I’ve always lived an active physical life. “Getting physical” is crucial to my wellbeing. I played organized tackle football from the age of 9 till the end on high school. In high school I had a problem with cramps, no big deal, they just would come sometimes and toward the end of the game. I found out that the Gatoraid they’d give us gave me cramps, so I drank watered down Coke with ice (this was the 1970-73). Once I got out of high school, I took up weight lifting, it filled the “violence” that was lost after I left football playing behind. When I did weights I would sometimes later get cramps at home when I would shower or at night in bed. . I’d get cramps in my hands, lats, bicep, rear thigh. No big deal, I dealt with it by walking it off, stretching it, shaking it, or massaging .
About 15 years ago I got a house of some acreage and started doing clearing work, cutting, lifting, dragging and burning trees, digging ditches, and sweating like a dog. That has become my physical activity now that I'm in my 60's. It’s in the 90’s and humid here most of the year. When I would come in I’d get cramps and my wife would give me magnesium powder in water and within 15 minutes the cramps would be gone for the day. She would always tell me I needed to drink more water, and most of the time I would say to her that I had drank lots of water. The problem with the magnesium is that if I drink too little it does not do the job, and if you drink too much it gives me diarrhea.
Then I remembered that about 15 years ago I had read that college football players drank pickle juice whenever they would get cramps. I tried it and it was amazing, within 3 minutes the cramps were gone and didn’t come back. I tried Bragg Apple Cider vinegar, but it did not work as well . Maybe it is all the salt in pickle juice that makes the difference? Anyhow, I’m not too sure about pickle juice being all that safe to drink, so I came here to CI to see what other people recommend.