I've always had trouble with calf and foot cramps, too skinny for the fins I wear. However its getting worse and I think blood shift is at least partly responsible. I'd appreciate some feedback on what I can do about this.
I dive FRC, which produces a very strong blood shift, subtantially reducing the 02 available to my calf muscles during the dive. I think this is the cause of increasing leg cramps, although age (I'm 68) and not being in great shape are obvious contributers. I get cramps after a while in the water, even when my legs are not working very hard. Pointing my toes to improve streamlining makes it much worse. I take some magnesium before a dive and that helps a lot for body surfing, but is not all that effective for diving.
My question is what to do about this, short of less blood shift? Will simply working on making my legs stronger be all that is needed? Softer fins? Other suppliments?
Thanks in advance
I dive FRC, which produces a very strong blood shift, subtantially reducing the 02 available to my calf muscles during the dive. I think this is the cause of increasing leg cramps, although age (I'm 68) and not being in great shape are obvious contributers. I get cramps after a while in the water, even when my legs are not working very hard. Pointing my toes to improve streamlining makes it much worse. I take some magnesium before a dive and that helps a lot for body surfing, but is not all that effective for diving.
My question is what to do about this, short of less blood shift? Will simply working on making my legs stronger be all that is needed? Softer fins? Other suppliments?
Thanks in advance