Just wondering if any old timers like me (over 60) who may have ever experienced a really bad inner thigh cramp (on my back leg in surfing stance) happened twice now usually after a good hard pumping surf foiling session (usually at night a sudden attack / cramp was brought on by just bending my leg??:-)

Not pumping but after kite or wing foiling, at the end of the evening of watching a movie or whatever, slumped on the couch. I go to get up and get a cramp in one thigh or both.

They range from "ow that hurts" to rolling around on the floor moaning/screaming.

Once the cramps start I'm in for the ride. I try to remember to get up carefully but usually forget.

I also get cramps at dinner with friends where I sit for a while without straightening my legs. It never happens on long distance flights.

I've always had the odd cramp same as everybody I guess. I don't remember any extra crampage through 40 years of wind and kitesurfing. Certainly much more frequent in the past several years of foiling. That may coincide with when I passed 60.

Select to expand quote

Johndesu said..
Just wondering if any old timers like me (over 60) who may have ever experienced a really bad inner thigh cramp (on my back leg in surfing stance) happened twice now usually after a good hard pumping surf foiling session (usually at night a sudden attack / cramp was brought on by just bending my leg??:-)

Not as old, but feeling it after 50!
1. You're weak and unbalanced, so that muscle is overloaded. Later, it starts twitching and goes full spasm just as the rest of your body relaxes.
2. You have a medical condition.

1. Can be treated by strengthing and stretching. Also load up on water before you go and sweat out five pounds while foiling. Replentish with water, food, and a multivitamin with minerals. Avoid beer, or drink it early so it's not in your system at night. Learn to breath deeply.

2. See your doctor and get a blood work up. Some meds help (thyroid condition for example), some cause cramps as side effects.

3. I started doing yoga, and no matter how much (or little I should say) I do, I always cramp in my calf when my feet are pointed with toes plantar flexed. I just exhale deeply, and try to relax, but sometimes it just spasms anyway until I stop pissing it off.

Well guys I think it maybe that I did not drink enough water during the day (that day) that led to my tired self have a bad cramp attack (10 out of 10 pain wise), note that I am in perfect health (physical & mental & excellent diet, enough magnesium etc)) but I feel that the over surfing & training + being to busy to hydrate during the day led to it perhaps, I just wish there is a good way to deal with it & get over it quickly rather then just trying to relax and stay calm and deal with the pain:-(

Select to expand quote

Johndesu said..
Well guys I think it maybe that I did not drink enough water during the day (that day) that led to my tired self have a bad cramp attack (10 out of 10 pain wise), note that I am in perfect health (physical & mental & excellent diet, enough magnesium etc)) but I feel that the over surfing & training + being to busy to hydrate during the day led to it perhaps, I just wish there is a good way to deal with it & get over it quickly rather then just trying to relax and stay calm and deal with the pain:-(

A Hypervolt massage gun or similar will alleviate the pain pretty quickly. I keep a massage gun ready to go next to my bed just in case I get cramps in the middle of the night.

Luckily, I don't cramp up very often. If I do cramp up, it usually happens because I got dehydrated before a foil session.

Ok sounds good Jonnie just what I think I may need with regards to future reference so I will look into that:-)

My hip flexors get smoked after a pump prone session. Roll and stretch them out each night. Now and then voltaren for this "old dog" as my son calls me.
also my right knee gets super painful (old footy injury been scraped by the doc a few times). Can't even bend it much without pain.

But . been taking CBD oil for last week and a half and stuff me - no pain. Early days yet to conclusively proclaim its merits - but no more knee pain even after a big session like yesterday.
Who knows. Let's see how she goes after two weeks in Exmouth.

CBD oil ?

Select to expand quote

JonnieTyler said..

Johndesu said..
Well guys I think it maybe that I did not drink enough water during the day (that day) that led to my tired self have a bad cramp attack (10 out of 10 pain wise), note that I am in perfect health (physical & mental & excellent diet, enough magnesium etc)) but I feel that the over surfing & training + being to busy to hydrate during the day led to it perhaps, I just wish there is a good way to deal with it & get over it quickly rather then just trying to relax and stay calm and deal with the pain:-(

A Hypervolt massage gun or similar will alleviate the pain pretty quickly. I keep a massage gun ready to go next to my bed just in case I get cramps in the middle of the night.

Luckily, I don't cramp up very often. If I do cramp up, it usually happens because I got dehydrated before a foil session.

Yeah Jonnie I want to alleviate the pain asap in an event and so my question to you is - does it have to be a massage gun as I have a really good hand held massager (long with rounded pointy head) that is really powerful or will it not be as good as a Hypervolt/gun type to instantly stop the cramp?:-)

Select to expand quote

kobo said..
CBD oil ?

From cannabis. Without the THC psychoactive.

Interesting...thanks mate

Select to expand quote

Johndesu said..


Yeah Jonnie I want to alleviate the pain asap in an event and so my question to you is - does it have to be a massage gun as I have a really good hand held massager (long with rounded pointy head) that is really powerful or will it not be as good as a Hypervolt/gun type to instantly stop the cramp?:-)

Might as well try what you have on hand.

I was not a believer in the HyperVolt massage gun hype, until I was on a rock climbing trip in Las Vegas. I climbed in the morning in 90 degF heat. During our lunchbreak, I cramped up so bad that I couldn't walk. I used my daughter's HyperVolt for 2 minutes, my cramps went away and I was climbing again in the afternoon.

When I got back home, I couldn't find a HyperVolt in a local store so I just bought a HyperVolt knock off that was in stock at a local store for under $100. I think the HyperVolts go for around $300.

Erik A. on the Progression Project had also talked about using the HyperVolt in between long pump sessions to get rid of cramps. He said he kept the HyperVolt in his car.

Saw this on Damien Leroy YouTube. .
Interview with world record holder Oskar Johansson. I think he is from Sydney.
He talks about a more narrow stance and changing technique to be more efficient.
Might be worth a look. Don't know if it would help but might reduce fatigue.

Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc supplements will help a lot, magnesium especially for cramps, but do not forget to stay hydrated and be drinking a sports drink with sodium in it too. I also found taking 5 grams of pure creatine mono hydrate always before and sometimes after a windfoil session keeps me pain free, and I do a lot of sail and foil pumping.

Select to expand quote

Sandman1221 said..
Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc supplements will help a lot, magnesium especially for cramps, but do not forget to stay hydrated and be drinking a sports drink with sodium in it too. I also found taking 5 grams of pure creatine mono hydrate always before and sometimes after a windfoil session keeps me pain free, and I do a lot of sail and foil pumping.

Wow everyone thanks for all the advice, Sandman do you think that I can get alone without the extra supplements as my diet is excellent or do you think being older requires more?:-)

Select to expand quote

Johndesu said..

Sandman1221 said..
Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc supplements will help a lot, magnesium especially for cramps, but do not forget to stay hydrated and be drinking a sports drink with sodium in it too. I also found taking 5 grams of pure creatine mono hydrate always before and sometimes after a windfoil session keeps me pain free, and I do a lot of sail and foil pumping.

Wow everyone thanks for all the advice, Sandman do you think that I can get alone without the extra supplements as my diet is excellent or do you think being older requires more?:-)

When I got into my mid 50s I started getting sore forearm muscles from windfoiling that would not heal for over a year, when I started using creatine (100% pure, nothing else) before windfoil sessions I had more endurance during the session, and if I felt a little sore afterwards I would take 5 gr more, next day no pain. Getting old requires more creatine in my experience. Creatine is made by our bodies, but as we age we make less. But you need to get enough protein in your diet too, creatine during session with a high protein meal afterwards is good.

Select to expand quote

Sandman1221 said..

Johndesu said..

Sandman1221 said..
Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc supplements will help a lot, magnesium especially for cramps, but do not forget to stay hydrated and be drinking a sports drink with sodium in it too. I also found taking 5 grams of pure creatine mono hydrate always before and sometimes after a windfoil session keeps me pain free, and I do a lot of sail and foil pumping.

Wow everyone thanks for all the advice, Sandman do you think that I can get alone without the extra supplements as my diet is excellent or do you think being older requires more?:-)

When I got into my mid 50s I started getting sore forearm muscles from windfoiling that would not heal for over a year, when I started using creatine (100% pure, nothing else) before windfoil sessions I had more endurance during the session, and if I felt a little sore afterwards I would take 5 gr more, next day no pain. Getting old requires more creatine in my experience. Creatine is made by our bodies, but as we age we make less. But you need to get enough protein in your diet too, creatine during session with a high protein meal afterwards is good.

Ok no worries thanks I will look into that:-)

I have found significant benefits with regards to cramping from calcium-magnesium supplements going all the way back to when I was a teenager. Diet over the intervening decades has run the whole gamut from terrible to terrific, and pretty much without exception if I start cramping it is because I forgot the calmag.

And another +1 on the creatine and protein, staying on top of those two things has halved my recovery time from a big session.

Select to expand quote

Sandman1221 said..
Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc supplements will help a lot, magnesium especially for cramps, but do not forget to stay hydrated and be drinking a sports drink with sodium in it too. I also found taking 5 grams of pure creatine mono hydrate always before and sometimes after a windfoil session keeps me pain free, and I do a lot of sail and foil pumping.

Magnesium - I take one every night now and wish I'd known about this earlier in my life. I used to wake up with sore muscles every morning after good sessions - after I started taking magnesium I wake up feeling no muscle pain whatsoever.

i used to get the inner thigh muscle cramps in my early days of sup-foiling, straining them mainly on take-offs, never happens anymore, partly because of better conditioning of that particular muscle after years of doing + magnesium, no doubt.

Creatine hey . will give that a crack for sure.

Seems to be a common thing for most watersports.
At 57 I've always had hamstring cramps after a big session. But only recently started getting the inner thigh cramps. Maybe an age thing.
But I know regular magnesium and good hydration, definitely helps.
Don't know much about the creative but thought you had to have some form of sugar with it to get the benefits.

Prevention is 1st obviously, but... VINEGAR can save you.

Just a teaspoon will stop the pain within 1-2 minutes. Mustard, pickle juice can also work in a pinch. I don't have a clue how It works, but It works so fast It's like like some voodoo magic.