left calf gets painful cramps now?

[faisalsaleem]

for context:
18yo F
5’5 145lbs
used to eat absolutely terribly and was almost 100% sedentary lmao

i’ve been eating in a calorie deficit and working out 3x a week consistently for about 5 weeks now and a few times when laying in bed i’ve gotten an extremely painful cramp in my left calf that lasts like 30 seconds and after it happens it stays sore for the whole day after.

i’m confused why it’s only my left leg? and i’m not even doing anything crazy, my workout is just push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and then 30 minutes on the treadmill alternating walking/running on incline while doing some very light arm workouts. and i make sure to stretch well before and after. i’ve of course gotten the occasional leg cramp before but i’ve always been able to just move my leg to work it out. nothing i do alleviates this cramp and i just have to ride it out and cry a little bit lol

it occurred to me today that i do have a large tattoo that covers the whole back of my left calf that i got about two months ago but surely that’s just a coincidence? i don’t see tattoos being able to affect muscle lol

i’m just curious if this type of thing is normal for someone that transitions from no exercise to light exercise or if there’s something wrong with my routine or body LMAO

 

[androd]

@faisalsaleem Are you stretching. Enough water and potassium?

 

[faisalsaleem]

@androd i think i stretch enough- i do about 3 different kinds of stretches each for my arms and legs, not sure of the names but just your basic stretches yk and i make sure to take my time and not half-ass them no matter how boring it is i only drink water (never fancied sodas or fruit juices much) and i’d say i average about 8 cups of water a day, i should try to drink more. broccoli is my go to side item for meals and i love bananas for snacks, but i could look into potassium supplements?? it seems that potassium and water may be the culprit

 

[doomsayer2]

@faisalsaleem Possibly water and potassium.. i get that randomly hurts like hell and ends up using that as an excuse to skip leg day hahah. But yea, a coach that I know in the gym told me that, water or nutrient deficient

 

[faisalsaleem]

@doomsayer2 i’ll definitely try to increase my water intake, i feel like the stuff i eat gets me a fair deal of potassium but i might wanna look at supplements potentially to help thanks for the input!

 

[androd]

@faisalsaleem Sounds like you get enough of water and potassium. Leg stretching for your calves? Stand on a step and let your heals drop. Look up stretching for your calves. Ice. Heat. Massage them or have someone else do it.

 

[faisalsaleem]

@androd thanks for the advice! i’ll definitely start incorporating that stretch

 

[jhenneryafri]

@faisalsaleem Possibly sciatica, although that tends to be a shooting pain that runs down your entire leg. It can also be localized to the calf or foot. Any numbness?

 

[faisalsaleem]

@jhenneryafri yeah it’s definitely just a general soreness and not shooting pain. i don’t get any numbness either :\

 

[jhenneryafri]

@faisalsaleem Ah ok, hopefully you can find some comfort and get it sorted!