Leg Cramps

[Oldrower]

I'm a regular aerobic exerciser--about 1.5 hours, 5 days a week for 5 years. After Christmas I changed 20 minutes of my workout to rowing. I have developed terrible cramps in the back of my knees and the sides of my calfs. I stretch after working out and this helps. When I sit for some time (e.g. driving across country) I get the cramps. Also during the night they wake me up. I'm 57 and otherwise in excellent health.
Any ideas/help?
A search turns up no discussion of leg cramps.
thanks

[Alissa]

Old Rower,

I don't have any ideas for during the day, but my father and sister both swear by the "soap cure" for nighttime leg cramps. Here's a link to a blogthat seems to have the "Dr. Gott" columns that got both of them to try it.

Good luck.

Alissa

[Oldrower]

Sounds pretty crazy. Like the people written of in the blog, if the cramping continues long enough I'll probably try it.

[tennstrike]

Old Rower:

If only 20 minutes of rowing, how long is your warmup (on the erg) and how long is your recovery?

If it is 20 minutes at a decent pace (2:05 to 2:10 split) then perhaps 5 minutes at a 2:40 split to warmup and another 5 to 6 minutes at the same split to recover would help.

[Oldrower]

I've already rbeen on the eliptical for an hour. I'm not sure what the splits are, I'm between 32 and 35 rpms for the entire time.

[Ben Rea]

ohhhhh, the leg cramps, how often the big man above puneshes me with them!

[tennstrike]

Old Rower

Try this your next two workouts. After your 20 minutes, go another 5 minutes at no more than 18 SPM and no faster than 2:40 split. The split is the time to go 500 meters and can be displayed instead of distance traveled with the PM2 and is on every display (I think but I seldom use one) for the PM3.

[hjs]

I've already rbeen on the eliptical for an hour. I'm not sure what the splits are, I'm between 32 and 35 rpms for the entire time.

Try rowing without the footstraps on. You are pulling yourself up now that is very likely the cause. That must be the the problem looking at your ratings (32/35)

The effort you put in is messured in the times/500 or the watts not the rpm(32/35 in your case)
Row without the straps, you will find out that the rps comes down and that the strokelenght will increese.
The way you row now is very common is fitnesscentere.

[Ben Rea]

yea but if you row qith no straps, then you risk falling of the seat and you also have to change your form, not always in a good way either.

[hjs]

yea but if you row qith no straps, then you risk falling of the seat and you also have to change your form, not always in a good way either.

Ben,

rowing without straps is not difficult it you fall off the seat you don,t finish the stroke. Only real hard rowing can,t be done without straps

[Ben Rea]

o, ok. i tried it b4, its too hard, it makes my form go all wierd and i always fall off, i fall off the seat anyway, even with straps on.

[hjs]

o, ok. i tried it b4, its too hard, it makes my form go all wierd and i always fall off, i fall off the seat anyway, even with straps on.

with straps on? sprinting? not unusual.
I do al my longer pieces, warmp cool down without straps. Almost no differance anymore with or without.

[BobD]

I'm a regular aerobic exerciser--about 1.5 hours, 5 days a week for 5 years. After Christmas I changed 20 minutes of my workout to rowing. I have developed terrible cramps in the back of my knees and the sides of my calfs. I stretch after working out and this helps. When I sit for some time (e.g. driving across country) I get the cramps. Also during the night they wake me up. I'm 57 and otherwise in excellent health.
Any ideas/help?
A search turns up no discussion of leg cramps.
thanks

I have the same problem. It's magnesium deficiency (you sweat it out) and in addition to the cramps it can cause heart rhythm disturbances. I take 300 mg in the form of a fizzy orange flavoured tablet once a day and the cramps are gone. Minimum daily requirement for inactive persons is 350mg and this is thought to be perhaps too low. As you grow older you need more as well. So adding more if you are sweating is a good thing. If your body gets more than it needs it gets washed out, so no harm if you take more than your body needs.