How to prevent leg cramps // Get more Magnesium

March 21, 2024

Ray's Take

I got a leg cramp in the middle of the night last week, and it sucked. Hurt really bad - like 9/10 pain scale. I had to get out of bed and stand up to stretch my hamstring, which led the other leg to cramp. It was insane.

Since then, i've been afraid of cramps in the middle of the night (which don't happen often, but when they do more often happen in shins than hammys).

I believe I cured myself as soreness is basically gone, so wanted to tell you what I leanred and how I did it.

Who I am

I am bla

Background

Nighttime leg cramps (and cramps in general) are due to:

Strenuous exercise
Dehydration
Electrolyte imbalance
*This is for otherwise healthy people (medications and other medical conditions can also cause cramps)

Did I lift and play tennis last week? Yes, but I always do

Was I dehydrated? Maybe, but I am always drinking water. I do have a glass of wine or two and alcohol can cause increased dehydration (but I always do).

So did I have an electrolyte imbalance? Decided to look into this

Electrolyte imbalance for cramps

The electrolytes that matter for cramps are:

Magnesium
Potassium
Calcium
Sodium

Let's not worry about sodium (salt) - most ppl get plenty.

This is what I found for the others:

Nutrient	Daily Recommended Amount	Why It Matters for Cramps	Risks of Excessive Supplementation
Magnesium	400-420 mg (men) 310-320 mg (women)	Helps muscles relax; deficiency can lead to cramps.	Generally well tolerated.
Potassium	3400 mg (men) 2600 mg (women)	Balances fluid and electrolyte levels, supporting muscle function. Deficiency can cause cramps.	Supplementation should be cautious; excessive amounts can lead to heart irregularities and are more concerning than with other minerals.
Calcium	1000 mg (adults)	Essential for muscle contraction and nerve signaling. Deficiency can result in muscle cramps.	Generally well tolerated.

I then did a quick calc on how much of each I was getting from a typical day of eating

Food Item	Magnesium (mg)	Potassium (mg)	Calcium (mg)
Quest Bar (S’mores)	0	120	150
Avocado (1/2 medium)	29	487	12
Cauliflower (1 cup cooked)	11	176	34
Broccoli (1 cup cooked)	21	457	62
Mushrooms (1 cup cooked)	18	223	2
Chicken Thighs (3/4 lb)	54	400	21
Olive Oil (for cooking)	0	0	0
Protein Powder (1 scoop)	0	200	130
Almond Milk (1/2 cup unsweetened)	7	35	150
Frozen Strawberries (10)	5	77	13
Lettuce (1 head)	20	194	53
Turkey (1/4 lb)	36	281	10
Total Estimated	201	2650	637

Potassium supplementation is kind of dangerous so I didn't want to mess with that, and calcium I'm not worried about as get more from a a multi-vitamin already.

I realized I could deficient in Magnesium.

I was taking a supplement called ZMA, but was only taking one capsule per night (for sleep) which contains ~150 mg Magnesium Aspartate and Magnesium Oxide. This wasn't enough in itself, but after doing some research, I found that mag supplements aren't fully absorbed by the body, especially not Magnesium Oxide.

Here is a breakdown:

Type	Form of Mg	Typical doses	Maximum Bioavailability	Maximum potential absorbed dose
Inorganic	MgO	400-500 mg	4%	16-20 mg
	MgCl	143-400mg	80%	114-320 mg
Organic	Mg-citrate	150-500 mg	80%	120-400 mg
	Mg-glycinate	100-400 mg	80%	80-320mg
	Mg L-threonate	144 mg	80%	115 mg

Source - Peter Attia MD

Based on Peter's research, I decide to take Mg-glycinate, which I already had at home, 100 mgs per pill, 4x a day.

So far it's working.