Welcome to Ask Whole9 Canada, where Summer Innanen and Sarah Ramsden answer all of your health and nutrition questions. In this week’s episode, Susan from Toronto asks, “I get leg cramps every night when I am sleeping. What can I do about it?”
Nighttime leg cramps are typically characterized by a seizing pain around your calves when you are sleeping. They can be dreadfully painful and in some cases, can disrupt your sleep. Fortunately, they are pretty easy to resolve and usually the result of one of the following imbalances:
- Lack of magnesium which can be the result of insufficient intake or increased excretion
- An imbalance of sodium and/or potassium – this is very common in athletes and in the hotter months when we sweat more frequently
In this episode of S&STV, we discuss what you can do to address each of these imbalances and relieve yourself of those nagging nighttime leg cramps.
If you feel you need an electrolyte supplement, check out the Whole30 approved brand Elete Electrolytes.
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Thanks for the video on this topic. Would be really great if you could provide a transcript of the video especially for the part where you are recommending specific types of Magnesium. I’ve listened a few times and want to be sure I’m looking for the right thing.
Magnesium Threonate is a very easily assimilated Magnesium source. Standard Magnesium is generally excreted at a high rate leaving little left in your body to be effective.
Try >>>>>> http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/item01603/Neuro-Mag-Magnesium-L-Threonate?q=magnesium
You need 600-800mg/day to see benefit. Nut butters (almond, walnut) and pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium as well.
I agree with Chris. I’ve listened to the relevant part 4 times and I still can’t clearly hear the types of Magnesium. Please at least just add that info after the video! Thanks!
The first they mention they do NOT reccomend. It is the cheapest and poorly absorbed, and that is Magnesium Oxide. It’s best use is as a laxative.
Second is Magnesium Citrate, which is middle of the road. Some people tolerated it better than others. For me personally, it gave me anxiety, kept me up at night, and gave me diarrhea at very low doses, but many people swear by it.
Third is Magnesium Glycinate, Bisglycinate, or Malate, which are the best absorbed because they are chelated. I take 600mg Mag glycinate a day and it’s helped with cramps, heart palpitations, and anxiety, and no diarrhea!
My comment is thanks so much for all of your advice. It was great info but I still after 25 plus years am unable to stop my nightly cramps. The are in my ankles, toes, shins and groin. I am Paleo see a Chiro have take every supplement know to my Chiro including liquid spray on Magnesium. I get them multiple times a night and am at my wits end. Hope your excellent video helps others in the meantime I will continue to eat my veggies, include my sodium and hope that one day something will kick in to stop these painful cramps.
Ever try taking a hot bath with Epsom Salts and Baking soda. Epsom salts have alot of minerals (including Magnesium) which are absorbed directly thru the skin pores when soaking in a hot bath. Do this before bedtime for 2 weeks and see if you see any improvement. Additional supplementation would help as well. Did you also have your Vitamin D3 levels checked? D3 and K2 are essential to proper functioning of every cell (mitochondria) in the body.
I have tried everything. Only thing that cuts them down is strict adherence to NO dairy! Bananas (latex?) and too much magnesium is very problematic ! Mine are off the charts and started with Lipitor and statin drugs. On Paleo AP now and doing much better. Have only slight issues occasionally with too abrupt or too much exercise. If 0 were awful and 100 was cured I am at about 91-93. (Wish I never had any! I am convinced mine has something to do with my leaky gut but dont know how.
I think my cramps were caused by lack of calcium, so I take a calcium/magnesium supplement before bed and it takes care of it, I missed one night, just to test, and woke up in am with cramps in shins, ankles and feet. The supplement is 1000 mgs. Magnesuim by itself, first Magnesium Oxide, and then Citrate, did not stop cramps at all. Hope this information helps..
I think my cramps were caused by lack of calcium, so I take a calcium/magnesium supplement before bed and it takes care of it, I missed one night, just to test, and woke up in am with cramps in shins, ankles and feet. The supplement is 1000 mgs. Calcium and 500 mg of Magnesium. Magnesium by itself, first Magnesium Oxide, and then Citrate, did not stop cramps at all. Hope this information helps..
My husband and I both have cramps at night. in your opinion, What foods do we need to help with problem. Need your help.
I’ve gotten leg cramps my whole life, only mine are more of a slow-onset, deep ache and tend to be in my quads (the feeling is more like a menstrual cramp in my case, only located in a different muscle group). The way it was described in the video sounded more like a charlie horse (sudden seizing pain the calf) which I’ve also had a time or two. I take 600mg mag glycinate a day, and liberally salt my food with himalayan pink salt, but i still get them on occasion.
I had pretty severe muscle-twitching and muscle-cramping for two-years that is are longer an issue so long as I’m adhering to a low FODMAP diet. Oligosaccharides cause the worst symptoms for me. Prior to the low FODMAP diet I had tried oral magnesium, topical magnesium, increasing salt intake, decreasing salt intake, epsom salt baths, acupuncture and everything else recommended to me by naturopaths, general practitioners & neurologists. I wasn’t showing signs of IBS, and only stumbled on the low FODMAP diet after I did an elimination diet and found that ALL of my food triggers were on the FODMAP list.