In high school I played tennis and I had terrible calf cramps. I remember waking up screaming and having to try to grab my toe, or stamp on my foot to straighten my leg. Later, when I took up volleyball in grad school, from time to time I would get them too. There was lots of lore among beach volleyball players about how to avoid cramps. Some said eat bananas or oranges, other said to drink beer. Years passed and then I started to get back spasms. From time to time my lower back would cramp up and I would be unable to move. It was just another form of cramp, this time in my lower back. What I have discovered is that the key for me to avoid cramps is to get enough potassium in my diet.
Doctors recommend that average healthy Americans should get 3500-4700mg of potassium every day. What I have learned from logging my foods daily in myfitnesspal is that I seldom get 2000mg. One way to help is that I bought “no salt” at the grocery store. 1/10 of a teaspoon of no salt is 325mg of potassium chloride. I now use it in a shaker either in place of or in addition to sodium chloride (salt). Potassium salt tastes a little metallic to me, but I like it.
Then I started adding potassium rich ingredients to my daily smoothie (1000mg): 1 medium banana (425mg), ½ cup coconut water (183mg), ½ cup kale (165mg), ½ cup almond milk (112mg), 23 gm whey protein powder (110mg). The secret to make it taste good is that I use frozen cherries instead of ice, and don’t forget a tablespoon of chia seeds for fiber.
My last trick is that I have snacks that are potassium rich: a dozen clams (525mg), ½ small baked idaho potato (370mg), ½ medium avocado (365mg), medium mango (325mg), medium orange (240mg), a kiwi (240), or medium pear (200). Sometimes I use these other fruits in my smoothie as well.
I like these veggies, and they are high in potassium, but honestly it is hard to get enough of them to make a dent in the daily potassium requirement: ½ cup of mushrooms (280), ½ cup of fresh brussels sprouts (250), ½ cup of broccoli (230). While these are not my preference, you may like these other high potassium options: ½ cup cantaloupe (215) or honeydew (200), pint beer (186mg), or cup spinach (166mg).
When I asked my Dad about whether he got cramps and he said to me… “Yeah, I used to, but I have been taking potassium pills for years.” LOL. Wish I had known that sooner! So I investigated this option, but learned that they only sell 99mg tablets. Seemed like a hassle to take 5 pills to get only 495mg. If you have cramping problems add some No Salt to water, it is the quickest easiest way to remedy things. But let me state clearly for the record that it is better to get enough dietary potassium so that you don’t need a pill or supplement (like No Salt).
Disclaimer: You should always check with your doctor before taking potassium supplements. There are some people who can’t handle excessive potassium well, like kidney patients.
Atheist to Elder 