For Your Health (a hunk's log)

[broseph]

11/14/24

Incline Treadmill Walk
35:00

[broseph]

11/19/24

5 days without a workout- yikes. A few of those days are colonoscopy-related (didn't want to stress the mooscles only to deprive of them of nutrients for 2 days).

Bench 265x5 OT2:30 x 6

Squat 315x5 OT3:00 x 3
These moved fast and everything was fine until I ducked under the bar to unrack the 4th set and both hamstrings cramped hard. I tried working them out but even air squats re-triggered the cramps. Seems like this is happening more often? Maybe a gentle reminder that I should be doing routine stretching?

Tib Raise 35x 16, 14

Squat cramp musings: I just remembered I had some weird fluid shifts over the past few days with the clear liquid diet, colonoscopy prep, NPO status, IV fluid resuscitation, and super salty Culver's as my first post-op meal. Still, I get squat-induced hamstring cramps often enough and should probably do some stretching.

[Hardartery]

11/19/24

5 days without a workout- yikes. A few of those days are colonoscopy-related (didn't want to stress the mooscles only to deprive of them of nutrients for 2 days).

Bench 265x5 OT2:30 x 6

Squat 315x5 OT3:00 x 3
These moved fast and everything was fine until I ducked under the bar to unrack the 4th set and both hamstrings cramped hard. I tried working them out but even air squats re-triggered the cramps. Seems like this is happening more often? Maybe a gentle reminder that I should be doing routine stretching?

Tib Raise 35x 16, 14

Squat cramp musings: I just remembered I had some weird fluid shifts over the past few days with the clear liquid diet, colonoscopy prep, NPO status, IV fluid resuscitation, and super salty Culver's as my first post-op meal. Still, I get squat-induced hamstring cramps often enough and should probably do some stretching.

Might help, probably electrolyte depletion though combined with mild dehydration. I don't know how much you sweat or hydrate, but that is a more common cause. Calcium depletion is a much less common cause, but more likely potassium or basic electrolytes and dehydration.

[broseph]

Might help, probably electrolyte depletion though combined with mild dehydration. I don't know how much you sweat or hydrate, but that is a more common cause. Calcium depletion is a much less common cause, but more likely potassium or basic electrolytes and dehydration.

Yeah, I'm definitely blaming yesterday's extreme cramps on this

I had some weird fluid shifts over the past few days with the clear liquid diet, colonoscopy prep, NPO status, IV fluid resuscitation, and super salty Culver's as my first post-op meal.

I'm usually well hydrated and eat a varied and healthy diet, but I feel like I get cramps easily and frequently.

You can't buy proper potassium supplements (I imagine due to lethality of high doses), but I sometimes use "Nu Salt" which is just potassium chloride. I should try using it more regularly and see if there's any difference. In addition to my healthy diet, I also take magnesium and zinc supplements. But that's all the special attention I give to minerals.

Regardless of cramping I'd like to be more flexible (less stiff) which why I'm advocating for stretching.

[broseph]

11/20/24

If I do arms and shoulders before cardio today I can make tomorrow's lifting session shorter (lol I'll still putz around and make it last the usual time).

Press 165x3 OT1:30 x 7

Lying Close Grip EZ Tricep Press 118x 16, 16
This was like an extra close grip JM press that touches down at the nipple line. No elbow pains. Solid tricep pump.

Twisting DB Curl 40x 13, 10


Potassium Musings: Looks like you can buy KCl powder (bulk supplements, etc). I could get a capsule filler and make my own suicide pills potassium supplement pills (I'm not actually going to do this).


ETA Incline Treadmill Walk: 30:00

[Hardartery]

Might help, probably electrolyte depletion though combined with mild dehydration. I don't know how much you sweat or hydrate, but that is a more common cause. Calcium depletion is a much less common cause, but more likely potassium or basic electrolytes and dehydration.

Yeah, I'm definitely blaming yesterday's extreme cramps on this

I had some weird fluid shifts over the past few days with the clear liquid diet, colonoscopy prep, NPO status, IV fluid resuscitation, and super salty Culver's as my first post-op meal.

I'm usually well hydrated and eat a varied and healthy diet, but I feel like I get cramps easily and frequently.

You can't buy proper potassium supplements (I imagine due to lethality of high doses), but I sometimes use "Nu Salt" which is just potassium chloride. I should try using it more regularly and see if there's any difference. In addition to my healthy diet, I also take magnesium and zinc supplements. But that's all the special attention I give to minerals.

Regardless of cramping I'd like to be more flexible (less stiff) which why I'm advocating for stretching.

I mean, yeah, the older I get the more on board I am with needing to stretch, not trying to say you don't need that. I know that in my case I go hypocalcemic with any serious lifting session on top of the standard problems of sweating in 90-110 degree heat with no air movement and I have learned to kind of feel the difference through time and labs. I pre-load a NAG+calcium+K2+creatine mix with either water or a shake before the gym and stick a bottle of electrolyte drink in the freezer for when I get back (Not Gatorade, like Pedialyte or Electrolit or something along that line) on top of a Camelback full of ice and water for the session and maybe a little bag of gummy bears or something if I'm wearing down too fast. It makes a difference, and I also get hammy cramps frequently if I'm not careful. They suck. Pretty sure that's what my minor tear was a couple of weeks ago, a cramp gone bad.

[broseph]

I mean, yeah, the older I get the more on board I am with needing to stretch, not trying to say you don't need that. I know that in my case I go hypocalcemic with any serious lifting session on top of the standard problems of sweating in 90-110 degree heat with no air movement and I have learned to kind of feel the difference through time and labs. I pre-load a NAG+calcium+K2+creatine mix with either water or a shake before the gym and stick a bottle of electrolyte drink in the freezer for when I get back (Not Gatorade, like Pedialyte or Electrolit or something along that line) on top of a Camelback full of ice and water for the session and maybe a little bag of gummy bears or something if I'm wearing down too fast. It makes a difference, and I also get hammy cramps frequently if I'm not careful. They suck. Pretty sure that's what my minor tear was a couple of weeks ago, a cramp gone bad.

What exactly is NAG+calcium+K2 ? N Acetylglucosamine, calcium, and vitamin K2? And what form of calcium are you using?

[Hardartery]

I mean, yeah, the older I get the more on board I am with needing to stretch, not trying to say you don't need that. I know that in my case I go hypocalcemic with any serious lifting session on top of the standard problems of sweating in 90-110 degree heat with no air movement and I have learned to kind of feel the difference through time and labs. I pre-load a NAG+calcium+K2+creatine mix with either water or a shake before the gym and stick a bottle of electrolyte drink in the freezer for when I get back (Not Gatorade, like Pedialyte or Electrolit or something along that line) on top of a Camelback full of ice and water for the session and maybe a little bag of gummy bears or something if I'm wearing down too fast. It makes a difference, and I also get hammy cramps frequently if I'm not careful. They suck. Pretty sure that's what my minor tear was a couple of weeks ago, a cramp gone bad.

What exactly is NAG+calcium+K2 ? N Acetylglucosamine, calcium, and vitamin K2? And what form of calcium are you using?

Yes, you nailed it. I use calcium citrate because it's better absorbed. K2 is fat soluble so I throw eat a fish oil cap or something around the same time and maybe throw in D2 depending on how much I've been outside. My body dislikes D3 a lot so I don't fool with it. The creatine is mostly to theoretically shuttle the other stuff to the cells a little better on top of whatever other benefits might be had from it. At least if recent studies are to be believed it will help with that, I'm sure the opinion will go back and forth a few times as time goes by.