leg cramps & bread

[andyswarbs]

Saturday mid-morning I did one of my hot bikram yoga sessions. They are scheduled as 90 minutes long, but mostly you are allowed into the studio 30 minutes before class - and that's good for me. My pre-session routine mimics the normal class and so by the time the main class gets going my body is already warmed up so the sweat is dripping from me.

And so I get home and have lunch & breakfast in one. My wife had bought a loaf and since I was hungry devoured much of this with salad and hummus. Later I felt tired and decided to lie down for 30 minutes.

Hardly had my body hit the horizontal and I was met with truly awful cramps in both legs. Since lying there was definitely not an option I somehow managed to get myself vertical, and then walking around the pain subsided bit by bit.

Obviously I had not had enough after-class liquids and my body was dehydrated. Two pints of water later I could still feel the after-effect, including remnants of cramps in both feet. Sitting down was not on the cards, so I did some cooking in the kitchen.

My hypothesis is that the bread soaks up water in the body. My point / question is whether eating a large amount of bread contributed to the dehydration... I mean this session is not much out of my normal session plan of action. And over lunch I had had a couple of large green teas. I future of course I'll get more liquids inside me, especially if I have breads etc.

[Cooper27 Administrator]

I wonder whether the bread is instead just not giving the right nutrients?

After sweating heavily, I get some symptoms of low electrolytes, so I've started to eat a banana when I get home. It seems to help, but it's new, so I can't feedback with confidence yet.

I think magnesium is also important for avoiding cramps, and I don't know how good a source bread is.

You also have a heightened need for protein in the 6 hours following exercise - so you should make sure to eat a good protein containing meal in that window.

[grace111]

i usually drink water while im exercising. i have a good drink before and sip water throughtout. its so important to drink water, and especailly afterwards but you know what i mean.

[grace111]

i meant to say that when i was truly dehydrated i could not quench my thirst with water alone. i had one of those vibration plate exercise machines and after used that i was so thirsty and could only get rid of the thirst with glucose which i bought from the chemist.

[Zest]

Hi Andy,

I haven't got much to add to what has already been said, except to include this article from Healthline about Leg Cramps which might be helpful:

healthline.com/health/pain-...

Zest

[Jints1]

You may have lost salts and potassium if you sweated profusely during your exersise. An electrolite replacement drink could help. Let us know how it goes

[andyswarbs in reply to Jints1]

Sometimes when I come out of a session I grab a chilled coconut drink, sometimes I have fresh miso with seaweed.