Calf cramps

[BRT]

You may be right on this. Everything I take for the high potassium levels also has magnesium and other minerals.

 

[MrVegas]

For what it's worth, I've found that I get them less if I stretch out a little and massage the calf muscle a little before diving. For me, anyway, that seems to do more than anything I drink or eat.

 

[Ana]

If there's magnesium deficiency you can also go for dark chocolate, avocado, cashews, tuna and a handfull other foods.
Just wish vodka would be a source also.

 

[lexvil]

Your best bet is putting the fins on and using them for 2 or 3 hours per week, minerals only go so far.

 

[dmaziuk]

The answer to magnesium-deficient vodka is Berocca the morning after.

 

[BlueTrin]

For what it's worth, I've found that I get them less if I stretch out a little and massage the calf muscle a little before diving. For me, anyway, that seems to do more than anything I drink or eat.

If you think that this is due to not exercising the calves enough, you could start running or do calves exercises followed by stretching ?

please forgive me if you have already tried that or if this is not helpful

 

[IDNeon357]

I think finning/kicking "up/down" uses too much calf. If you press against the water similar to how you press against a bicycle peddle when you stand out of the seat (mountain biking uphill for instance).

That motion works very well to get a LOT of power into your fin without the "kicking" that taxes your calves.

 

[Diver below 83]

Another vote here for bananas and g2. I don’t usually like the sugar free version but I find myself enjoying it more before dives. Not sure why

 

[dmaziuk]

I think finning/kicking "up/down" uses too much calf. If you press against the water similar to how you press against a bicycle peddle when you stand out of the seat (mountain biking uphill for instance).

That motion works very well to get a LOT of power into your fin without the "kicking" that taxes your calves.

I wish it was me who came up with this one, but it was some other SB regular. Enjoy:

Flutter kick is the bicycle kick done wrong

 

[Ana]

..so are you guys saying that using the big leg muscles for kicking with a straight out leg is wrong, but kicking with just the lower portion of the leg below the knee is correct?

But how come we have a full thread about calf cramps.

If I need to really go I have to use the full leg, the kick bellow the knee tends to be for very slow multidirectional progress. Straight ahead against current or just looking for speed would be a fail for me without the thigh muscles.