Night Cramps on a Cut

[rodefeeh]

For the past several years, I have done a cut April-May starting out close to 200 and getting pretty shredded down to 180. The past 4 years I have experienced BAD cramping in both of my lower legs at night after about a month into each cut. I will have to get out of bed and go back and forth stretching my calves and muscles/tissue on front lower legs. The night cramps normally last through July. I eat really clean, lots of veggies. In my eyes, I intake enough salt. If I drank more water, I'd really be up pissing in the middle of the night. I take 3g of Taurine preworkout. I typically get off creatine in May for the rest of the summer. It hasn't happened this year yet, but sometimes I will cramp so hard, the muscle will be sore the next day. I don't take any diuretics.

Anybody experience this? Any suggestions? Do I just need to be drinking a sugar free electrolyte drink all day? Electrolyte pills? More stretching throughout the day?

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

What is your potassium intake like?

 

[rodefeeh]

What is your potassium intake like?

All I know is that I eat healthy, and my bloodwork always comes back good regarding electrolytes. I definitely eat less fruit on a cut. But I still eat a ton of veggies - leafy greens, broccoli, tomatoes, celery, carrots. I should probably try adding back in sweet potatoes post workout. I normally eat oats post workout on a cut because they are pretty filling.

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

Could be as simple as eating a banana

 

[Electrake]

Could be as simple as eating a banana

This fixed it for me.

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

This fixed it for me.

I use to wake up w crippling calf cramps. Felt like I was stabbed in my sleep. It would freak my wife out as I was yelling in my sleep from the pain. Note to self: get her a good Mother’s Day gift!!!

 

[Resolve10]

All I know is that I eat healthy, and my bloodwork always comes back good regarding electrolytes. I definitely eat less fruit on a cut. But I still eat a ton of veggies - leafy greens, broccoli, tomatoes, celery, carrots. I should probably try adding back in sweet potatoes post workout. I normally eat oats post workout on a cut because they are pretty filling.

Could be as simple as eating a banana

It could be potassium but if he’s eating greens, broccoli, tomatoes and potatoes then those all have quite a bit of potassium. Idk why bananas are the only food that people bring up for potassium.

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

It could be potassium but if he’s eating greens, broccoli, tomatoes and potatoes then those all have quite a bit of potassium. Idk why bananas are the only food that people bring up for potassium.

No one want to wake up and eat a potato

 

[delsolrob]

could try taking some taurine and magnesium before bed as well - both of these come in quite handy for muscle spasms and are pretty cheap.

 

[rodefeeh]

I have subbed in bananas and dates for other carbs and surprisingly it is making a difference. I wasn't expecting the solution to be this simple. Hopefully this continues to work. I'll report back if anything changes. I appreciate everyone's responses!