Dealling with right calf cramping with the first half mile of a run. Achilles was reattached years ago, and the calves have taken a beating in the dojo as well. Mix in a lot of travel for work. This pain is preventing any running.
The onset and the fact that only one calf involved makes me think - not an electrolyte imbalance - increased Gatorade just in case, running shoes have been switched out. No statin drugs or other meds.
3 weeks of rest allowed for one run without cramp but returned during the following run.
Close to retirement, goal is right now just to get to 3 miles per run, 3x per week - weightlifting and martial arts training a constant through life.
I know there is a myriad of possibilities, but has anyone dealt with anything similar?
Has anyone had a calf ultrasound for muscle tears or subclinical vascular issues? Curious to hear thoughts.
Man, I’m so glad I found you and I’m here to help. I had this for maybe 5 years? Completely derailed my triathlon life. I’m just now over it after trying every solution on Earth x 10.
My best guess about the cause is some kind of calf strain. That shortens and injures the calf into a tight knot. The problem is the issue causes a vicious cycle. The injury causes more of the injury. Stretching just tears it more. Thinking about it causes a mental block where it keeps tightening in defense of itself. It’s a nasty beast.
The first thing that I tried that seemed to lead to recovery was lowering my bike saddle and making sure my bike cleat/platform was nice and stable. Perhaps pointing the toes down too far and on a wobbly platform (eggbeater pedals) had me clenching my calf to compensate, and hours on end of that caused it to tense up into a monkey’s fist.
I started riding gravel bikes and I think by coincidence had a lower saddle, more squatty position that a tri bike, and more stable pedals. A thousand miles of that started to loosen things up.
Yep. I think that the knot is so big and tight, it takes a looooonng time to undo it. You have to be gradual, trying too hard too fast just tears stuff up more. So instead of forcing it with stretching, just lowering your saddle so it gets a natural, microscopic, gentle stretch that undoes the knot very gradually. Took mine a few months to go away completely. It was so traumatized, it wanted to snap back into the knot at the slightest opportunity.
I’ve heard about these studies! Where two groups of people are told to do calf raises on the side of a bench for hours - one of the groups with Vit C supplementation and the other without.
I understand that 5 g of Vit C provokes a strong intestinal reaction and the study you shared looks like doses were up to 15 grams. I wonder what happened…
I understand that 5 g of Vit C provokes a strong intestinal reaction and the study you shared looks like doses were up to 15 grams. I wonder what happened…
No, it’s 5-15 grams of gelatin with a little bit of Vit C
I’ve heard about these studies! Where two groups of people are told to do calf raises on the side of a bench for hours - one of the groups with Vit C supplementation and the other without.
I understand that 5 g of Vit C provokes a strong intestinal reaction and the study you shared looks like doses were up to 15 grams. I wonder what happened…
Actually there are more than 1 study and it looks really beneficial. I actually saw my surgeon yesterday as I had a tendon transplant and he said it’s a really promising technique which he whole heartedly went along with. I’ve been doing it 1 hour before activity that engages that tendon site as studies show it can be “targeted” that way to a degree. Sure beats doing nothing.
I use a night sock. Not super fun, but allows for healing in a light dorsi flexion.
Do it for more days than you think you need; when pain is completely gone, roll the calf - easy at first. More days in the night sock to heal from the rolling.
The worse the strain, the longer it will take.
This WILL work. Other advice (above) will likely help/be necessary too.
Keep us posted
This same issue cropped up for me in my mid 50s. I read somewhere it is from lack of zinc. I thought what the heck, I have tried everything else from rest, strength building, stretching to no avail….so I added a plus 50 multivitamin with 130% daily zinc and the calf issues went away….that was over ten years ago and I am still taking the multivitamin.
Predominantly one side. Not sure about the imbalance but I tried everything and when I would go out it would just lock up after a mile……the zinc solved it and haven’t had any issues since
My best guess about the cause is some kind of calf strain. That shortens and injures the calf into a tight knot. The problem is the issue causes a vicious cycle. The injury causes more of the injury. Stretching just tears it more. Thinking about it causes a mental block where it keeps tightening in defense of itself. It’s a nasty beast.
a good physical therapist can find that knot and fix it, using a technique called crossfriction, aka crucifixion as it’s so very painful…
my R calf has the mad calf disease, but it only shows up after race effort short runs. Since I don’t race anymore, problem solved ! ha.