of Gatorade to get the potassium in one banana. Most sports drinks are a fine pre- or post- dive drink, and you and others have already stressed the importance of hydration in preventing cramps, but they're not a great source of potassium.

Gentle pre- and post- dive stretching would be more likely to help your problem than a banana (and is even more likely to help than quinine, darn it. Quinine is more fun.) But don't do vigourous calisthenics or Dr. Deco will get on your case about forming microbubbles. You might try grabbing your fin tips and stretching your hamstrings before climbing the ladder. There's something to be said for boarding the boat with all of your gear in place, but you might consider removing your fins in the water and slipping the straps over your wrists before exiting the water as Walter suggested. The climb up the ladder will be easier too if you pass up your tank and BC beforehand (but remember the weight belt first.) A general fitness program is of course a good idea for keeping in shape and relieving leg cramps caused by the exertion of diving, but you probably do that already anyway.

HTH,

Bill

[Edited by BillP on 10-08-2000 at 07:02 AM]

 

[Beachman]

In our area, most of the good wrecks are 20-30 miles off shore. In order to run a dive boat profitably (at least not in the hole), it takes 18 - 24 divers to make a trip. These are not normally cattle boats...most are serious divers, many hunters, bug freaks, artifact collectors, deco divers, military divers on a holiday, etc. The boats are 40' - 50' operations, and some have compressors on board for air and mixes.

When the DM asks folks to kneel and have their fins removed, it's for a reason....to maximize the efficiency of exits for all. (I substitute as a DM when some of the local shops have difficulty finding personnel.) So as a diver, I understand why and try to comply. I've been there when several divers all want to get out around the same time, and it helps when you're in control of the platform.

I agree that I'd rather just "do my own thing", but I also know that it's better to cooperate, if possible.

 

[John Reinertson]

Another significant factor in muscle cramping as we age is the negative calcium balance the body undergoes.
Most US citizens at least get less calcium than recommended and the body's requirement for calcium goes up with age.
Women after menopause should be getting 1500 or more mg. of calcium daily (some say higher) and men need 1200 or more (probably higher).
If you're not a frequent milk drinker (five or 6 glasses a day) you may not be getting enough calcium and that's a major factor in recurrent muscle cramping.
Tums or Rolaids have 200 to 250 mg each and are an economical source. If your cramping disappears with 4 to 6 tums or rolaids a day, calcium is a likely factor.
With osteoporosis affecting both men and women it's worth looking in to and discussing with your Doc.

 

[Walter]

In what way does stopping divers, having them kneel, then have to stand again maximize the efficiency of exits for all? That merely makes it more difficult for the divers and dive master while slowing the process down. If there is a reason, you've negelected to mention it.

You do need to control things as far as keeping the ladder clear until the previous diver is away from the platform. Having divers kneel is ridiculous.

Walter

 

[Beachman]

If I failed to mention anything, it could be that 3'-4' seas are not unusual around here, which can certainly make for difficult balance at times. Also, typically two ladders are working off the back.

There are four boats operating regularly. All captains have basically the same rules....which include a request to kneel for fin removal. I guess it just makes sure one diver at a time is upright on the platform to ascend the stairs to the deck with two hands (the DM gives fins to the mate for deposit in a safe place on the deck, to be picked up later when the divers have removed their equipment).

Can't say it's the best way, or only way, but it is customary in this area.

Peace....and DSAO.

 

[Walter]

I agree 3' - 4' seas can make it difficult to balance, so can moving back and forth from feet to knees with SCUBA gear on your back. Why double up on things that make balance difficult? When you have rough seas, it's not the time to be playing around on the platform. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. If I were you, I'd use better, safer methods that didn't contribute to cramps in my thigh.

Walter