Hey guys, I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for wicked cramps. I get these crazy cramps in my shins and my calfs everytime I run... most the time I can't last for more than five minutes without really bad pain. In fact at any time if I just flex my calf hard enough I could give myself a charlie horse...it sucks..any suggestions other than eating some bannana's?


thanks dudes

It really feels like a muscle cramp, and I've tried stretching out forever and stuff like that too.... forgive me for sounding like an idiot but, what is a shin splint? is that a bone thing or a muscle thing?

I have pain in my shin and my calf, (the front and the back). The shin pain only happens when I run. The calf will tighten up if I simply just flex too hard.

I had the EXACT same thing when I picked up running after a long time off. Besides the muscles being weak from nonuse, It might be carrying excess weight if your are a bit too heavy i.e. overweight, fat whatever word you want to use.
Actually I found that it got WORSE when I stopped jogging and walked right away.
Really this is just a muscle doing something it has not done for a long time and possibly carrying a heavier weight load whilst doing it than ever before.

I worked my way through it by keeping at the running. Run as far as possible walk until ready to run. EVENTUALLY I found that when I ran for about 1.5 miles it hurt until the calf AND ankle muscles loosened up around two miles then NO PROBLEM! I could keep going after it loosened up relatively pain free. This process took a few months. Also when not running do some stairmaster instead to help keep the fat off and train cardio. I found that after a week of cardio on stairmaster (don't lean on the handles stand upand climb) running seemed easier and less painful. Also losing some weight helped cause I wasn't pounding my ankles with such a heavy load. Paradox: You have to run to lose weight and you have to lose weight to run.

Supplements that might help: I tried Epovar by Fizogen which contains a VERY expensive version of Magnesium orotate which you can get a lot cheaper from soloray. Fizogen combines it with arginine malate I assume to help the mineral penetrate the muscle. Either way supps like this only help a little.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I still get pain but it always dissapears around the 2 mile marker which is how long it takes for the muscle to relax.

I hope you find this helpful!

Thanks guys

Forgot to mention one thing I did that helped a lot was SEATED CALF RAISES. That works the lower calf and soleus which is what you need to be strong to run.

I went running today. It was pretty pain free. My only problem is a 15 year old ankle injury that will always hurt a little i think. I had torn most every tendon out on an outdoor basketball court and almost passed out from the intense pain. I was on crutches for three months and therapy forever. Still all in all Now i can run for miles with little or no pain so who am I to complain. There are people a lot worse off than just a slight right ankle pain running.

This happens to me, but only when Ive got my bitch jog goin on .

It simply doesnt happen to me if I actually run.

And Ill guarantee my calves are not underused or weak.