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: Hi mark, : I stopped eating meat. : I get leg cramps,and foot : cramps. What about a : vegetarian diet? : Renee : : Mark; : : I'm and older (47) biker and do triathlons and adventure racing. I also have problems with calf cramps when running and sometimes biking. I found this article the other day and I think I'm going to try the magnesium and vitamin e. I also am a weight lifter and my last physical and blood work showed a low level of phosphorus and magnesium that the doc explained was a result of my habitual overtraining. : : : : The RDA for magnesium is 350 mg/day. Average intake in the USA is between 143 and 266 mg/day. 500-1000 mg/day would be good for most bodybuilders as they have an increased need for this mineral. Hard training seems to deplete the body of this mineral as well as other minerals. : : A special form of niacin (vitamin B3) called inositol hexanicotinate is supposed to help treat chronic calf cramping and Raynaud's disease. Start with 500 mg 3 times a day and work up to 1 g 3 times a day after 2 weeks. : : Pyridoxine, vitamin B6, is also supposed to reduce leg cramps. : : Taurine, an amino acid in meat, can have an effect in the treatment of leg cramps. It is often used in combination with glutamic acid and aspartic acid. : : DL-Phenylalanine is supposed to dampen the pain when cramping. : : Vitamin E (tocopherol) has a weak action and has to be taken in doses of circa 400 mg/day. : : Many persons recommend calcium (sometimes in the form of dolomite), potium (bananas), anti-oxidants (like pycnogenols, g-fruit seed extract) and to avoid dehydration (drink plenty of water). : : Peppermint has a weak action but can anyhow lessen cramps. : : Doctors often prescribe quinine. Quinine raises the treshold for acetylcholine at the motor end plate. Quinine sulfate 300 mg orally. Some doctors have prescribed diazepam, carbamazepine or diphenhydramine. Some even prescribe phenytoin 0.3-0.6 g daily during the day if the patient have leg cramps at daytime. To my knowledge leg cramps isn't an indication for phenytoin. : : I have had good use of 250 mg magnesium daily (tablets or capsules). Initially you can double the dose for a week or two. It can take some weeks before relief. It's prudent not to take too high a dose as diarrhaea will be the result with a diminished uptake as a result of this. The treatment can have a duration for years. Try a period of no supplementation now and then to see if a remission has occured. I recommend you to adjust your diet to a more nutritious one with a higher content of the mineral(s) you're deficient of. You can first experiment with different treatments, be it exercise, minerals, vitamins or medicine, and then when you know what causes your leg cramps, treat it adequately. Great thanks to all who have shared their knowledge with me. : : Hope some of this info will help - let me know how you are doing. : : Take Care, Haimes : : : : I LOVE to bike, but constantly fight leg cramps. Has anyone had any luck doing battle with these? What might help??? I'm getting desperate!! : : : Thanks!

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