Leg And Foot Cramps

Leg and foot cramps are especially common for people whose exercise routine includes jogging or running. This is how I began researching them--as an avid runner, I experienced painful foot cramps several times a week. Each time, these cramps occurred within two hours after a several mile run.

If the same thing has ever happened to you, you'll know how frustrating it is to have to nurse painful leg and foot cramps. At first I believed I wasn't stretching enough and increased my pre-jog stretching routine to a full twenty minutes. When this seemingly had no effect on the frequency of my foot cramps, I investigated other possible causes.

What Causes Leg and Foot Cramps?

Leg muscle cramps can be caused by many different factors: age, poor running shoes, poor stretching regimen, or a poor running stride. I knew I had none of these, and needed to look further for the answer. I began looking into nutritional deficiencies, such as calcium deficiency and magnesium deficiency.

I discovered that having a low amount of magnesium in the blood can cause muscles to become hyperexcited, a common cause of cramps. Low bodily levels of potassium can also have the same effect. To keep the receptors that generate movement patterns active and healthy, a healthy supply of magnesium is essential.