Question:

I`m 57 and female. I have frequent [almost every day & night]muscle cramps [charlie horses] in my legs and feet. I`m 15-20# overweight but exercise/walk regularly. I`ve tried bananas for potassium. Is there something I should/could be doing.

Answer:

There are a number of causes for muscle cramping: Over or under use of muscles, not enough warm-up before an activity, or lack of fluids, salt or other minerals in the diet. Minerals like potassium (bananas, dried apricots, dried peaches) and magnesium that come from fruit and vegetables are vital for healthy muscles, but these minerals are lost fairly quickly during exercise. Make sure you are getting enough calcium in your diet as well. This is easily accomplished with dairy products. Hydration can help ease muscle cramps, that is, keeping well hydrated vs. becoming dehydrated. Therefore, you may want to try drinking more water. When you are preparing to exercise, make sure you are warming up for 5-10 minutes and then stretching the muscles (3-5 repetitions and holding each stretch for 10-30 seconds, do not bounce). Repeat the stretches after your exercise routine also. If you experience a Charley horse in the middle of the night, try this: Straighten your leg and point your foot and toes upward. This should relieve your leg cramp. However, since this is happening very frequently, a visit to your personal physician may be warranted.

For more information:

Go to the Exercise and Fitness health topic.