[Closed] Twitchy feet/restless legs after excercise

When I get twitchy legs its usually 'cos I'm really knackered (which hard exercise can obviously trigger) and dehydrated. I always drink a pint of water before bed now, helps hugely.

I had that for a while, then I found out something that was likely to be causing it.. forget what it was tho.

Any further questions, feel free to ask 🙂

I get restless legs with a need to move them when i'm over tired - usually from staying up too late, rather than from exercise.

Think its also caused by a magnesium deficiency.

I thought I was drinking enough yesterday but will try the pint before bed option, thanks for the suggestion!

I usually get it after a big ride or walk and have always put it down to effort and tiredness. The last time I had it was when the snow came in Jan and me and some friends walked 10 miles in it. Didn't feel much more tired than from a normal walk of that length but after a couple of hours my legs were going crazy. I not only had to walk around the room for a while I also stood up to watch telly for about 10/15 minutes. Seemed to calm them down but didn't stop it totally.

I have big problems with this in my calf muscles. It doesn't seem to be related to hydration but is worse after heavy exercise.

I think it may be related to nerve damage from a slipped disc a couple of years ago

I get this after long runs.
Ibuprofen before bed helps as it relaxes the muscles.

I suffer with this too, hence my username:)

I have one of those old lady Homedics shiatsu foot massagers.
It really does help me a lot.

Last time this came up someone suggested Tonic Water - something to do with the quinine.

It's been working for me and tastes lovely with a slice of lemon and a wedge of lime 🙂

I get this often after hard/long exercise, my legs are twitching now just thinking about it! No idea on the cause or cure I'm afraid but can definitely sympathise.

Hmm, tonic water with lemon and lime eh? Might try that next time, with a rather large Gin!

I always heard it was to do with salt balance (salt as in the generic term, not sodium chloride specifically - in fact it's more likely to be phosphates IIRC).

Hydration helps, but eating a banana or bag of crisps is also good; and don't forget your stretches post-exercise too.

The only way I can describe it is hot feet and the need to move legs, or an itch that can't be scratched on the soles of my feet that feels like it originates from an electrical impulse. Sometimes (like last night) its accompanied by extremely sensitive skin and the desire to scratch

I sometimes get something similar apart from the electrical bit.

Mine is caused by getting cold feet when out, then warming them up too quickly. Usually from getting in a hot shower after a cold ride/run makes them itchy later.

I think it was iDave that posted a short video of what used to happen to my calves after hard exercise...

Looked like there were worms wriggling about under the skin.

It was diagnosed as over awesomeness.

It's called fasiculation, and if you have no underlying medical or pharmacological conditions magnesium deficiency is the most common cause.
Drinking too much water can make the condition worse as you are diluting your serum magnesium levels.

I get this when dehydrated, contrary to the above. Litre of water cures it for me.

It's highly unlikely to be due to over awesomeness on my part. I'm not a huge fan of tonic water but will give that a go and acquire some 'nanas for next time. Haven't done anything massively taxing today so will have a little walk and some tonic water to see if I can prevent recurrence tonight. Thanks for all the suggestions 🙂

hilldodger has it. Fasiculation. Just to show I can spel it to. 😉

It's highly unlikely to be due to over awesomeness on my part

Be not afraid of Awesomeness!!! Some are born Awesome!!!, some achieve Awesome!!!, and some have Awesomeness!!! thrust upon 'em

Recovery/compression tights, e.g. Skins, 2XU.

Work a treat for me in just this circumstance.

For those with compression tights, how tight should they be? I have just received some Skins in a medium, from their website I'm in the middle of medium, but wonder if they should be tighter.

Depends if you've got them for exercise or recovery.

Recovery - you want them tighter than a [b]{SUGGESTIVE METAPHOR DEEMED INAPPROPRIATE BY THE MODERATORS}[/b]

Yes, recovery, I suspect I would need them to be as tight as whatever that inappropriate metaphor may have suggested!

as tight as a ducks arse and that's watertight

Tighter

Falsetto tight?

Tight but not cutting off blood supply/very uncomfortable (so i was told when i bought mine). But they don't fix the restless leg thing though (not that i bought mine for that purpose)

Mine are a little tighter than most riding bibs/ longs but not in the wet suit-tight box. My legs feel like they're being cooled when they're on. And, according to Skins' website I'd need to be half a stone lighter to be in their small sizing.