Advice sought about post-exercise muscle cramp

"I enjoy hillwalking and a few months ago did the most arduous walk yet. Next day my thighs were tight for a day and next day fine.

However on this second day a knot started in my right calf and progressed to almost crippling status and remained for 3-4 weeks before suddenly disapearing. Whilst there I took anti inflam , asprin and ibufrofen gels without much relief.

I went on almost as hard a walk 3 weeks ago and although filled with trepidation, nothing untoward occurred. I was on holiday this week and played a round of golf and carried my bag. Now 2 days later the cramp has re-ocurred.
Help? Whats going on?"Gary Moller comments:
This 41 year old male appears to be in reasonable shape; but definitely overdid things by doing a hike that appears to have been partially unplanned, turning into a 16 mile hike over and around a couple of mountain peaks. It is understandable that he suffered a quite severe calf strain/cramp that has not resolved.

It may never completely resolve unless dealt with properly.

Here are some observations and advice:

Should one take anti-inflammatories?
In most instances, the answer is "No!"This is because anti-inflammatories may interfere with the processes that lay down healthy collagen scar tissue. If this process is interfered with, the resultant healing may be weak and prone to further injury. Inflammation is healthy: it is the body's mechanism for bringing blood, nutrients and other resources to the injury site. It makes no sense to suppress this mechanism with drugs. These drugs can also interfere with digestion and therefore your nutritional status. While it may have the injured limb back in action sooner (this is questionable anyway) this may be a fool's gain.

The only "anti-inflammatories" that might help are natural ones. Kordel's MSM is one as are Omega oils like fish oil, flaxseed oil and olive oil. Evening Primrose oil is very beneficial. These enhance the healing process rather than interfere with them.

Re-mineralise the body
I doubt there is a 40+ year old male or female who leads an active and stressful life that is not deficient in minerals, principally magnesium. Exhausting exercise chews through magnesium and may result in disabling muscle cramps and failure to recover. In conjunction with the minerals is the need for rich supplies of the B group of vitamins.

So, my advice is to top up with a magnesium supplement and a B group supplement. You can also add a lengthy soak in an Epsom Salts bath which relaxes the muscles while supplying sulphur and magnesium through the skin.

Minerals can be obtained from a bone broth that is consumed daily and this is additional to a course of magnesium supplementation.

Take the guessswork out of supplementation and improve your health by ordering a hair tissue mineral analysis. Although $225 it is well worth the cost.

Massage the injured limb
It is highly likely, if not inevitable that there are still painful knots within the calf muscle that was injured. The uninjured limb may be similarly affected but to a lesser degree. As long as these knots remain there will be ongoing pain and limitations on ability to exert oneself. The risk of further injury is great and rest alone is never the solution. Deep tissue massage is the solution but only commence this 2-3 weeks after the dietary measures have had time to kick in.

Deep tissue massage causes damage to the unhealthy tissue that forms the knot within the muscle. The damage is in carefully controlled doses, stimulating the body's natural healing processes to lay down new healthy tissue to replace that unhealthy tissue. It is painful but highly effective - but only if your nutritional status is healthy.

Deep tissue massage the calf muscle to break down and soften any hard knots and injury-prone spots within the body of the calf. This requires about 30 days to have a lasting effect done every 3-4 days. Get this done by an experienced therapist. If in Wellington I can do this for you.

Do a steady buildup in fitness next time
Recovery includes a steady increase in fitness over about three months and then maintaining a high level of fitness indefinitely through consistent weekly exercise and good nutrition.

Think specificity: If your most challenging past time is hiking mountains, even if only a couple of times per year, then the bulk of your weekly fitness training should be geared towards preparing for these hikes. That means getting outside and doing a lot of walking over tracks and trails. Training in a gym on a treadmill, elliptical and lifting weights are beneficial; but should not be the principal fitness training for hiking. Hiking each week is best.

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The health benefits of Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate)

Funny isn't it that the more we learn about health and nutrition the more we realise how right Granny was with her cod liver oil, her beef broths and even her Epsom salt baths!

It was only after I discovered that I was seriously depleted of magnesium, the consquence of many years of hard physical exertion and emotional stress, that I have begun to realise the powerful influence of minerals on our health and well-being. Magnesium comes at the top of the list of minerals that show measureable health benefits for most people.

It therefore came as no surprise that Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) baths and compresses are making a comeback and for good reason: There really are numerous health benefits! So, I have added Epsom salts to the growing range of products at www.myotec.co.nz

I have copied below the promotional blurb for the salts that is selling for just $5 per Kilo!

Usage

For compresses: Use 1/2 cup of Epsom Salt per liter of water for sore muscles, bug bites and splinter removal.

For soaking: Add tup to wo cups of Epsom Salt to warm water in a standard-sized bathtub. Popular for easing muscle pain and fading bruises. Bathe three times weekly, soaking for at least 12 minutes.

Foot bath: Add a cup of Epsom Salt to a tub of warm water as a popular balm for aching feet.

Studies show the benefits from the major components of Epsom Salt may:

Magnesium:

• Ease stress and improves sleep and concentration
• Help muscles and nerves function properly
• Regulate activity of 325+ enzymes
• Help prevent artery hardening and blood clots
• Make insulin more effective
• Reduce inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps
• Improve oxygen use

Sulfates:

• Flush toxins
• Improve absorption of nutrients
• Help form joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins
• Help prevent or ease migraine headaches

Magnesium - the key component of Epsom Salt -- performs more functions in more systems of the human body than virtually any other mineral, including regulating the activity of more than 325 enzymes.

Studies show that magnesium is:

• An electrolyte, helping to ensure proper muscle, nerve and enzyme function.
• Critical to the proper use of calcium in cells.
• An aid in helping to prevent heart disease and strokes by lowering blood pressure, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack deaths.

Medical research also indicates that magnesium may:

• Increase the effectiveness of insulin, helping to lower the risk or severity of diabetes.
• Reduce inflammation and relieves pain, making it a beneficial in the treatment of sore muscles, bronchial asthma, migraine headaches and fibromyalgia.

Although magnesium can be absorbed through the digestive tract, many foods, drugs and medical conditions can interfere with the effectiveness of this deliver method. Therefore, soaking in an Epsom Salt bath is one of the most effective means of making the magnesium your body needs readily available.

Epsom Salt also delivers sulfates, which medical research indicates are needed for the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the mucin proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. Studies show that sulfates also stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and help to detoxify the body's residue of medicines and environmental contaminants. Studies indicate that sulfates are difficult to absorb from food, but are readily absorbed through the skin.

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New Service: Hair Tisssue Mineral Analysis

I am delighted to offer an exciting new service:

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)

Minerals are essential for growth, healing and wellbeing. If you are an athlete in serious training you need to ensure that your mineral balance is healthy. If you a chronic health condition, or just keep getting sick or feel constantly stressed or tired, you have a mineral imbalance or toxic levels of posonous heavy metals. If you are on prescription medicines such as for blood pressure, you may have an imbalance.

At last! We can eliminate most of the guessing about whether or not you are mineral defient, imbalanced or suffering from the toxic effects of exposure to heavy metals like mercury and lead.

Once we have the results in just a matter of days, we will know exactly what we are dealing with. Better still, we will have specific recommendations pertaining to modifying your diet and any supplementation needs to improve or maintain health.

Hair tissue mineral analysis is accurate, more so than a blood test, it is scientifically robust, and repeatable. If you are currently under the care of a health professional, the information gained is clinically valuable and should be shared with your healthcare provider.

For detailed information about this exciting and valuable new service, please go here.

Or else, get hold of me direct and I will send you an information pack immediately.

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Link

Dreaded droopy dick syndrome

"Dear gary,
IT is interesting to see the plethora of ads and products being promoted for the treatment of the dreaded droopy dick syndrome in the middle aged men,apart from the Viagra type products there are many natrual products such as "Horny goat weed" or "Macca"
Although I am not suffering any problems in this department yet , I very much want to look after my best mate and keep him in good working order for the coming challenges .
I was wondering if you have any experience with this problem ,and could recommend any of the natrual suppliments, or methods to prevent this from becoming a problem.

John Holmes"
__________________________
Gary Moller Comments:
John, I am pleased to know that you are without the above-mentioned matters.
There are several key factors at work that may combine to bring about declining libido in both men and women. While I am not, for one moment a medical expert on these matters, I feel I do have a reasonable grasp of some of the contibuting physiology underlying this gradual decline in sexual performance as age has its way:

• Stress, fatigue, sleep deprivation and depression
• Hum-drum relationships
• Mineral depletion; especially magnesium
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Loss of physical condition and muscle tone
• Gradual loss of circulation mostly affecting the periphery of the body
• Side effects of prescription medicines
• Hormonal changes associated with ageing

Referring directly to your question about Viagra, Horny Goat Weed and so on, these may or may not be of any use and, if they do have an effect, these should only be regarded as temporary fixes or "jump starters", since they may not deal with the underlying issues, such as stress and fatigue.

I am going to try to tackle each of the eight factors listed above over the next few weeks.

John, Thankyou for raising this important and topical subject.

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Why do I keep going on about magnesium?

Magnesium deficiency is widespread in all populations, including athletes. I first twigged to the importance of magnesium years ago when some researchers began administering it to heart attack victims upon entering emergency departments to see if it helped survival.

Magnesium deficiency contributes to high or erratic blood pressure, heart disease, poor circulation and muscle cramps. It calms the nerves.

When is magnesium deficiency suspected?
Magnesium deficiency should be suspected if any person has developed cardiovascular problems, muscle cramps, tendon problems, back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, stress, anxiety and nervous twitches. Incidentally, it is often associated with vitamin D (sunlight) deficiency. Many of the ailments I come across are cardiovascular and muscular in nature. Magnesium deficiency is suspected in many cases as a significant contributing factor. Sometimes the improvement from a few simple measures, including magnesium (and other mineral) supplementation is spectacular.

Is it more common nowadays?
We don't really know; however, we know much more about the importance of magnesium and there is good reason to think it is more common nowadays. For a start, we are living longer and older people don't eat as much or absorb nutrients quite as well as they did when young.

Magnesium deficiency is more likely nowadays because of our refined foods diet and the fact our vegetables are gown on intensively cultivated lands that have about 70% less trace minerals in them than 50 years ago (This is a good reason for growing your own veggies and feeding them with composted seaweed). Mineral water is often a good source of magnesium, but not so in most filtered water and zero in distilled water. Sea salt contains trace minerals, including magnesium. Processed salt (sodium chloride) has no trace minerals worth considering.

Sweat increases magnesium loss, so a person working or exercising for long periods in hot conditions has larger than usual needs for dietary magnesium. Topping up an athlete’s depleted magnesium stores will give a significant gain in both power and endurance and is the principal way to prevent muscle cramping.

How much magnesium do you need to keep healthy?
If deficiency is suspected, I recommend taking up to 800mg supplementary magnesium per day for three months. This is combined with other minerals, including calcium. After three months this can drop to less than 400mg.

Magnesium is stored in the organs, including the muscle and bones. While it is easy to boost blood levels in a day or so, it can take many months to build body stores. This is why I recommend a period of deliberate supplementation before backing off and then relying principally on diet.

Why don’t we hear more about the importance of magnesium?
The answer is simple, as well as disturbing: magnesium is dirt cheap and does not require a medical prescription. It is just like sunlight (vitamin D) which gets little or no promotion. This is despite the overwhelming evidence of the health benefits of magnesium for conditions like heart disease and ragged nerves.

There is no money to be made out of magnesium; whereas there is billions to be made out of all manner of heart drugs for example. You get it in your water, cheap sea salt and in your veggies. A course of magnesium supplementation costs just $10-15.

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