Leg cramps

[nickjb]

On my last couple of dives i have had a leg cramp in my calf muscle. I have been diving in a new drysuit, not sure if there is a link. I occasionally get a cramp in my calf muscle while sleeping.

They don't last long (a minute or two) but I would like to prevent this while diving. Any ideas?

 

[srkdvr]

Bananas, Bananas, Bananas

 

[kelpmermaid]

How do your fins fit over the boots of your new drysuit? How far into the foot pocket do your boots go?

 

[nickjb]

The boots are a little big for my feet but they are very flexible and I haven't worn them with very much insulation. The overall fit in my fins is pretty good although the boots sometimes feel a bit loose when finning (especially when my fett are high and the air moves that way). When I get thicker inner-boots I will need bigger fins and the fit should be better.

I shall eat more bananas. They are a great diving snack.

 

[BillP]

Howdy nickjb:

Surprisingly (to me at least) exercise induced muscle cramps are not that well studied. There are a lot of assumptions that people make about cramps, and there's a lot of voodoo out there too.

One of the most common explanations for exercise induced muscle cramps that you'll see promoted is that they're due to electrolyte (particularly potassium and calcium) imbalances. That would make sense on the surface because people with electrolyte imbalances will sometimes have muscle cramps, and if you correct the imbalance the cramps go away. So people often suggest eating bananas (presumably for the potassium they contain) or recommend taking a calcium supplement to prevent cramps.

Problem is, that only works if you have the electrolyte imbalance. If you have normal electrolytes, you'll just pee-off the excess electrolytes that you take in. One study compared normal marathon runners who had cramps during a race with runners that didn't have cramps. They found no difference in their electrolytes. Kinda puts a dent in the electrolyte theory.

No one really knows the cause of exercise induced muscle cramps, but I personally subscribe to the idea that the cramps are due to muscle fatigue. The fatigued muscle seems more sensitive to the effects of reflex activity and tends to spasm. Passively stretching the cramped muscle stimulates stretch receptors in the muscle that creates an inhibiting feedback reflex in the nerves from the spine to the muscle, relaxing the spasm. Stretching a cramped muscle usually works, right?

OK, what does all this mean for divers? First, the fitter they are, the less likely they'll have cramps. (Swimming laps in the dive gear should help.) Fins should be selected that fit well to reduce unnecessary muscle work. (Fins that fit and worked great with one set of boots, might not fit properly with a new set of boots- say with new drysuit boots for example. I think kelpmermaid is on to something.) And fins should also be appropriate for the diver's level of fitness. (Long stiff fins that propel one diver through the water at warp speed might just exhaust and cramp another diver making them totally ineffective.)

And eating bananas won't hurt (but might not help).

HTH,

Bill

 

[WreckWriter]

nickjb once bubbled...
I shall eat more bananas. They are a great diving snack.

Don't forget though, that bananas on a boat are considered by many to be bad luck. You may laugh but I've seen signs on boats saying "No Bananas" and I've seen captains check passengers coolers looking for them.

It never hurts to take the beliefs of others into account.

Tom

 

[MNScuba]

Pull your fin straps up a little higher than normal and drink a bottle of water before going diving. I used to have this exact same problem and I haven't experienced cramping since I have been doing this.

 

[Red Rover]

Muscle cramps are caused by the lack of potasium present in your muscle tissue. Eat bananas or take a potasium suppliment.

I was a swimmer in college and once I started a high potasium diet, I never experienced another cramp! And I was a distance swimmer!

Bananas, Bananas, Bananas and more bananas.

Red Rover

 

[BillP]

Red Rover once bubbled...
Muscle cramps are caused by the lack of potasium present in your muscle tissue.

Howdy Red Rover:

I'm glad that you found relief for your cramps. But do you have any evidence other than anecdotal reports to support your claim?

How many mEq of potassium are in the average sized banana? How many bananas over what period of time do you need to eat to change your muscles' potassium level (assuming you don't have a medical condition causing a potassium deficiency)? Could there be other causes for muscle cramps in divers, or is lack of potassium present in the muscle tissue the only possible explanation?

Fascinating subject, isn't it?

Bill

 

[raviepoo]

4 - Potassium supplementation.

3 - Stretching before diving.

2 - For cramps in mid-dive grab the tip of your fin, pull it towards you while flexing your ankle.

1 - Force Fins. They are designed to prevent calf cramping. I used to get lots of calf cramps. Changing over to Force Fins kicked the cramps collective butts.