Golf and leg cramps!

[rembrandt]

It seems I can't play a round without getting excruciating leg cramps the next morning. I drink lots of soda, tea and if I don't drink a couple jugs of Gatorade I'm in trouble the next morning. Gatorade and Powerade help but they aren't my "cup of tea" so to speak! Whats the best thing for the cramps?

[golfchief]

If this happens all the time see a doctor.

[allin]

I have this problem also, except mine hit in the middle of the night. MY Dr. could not explain. I eat bannanas every day, drink lots of fluid. I called up my old trainer from when I was a competive runner. She said people with diabetes or poor circulation are especially vulnerable to this problem. She explained that tea and soda act as mild diuretics and are not effective at hydration. She reccomends diet instant lemonade, or water. She thinks gatorade is a waste of money, and has additives which she feels strain your kidneys. She also told me that your body retains fluid from foods much more effeciently than liquids. Salads,fruits and veggies are best. Probably you already know this but applying heat and stretching after playing, in the shower, or when you have cramps helps. Stretching without heat is not a good idea unless you are in the middle of vigorous exercise and your muscles are well loosened up already.

[tartanjack]

Allin... thanks. That was a good explanation of a problem I too have developed with age. Cramping both on the course and at night. I think it's truly a circulation problem. But, eating bananas does seem to help me some. It's hell geting old.

[rembrandt]

I had forgotten about the bananas and haven't been eating them of late. Need the potassium for sure! Thanks for that. I'll get back to eating them, and yes getting old is the pits! I wonder if Viagra would help?

[cdriver]

I was suffering from leg cramps almost every night and walking the course caused my calves to cramp up terribly. I decided to check it out and my Doc discovered I have Peripleral Arterial Disease. This is a precursor for Coronary Artery Disease, so they also checked me for that. The result of those tests got me a stent in my heart and then an atherectomy to clean out my left femoral artery. I got lucky in that they found and corrected the problems before I had a heart attack or lost a lot of muscle tissue in my left leg.

The older we get, the more important it is to have your doctor look at any aches and pains you are getting. I have found out that if something hurts, it may be an indicator of a serious problem. Those can be corrected if we get to them soon enough. Hydration might not be the underlying problem.