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Prone people: any suggestions on reducing leg cramping during your surf sessions?
i had to cut short 2 go outs in a row due to calf/thigh cramping (had been out around 2 hours each time)…not fun at all, especially as the waves were good!
Interested in specific stretching techniques,hydration,foods…whatever works.
Mahalo!

Hello Robert,

No magic answers but I get cramps frequently.

For me, a basic issue is not having surfed for a couple of weeks then staying out hours. Conditioning helps with this one and so would coming in, having a break and going out again. Also warm up the legs before hand.

Hydration - never hurts

Zinc, B6, magnesium - sometimes I'll take one if I know I'll be doing a lot of kicking. Not a magic solution. The old banana thing . If you like bananas it can't hurt.

I also have naturally tight calves. Sitting at a desk tightens calves.

Sometime in the surf I'll try to massage (squeeze) my calves and point the toes etc. If the cramp is one side I'll favour the other side for a while.

There have been posts on this before - flipper/fin type can make a difference. I cramp up quicker in a heavier fin.

http://rodndtube.com/paipo/forum/viewto ... 76113eba27

http://mypaipoboards.org/forum3/viewtop ... 5&start=10

Bob

I used to get cramp a lot more when i as younger.

What helps me now:

hydration. I like coconut water.

vits and mins. Green juices, spirulina, local honey, B-vits

I work in a bike shop so I get the Electrolyte supplements too.

And i dont drink coffee, cafine dehydrates you.

I read an interesting book recently titled "Body by Science" by McGuff and Little. It challenges the old belief that one day of rest is good enough. The writers recommend six days of rest after a high intensity workout, because the repair and replenishment of your muscles can take take that long. Loading up on sugar and protein won't help, and can actually be counterproductive.

So when the surf is good, it might be time to ease up on other activities. Don't ride your bike too hard. Ride like a tourist on holiday. Skip the weekly basketball game, etc. Some people need to go on an exercise diet, and ration the amount of muscle damage. And probably most everybody should be avoiding added sugars.
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Robert,

Attached is a paper from the professional literature. A fair bit of research has been done into night cramps and cramps in pregnant women and some medical conditions, but overall the evidence is limited and not of high quality.

Cochrane reviews are supposed to be the gold standards in reviews but they didn't come u with much sound evidence.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... f/standard

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... f/standard

Bob

About my only cramps are in cool water. Not sure if it is the wetsuit effect or the interaction of my warm-blooded body and the cool/cold water. Every now and then I get a cramp from a weird wave position take-off in warm water but not often. Lots of water helps but really hasn't been the cause.

Fatigue, especially in the setting of poor conditioning, sets off cramps for me. During a four hour surf session when the surf kept getting better ("just one more wave"), I got stuck outside in gnarly overhead surf with my thighs in continuous spasm. I had to arm paddle into an airdrop takeoff to catch a wave in. Not fun. I'm older and a tiny bit wiser now.