Delayed Post-Workout Cramping

[raptorbh12]

After a workout, usually 1.5-6 hours after the workout I experience mild to severe muscle cramping in the muscle group I worked that day, the most succeptible seem to be biceps, triceps and quads.
This is NOT a hydration problem because I drink a gallon of water a day and this occurs even if I do no cardio and sweat out very little.
This is also most likely not a potassium defficiency since I take 2 animal paks AND a pottasium tablet throughout my day.

I take animal pump, before the workout and protein/creatine mixture post workout with scivation's Xtend intra-workout.

Is there a common cause to these post-workout cramps?

[gecko2424]

too much potassium is actually as dangerous than low potassium. If u are healthy, loading on potassium is just stupid and may be causing systemic problems. It's not a function of toxicity, because it's water soluble, but because it interacts with so many electrolytes in your body. Excess of one can cause deficiency in another.

LOL at how much money you are pissing away...

Go a week without taking any supps and see how you feel. Then add back one at a time, starting with Xtend, which won't hurt you.

[raptorbh12]

Its not an excess of potassium either. Before I took a potassium supplement and animal Pak, I still had this problem.
Ill do the week off of supps and see where im at. If it occurs without any supplements at all would I just assume I am doomed for life?

[PrinceAric]

I　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｏｔａｓｓｉｕｍ　ｈａｓ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｍｅｒｉｔ，　ｂｕｔ　ｙｏｕ　ｈａｖｅ 　ｔｏ　ｒｅｍｅｍｂｅｒ　ｔｈａｔ　ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔｉｎｇ　ｃｒｅａｔｉｎｅ　ａｎｄ　Ｎ０２　ｈ ａｖｅ　ｓｉｄｅ　ｅｆｆｅｃｔｓ　ｊｕｓｔ　ａｓ　ｙｏｕ＇ｒｅ　ｄｅｓｃｒｉｂｉｎｇ．　Potass ium and creatine are cousins when looking at energy replacement within your muscle tissue. Ｙｏｕ　ｗｏｎ＇ｔ　ｈａｒｄｌｙ　ｅｖｅｒ　ｓｅｅ　ｉｔ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｉｔ＇ｓ　ｒａｒｅ，　ｂｕ ｔ　ｉｔ　ｄｏｅｓ　ｈａｐｐｅn. If I were yourself, I would take away one supplement for 2 weeks and see if anything improves since it'll take about 1-2 weeks for your body really to normalize again, but you'll know before then most likely. Take a look at how long this has been going on too. It may be a pre-existing condition that was agitated with your supplement goodness. Just food for thought and ideas to look into.

[asigler]

this same thing happens to me...quads and chest the worst by far.....i find that stretching after lifting,then stretching every half hour or so for a while really helps control the spasms.

good luck

[SideFX]

I have this exact problem in my quads, chest and biceps. Starting about 1.5 hours post workout, if i contract/flex any of these muscles (has to be at least a moderate contraction) after having just finished working it, it will cramp up and it hurts like hell. I have no idea why it happens... I drink lots of work, consume plenty of calcium and potassium, take a multivitamin as well. It never happened until a few months ago - at first it was just my quads all the time, now it has started happening in my biceps and chest too. If anyone has experienced something similar and found a way to prevent it or at least alleviate it somewhat, please share.

[Jack_Lupino]

SMR w/foam roller?

[bigloudeltoro]

I posted this same question to every forum I could think of. It is UNBEARABLE on leg day. I have to basically have NO plans for the rest of the night on leg days because the paralyzing cramps in my quads don't let me do anything. I have tried everything as well. it helped once when I drank over 1 gallon of water within the 4 hours pre-workout. That was the only time it worked but it's hard to drink that much water. Please let me know if you guys find anything that actually helps.

Thanks!

[rushki]

Raising this from the dead...

Adding my own, back day - forearms seize up. Started shaking a shaker cup and got a dystonic contraction; stuck for about 8 minutes.

Quads are painful yes, but the forearm is more of a danger thing... it's unexpected and if I curl, or hold the phone to my head... it happens.

I've been using "the stick" and rolling out the muscles, and it helps. Also in shower with hot water massaging.

The only micro-element that I haven't supplemented is magnesium... buckwheat has plenty as well as all of the other food I eat... but it's worth a shot.

Foam rolling, stretching (not contracting), all help a lot. On top of good diet and hydration obviously.

[rjones416]

i tried this menthol gel that you rub on your sore muscles and i swear it works. the next morning i dont feel anything at all.

[mjajam]

Ok so I am not the only one with this problem. Forearm cramps are most common. Lats, pecs, halmstring cramps get horrible. Happens when I train hard while dieting.

[Chito165]

After a workout, usually 1.5-6 hours after the workout I experience mild to severe muscle cramping in the muscle group I worked that day, the most succeptible seem to be biceps, triceps and quads.
This is NOT a hydration problem because I drink a gallon of water a day and this occurs even if I do no cardio and sweat out very little.
This is also most likely not a potassium defficiency since I take 2 animal paks AND a pottasium tablet throughout my day.

I take animal pump, before the workout and protein/creatine mixture post workout with scivation's Xtend intra-workout.

Is there a common cause to these post-workout cramps?

hey man have you figured out a solution? i suffer from the same cramps

[goldlokz19]

Eat a small handful of salt. Works for me. You probably just sweat a lot of salt out and don’t get enough salt in your regular diets