[COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=garamond]I am a runner wannabe, that is I run regularly and have done some 1/2 marathons, but lately have run once again into what I call heavy leg syndrome. My legs just WON,T MOVE! They feel like they are ,humming, even when I,m sitting here. When I go upstairs, or try to run, its like I,ve had no sleep for a month. I just passed my 2-week mark of being low-carb (on Atkins and lost 7lbs!) and I thought it might be related to that, but I get this it seems every year at this time. I,ve had it about 3-4 times before, usually in the summer.

Does anyone out there have any ideas? I,ve heard its caused by water retention, heavy metal toxins, depression side-effect (I suffer from depression). I,ve tried taking potassium tabs, magnesium tabs, increased by water intake. For a while when I first started the potassium/magnesium last Friday I felt a bit better for a couple of days, but its back with vengeance today.

Any ideas?? Anyone else get this or I,m I just the odd ball?

Thanks
Barbara

hi Barbara,

Potassium was my first thought. Low-carbing and the initial increased diuresis can deplete potassium levels, leaving you feeling weak, lethargic and very, very fatigued. Since you mentioned that you experience this every summer, it could be that your levels are borderline lowish at the best of times, and with increased sweating in the summer, you lose even more.

Potassium requirement is 2500 - 3500 mg per day. Much of that will come from the food you eat ... fish, meats, green vegetables, avocadoes, nuts. Also, your kidneys will recycle some potassium every day. But ... you do lose more than you hold onto and even more with sweating. During the early weeks/months of low-carbing, you want to supplement with at least 400mg potassium per day ... if you have 99mg pills, take 4 a day .. spread out through the day, not all at once. Another way to get extra potassium is to use a salt-substitute such as NoSalt or NuSalt. Just sprinkle on your food like regular salt, or use a 50:50 mix.

Dehydration can also cause similar symptoms. Your need for water will increase greatly in warm weather and when you're exercising. Plus, make sure you're well hydrated when you take potassium supplelments.

Magnesium is associated more with muscle cramping and spasm. But, make sure you're getting enough of that mineral too. Daily requirement is 500mg. Magnesium usually comes combined with calcium in a ration of 333mg cal to 167mg mag .. the two minerals work synergistically. Take 3 tablets a day, with the last one at bedtime.

Hope you're feeling better soon


Doreen

Ive had a very similar expirence. I think your body will adjust eventually. Mine is slowly getting better.

Hi everyone,

I also have the heavy leg thing. it comes and goes thru out the day and like today, my legs can swell so much that i cant even move them...and stairs???forget it! BUT, i got some tests back from the Dr today and my Potassium is very low and my sodium (urine) was so low that it could not be quanitatively measured! so, i got K (potassium) supplements of 20 mEq ( i think that is equal to about 800 mg) but when i take them i get this scary feeling all over. is this because i am severely dehydrated? ( doc said that too)

so, my Q for you is why did you say not to take the K all at once (trust me, after what i felt like i believe you...just wondering where you found this out) and why should you not take when dehydrated? Doctors scare me,,,they just give you pills for symptoms but never ask what caused it or why...etc. and K can be dangerous when you take too much so what are they thinking?????

anyway, i would greatly appreciate any insight....so thank you in advance. i read alot of your posts and you are full of great information!!! thanks again, Kay ( and congrats on your successes!)

Odd, I just posted a similar experience in my journal about 5 minutes ago! You described it perfectly when you said they were feeling like they were "humming." I'm having major water retention in my legs right now too which is VERY unusual for me. I got potassium pills not too long ago but keep forgetting to take them. And now I realize I was not taking enough either -- I'll bump it up to 4 per day (thanks Doreen!). I also have been low on my water consumption lately, I'm usually at or over 100 oz per day and I've been doing more like 50-80 the last couple of weeks. My first thought too for you was potassium and perhaps more water. I'm hoping that will work for me, perhaps for you too?

Potassium supplements can be very irritating to the stomach ... that is the reason you shouldn't take them all at once, and do drink a full glass of water with them. The reason you should stay well-hydrated is because potassium requires an adequate fluid balance in the body in order to work efficiently. If you are severely dehydrated, the extra potassium could accumulate over time and you could end up with problems of too much.

Many foods are high in potassium, such as avocadoes and salmon ... and nobody has keeled over dead from potassium overdose by eating them A medium-sized avocado has nearly 1100mg potassium in it!

If your doctor has prescribed potassium, then you must take it as prescribed. If you're worried about your stomach, take it with meals so the food can delay its absorption.


Doreen

Thanks all for your information. Dehydration does seem to be the clincher, I believe. I,m of the age where the hot flashes are starting and that, combined with running and summer weather (and its been a hot one out here in B.C.) I think I know deep down inside that I,m not drinking enough. It seems like that,s all I drink, though. Tomorrow I will keep a record of what I drink and see what,s up. I,ll also up my potassium to one more tablet, making it 4 a day.

Anyway, I will post here tomorrow evening and let you know what,s up. I took tonight off running and will be running tomorrow - hopefully will be better.

Skibunnie, what are you doing to make yourself feel better? Do you know? Are you taking potassium?

Doreen, thanks for the input. I,ve read some of your other postings and you have good advice. Kay3osu and Sunspine17, let,s work on upping our water intake and compare notes tomorrow.

G,night...
Barbara

Okay, here's what happened . . .

I took 2 potassium pills (90mg each) on Tuesday night. It also took 2 Wednesday (yesterday) morning and 2 Wednesday night. That got me up to about 360 mg in a day. I also drank 105 oz of water yesterday. I did not go on any long walks because I wanted to give the legs a rest.

I wasn't quite as bloated feeling in my legs yesterday during the day but they started getting swollen late in the evening (noticed it at about 9:30pm) and got progressively worse. They weren't quite as bad as they were yesterday though and yesterday I was having the problem almost ALL day.

I went to sleep at about midnight and all night-- MASSIVE LEG CRAMPS!!!! I had 2 Charlie horses in each calf during the night-- for a grand total of 4 MASSIVE cramps. I used to get these a lot in my teens and when I was prego with my first. I have a pretty good frame of reference for the severity of cramps and these were REALLY BAD. Before last night it had been years since I had this and I don't think I EVER had 4 in one night. This morning my legs still feel really tense-- like one wrong move will set off another Charlie horse.

Here is my thought-- I had heard previously that when you supplement one thing heavily you should take a multivitamin to balance things out. If you don't balance things out you could throw things out of whack giving you a deficiency in something else. I do take a multivitamin already but what if my body not only needed potassium BUT also magnesium and/or calcium? Could taking all that potassium have thrown things out of whack that it aggravated my already low levels of calcium and magnesium? I'm going out today on my lunch break to buy some magnesium/calcium tabs. Hopefully that will help. Those cramps were AWFUL!

Any thoughts?

I have the heavy legs syndrome too, very often. One thing that has helped me get my potassium in (without taking lots of pills) is the Soy Slender Chocolate Soy Milk. only 1g net carbs, and 330 mg potassium per cup. I have a glass or two every night. It's soooo yummy!

Well, long story short (the long story is in my journal if anyone is interested)-- I started taking the magnesium/calcium supplements and I feel like a million bucks. Looks like that did the trick! No more humming, swelling or killer leg cramps. Climbergrl, thanks for the soy milk idea too. I'm going to make it a point from now on to eat more foods with potassium -- macadamia nuts and avocados were all I could think of. That chocolate soy milk sounds good and it will give me a little variety.

Alpha, if you are still having problems I think this combo may help you. I would hate for you to just take potassium alone like I did and end up worse off with cramps and stuff.

Hey, good work Sunspine! I,m glad you got it sorted out with the potassium\magnesium combination. I am already taking a multi and magnesium, so I haven,t had the leg cramps. I,ve had a bit of a dip these last 3 days - 2 muffins, one Wednesday and one today, a cookie and a peach on Wednesday and a sandwich and apple for lunch today. AND, haven,t run since Wednesday. Ugh. I really feel the carbs just sitting in my belly today but I have to admit my legs felt good today, but its not worth it to me to eat carbs to have good feeling legs. The potassium seems to work pretty good - not perfect - but okay. I might try upping the amount I take by one or two more pills a day so I,m taking about 500 - 600 mg. I,m running the in the morning so hopefully all will be well.

So, tomorrow...more potassium, TONS of water, and induction TO THE LETTER. I,ve flattened out and I,m only in the 3rd week. Lost 5 lbs the first week and 2 the first few days of the 2nd week and none since, but I, m not surprised.

Keep me posted on your legs. Hope you don,t get anymore cramps. Good idea, Climbergirl about the soy milk. Might try it and see.

Good luck all...

sunspine, just wondering what dosages of Mg/CA you are taking and what brand? my Mg makes me feel funny ( i think) and dont know why...have you quit the poatassium? anyway, glad you re feeling BETTER!!!! kay

It's the Nature Made Calcium/Magnesium with Zinc. I take one a day which has 333mg calcium, 133 mg magnesian and 5mg zinc. Each ingredient is 33% of the USRDA. It says you can take up to 3 per day but I'm going slow with that. If 1 is doing the trick, I don't want to mess with anything. I'm still doing the potassium but only 1 per day. I also do take a multi vitamin which has an additional 162 mg calc, 100mg magnesium, 15 mg zinc and 80 mg potassium. I feel much better and this seems enough for me at the moment. Are you also taking a multi vitamin with your magnesium on a full stomach?