Bothered by leg cramps? Here’s your home checklist to help you discover the cause.
But first, a brief lesson in anatomy and biochemistry. At a molecular level, your muscles look rather like a series of rods bundled together with overlapping ends. To contract (pull together) a muscle, biochemical reactions cause the rods to grip each other and slide together. To relax or lengthen a muscle, the reverse happens.
Making this reaction happen requires the presence of two important minerals: calcium and magnesium, in the right proportions. Its calcium that helps a muscle contract and magnesium that helps it relax. It’s unlikely that you’ll suffer from a lack of calcium in your muscles, as your body rigorously maintains your blood calcium level, and will cheerfully rob your bones of calcium to maintain a steady blood level. But your muscles can run short of magnesium and find it difficult to loosen up.
That’s why magnesium is known as ‘the relaxation mineral’.
But before you reach for the magnesium supplement, consider your circulation first.
People with reduced circulation are more susceptible to cramping, because their blood capillaries just can’t supply enough nutrients and oxygen. The more you move, the better your circulation; that’s why some people experience leg cramps only at night when their body is still. Diabetics are particularly susceptible to reduced circulation; the basement membrane of blood vessels tends to thicken in diabetics, reducing the diameter of capillaries and making them even more susceptible to the problems caused by poor circulation.
Some medications can deplete your body of magnesium too; so it’s a good idea to check with your health professional if you suspect your medication may be contributing to your cramping.
If you’re taking a calcium supplement, it’s important to take magnesium with it in the right proportions, as calcium and magnesium compete for absorption in your digestive tract. But the best way to get your magnesium and calcium is through diet, where mother nature will supply important minerals like these in a form that your body can easily absorb. (By the way, people with kidney disorders like kidney stones should not take mineral supplements without professional direction, as your body may turn that supplement into a painful kidney stone.)
The best food sources of magnesium are seafood, whole grains, nuts, molasses and green leafy vegetables. Remember the handy rule of thumb when shopping: the darker the green vegetable, the more packed it is with vitamins and minerals. So dark green silverbeet is ideal.
There’s your checklist for solving your cramping problem:
- Check that you’re exercising (and exercising enough!)
- Check that you’re including magnesium-rich foods in your diet
- If you take a calcium supplement, make sure it includes magnesium too
- Check with your health professional if you’re taking prescribed medication.
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