Muscle Cramping

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WYSiWYG

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I tried searching but came up empty, so apologies if this has been covered before - I think it's tied to the Reta - please don't come at me if this belongs somewhere else 🙂

Tomorrow will be my 3rd pin, so I'm finishing up week 2. Because of that I've been trying to stay more regular at the gym. For hydration I'm using water plus electrolyte products that got me through several Ironman races - things like propel, liquid IV, Precision Hydration. What's happening is localized abdominal cramps whenever I attempt any crunch/situp - after 4 reps I'm locked up so badly I can't even stand. Nowhere else does this happen.

My intake is in a deficit, averaging 1582 calories daily, with an honest goal of 2200/day - but I'm having trouble reaching that total. Protein is generally high, Fat stays under, and Carbs are usually well below.

5' 10" M - 236lbs

Macros Targets-

235g Carbs -

60g Fat -

180 Protein -

My aim isn't only weight loss, it's also a proper re-comp. Any advice for the cramping problem?
 
What was your starting dose, and have you increased it yet? And regarding your claim of good hydration—do you have an actual number for how much you drink?

You also want to confirm you're taking in sufficient magnesium, plus potassium alongside it. If you're saying your macro goals are hard to reach, particularly carbs where you're far below, then be sure you're eating enough carbs—not just for Reta, but for your weight training overall.

Once all of that is sorted, keep watching how your body responds while it adjusts to Reta
 
Dose is still at 1mg, hasn't been increased yet — no titration so far.

Water intake sits at 160-180oz daily — I'll start taking electrolytes 1-2 times per day.

Going to focus on getting more carbs in particular; P&F are almost where they need to be, only a bit below.

It just seems odd to me that the cramping would show up in such a specific, localized spot.
 
Muscle cramps were happening to me too. I turned to chatty-G (that's my nickname for it) to figure out what was going on. The fix for me was cutting back on fluids — I had been at 120oz, but now I'm around 60-90oz, which suits my 125 lb body — while increasing electrolytes, specifically Mg, K, Ca, and Na. These days the water I drink actually stays with me, and my muscles feel far better as a result. They're noticeably fuller.
 
WYSiWYG said:

I tried searching but came up empty, so apologies if this has been covered before - I think it's tied to the Reta - please don't come at me if this belongs somewhere else 🙂

Tomorrow will be my 3rd pin, so I'm finishing up week 2. Because of that I've been trying to stay more regular at the gym. For hydration I'm using water plus electrolyte products that got me through several Ironman races - things like propel, liquid IV, Precision Hydration. What's happening is localized abdominal cramps whenever I attempt any crunch/situp - after 4 reps I'm locked up so badly I can't even stand. Nowhere else does this happen.

My intake is in a deficit, averaging 1582 calories daily, with an honest goal of 2200/day - but I'm having trouble reaching that total. Protein is generally high, Fat stays under, and Carbs are usually well below.

5' 10" M - 236lbs

Macros Targets-

235g Carbs -

60g Fat -

180 Protein -

My aim isn't only weight loss, it's also a proper re-comp. Any advice for the cramping problem?
Click to expand...
A magnesium supplement ought to help
 
Bcnlvr said:

Muscle cramps were happening to me too. I turned to chatty-G (that's my nickname for it) to figure out what was going on. The fix for me was cutting back on fluids — I had been at 120oz, but now I'm around 60-90oz, which suits my 125 lb body — while increasing electrolytes, specifically Mg, K, Ca, and Na. These days the water I drink actually stays with me, and my muscles feel far better as a result. They're noticeably fuller.
Click to expand...
In nearly every case, muscle cramps mean your body is lacking electrolytes! I've been mixing up my own electrolyte drink at home for roughly 2 years. My wife used to get terrible cramps in her feet, and she refused to touch my electrolyte blend.

Then one day I caught her taking a vial of my mix, and I asked her what she was up to. She told me that ever since a nasty foot cramp a couple months back, she'd been drinking it every morning — she'd turned to the mix I'd recommended out of sheer desperation. She hasn't cramped since.

While using glp1's, or honestly almost any of these peptides, our bodies need us to supply the essential minerals they require. Beyond the electrolytes, I add a tsp of living silica liquid to my water each day.

On top of that, I run 5-10 miles 3-4x per week, so replacing what I sweat out is essential.😂
 
Like other people mentioned, magnesium and potassium matter. A lot of electrolyte products put most of their attention on sodium, and that's okay, but there are options that include much larger amounts of potassium and similar ingredients. My approach would be to prepare a batch myself, or combine various products, so the ingredient ratios end up different.
 
WYSiWYG said:

I tried searching but came up empty, so apologies if this has been covered before - I think it's tied to the Reta - please don't come at me if this belongs somewhere else 🙂

Tomorrow will be my 3rd pin, so I'm finishing up week 2. Because of that I've been trying to stay more regular at the gym. For hydration I'm using water plus electrolyte products that got me through several Ironman races - things like propel, liquid IV, Precision Hydration. What's happening is localized abdominal cramps whenever I attempt any crunch/situp - after 4 reps I'm locked up so badly I can't even stand. Nowhere else does this happen.

My intake is in a deficit, averaging 1582 calories daily, with an honest goal of 2200/day - but I'm having trouble reaching that total. Protein is generally high, Fat stays under, and Carbs are usually well below.

5' 10" M - 236lbs

Macros Targets-

235g Carbs -

60g Fat -

180 Protein -

My aim isn't only weight loss, it's also a proper re-comp. Any advice for the cramping problem?
Click to expand...
Do you take in over 1 gram of potassium daily, with sodium to match? While running, I notice a stronger urge to cramp than before, yet it never actually occurs, since my mornings begin with a large glass of salty water containing potassium and table salt. On days with heavy exercise, I have another glass afterward.
 
I had never dealt with cramping before, but being middle aged and only 3 months back in the gym after 20 years of a poor sedentary lifestyle meant I ran into a string of injuries. Early on I was just running trt cup, felt fantastic, and I figure I piled the weight on far too quickly, which handed me severe tendinitis in both elbows (tennis and golfers 😒). I have been rehabbing that, yet from day one my right bicep has felt incredibly tight, like a rubber band stretched past its limit and on the verge of cramping or tearing. Leg day began with squats, then lunges, where the cramping hit hard. I added stretching and a 10 minute stationary bike ride as a warm-up before lifting, which appeared to help until a severe spasm tore through my quad - it was like a snake wriggling up the middle of it, or a squirt of liquid, hard to put into words. Plenty of discomfort and pain. I started Reta, GLOW and tesa/CJC/ipa shortly after, dialled the weights way down and took it easy, but a week later pulled it again on squats. Body weight lunges and deep, very light squats with an elevation board got that back to normal though. Everything was going well right up until last Tuesday, when during shoulders - assisted pull-ups 10x25 followed by side raises - a cramp/impingement caught my right shoulder blade/trap area. It has been excruciating, I cannot sleep, it radiates down my arm and my hand has gone numb to the point where I cannot write, push the soap foam pump, or hold a toothbrush properly. I was determined to avoid painkillers - that lasted roughly 2 days with almost no sleep, and now I am dosing up on ibuprofen every few hours. Stretches and rehab exercises have not done anything yet. In the past, working pressure points with a ball would release the tension on the nerve and clear the arm numbness, but for this it has done absolutely nothing - I am out of GLOW & CJC at the moment, still running the trt & Reta. My wife is convinced the peptides and hormones are behind it and she is completely not on board - I highly doubt it. Getting older sucks, and not being able to work out for going on 2 weeks now is frustrating. Finally, drinking enough water is not my problem, I have been eating high protein and fat, low/no carb as well, but never bothered with an electrolyte.

If you made it all the way through that rant, I commend you.

Which all leads me to the conclusion that I should probably pick up an electrolytes mix - I would take Calm now and again, and I have some pure potassium chloride which is vile on its own. Any suggestions on dosing, or on ways to work out what you might be short of? I am just so done with this tightness and cramping, and with feeling like my fitness is not moving forward
 
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