Fifty Plus (50+) - leg pain and minerals?

Greetings,
Been suffering from calf pain lately, both calves, and they just ache like a toothache. No other changes recently, this just seemed to start all by itself. No change in routine, exercise, etc. Had doctor check me out with ultrasound for possible blood clot, but everything is fine.

I have heard that low levels of certain minerals can be the direct cause of this kind of pain. Particularly, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Are these old folk tales, or is there truth in these stories? Has anyone had similar experiences that were relieved by supplements? Or are there other possible treatments? I generally don't like pharmaceuticals if I can possibly avoid it. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I take a calcium, magnesium & zinc. tab every day. It really seems to help joint pain. My 90+ year old aunt is into that kind of stuff. I was pretty skeptical, but I figured what the heck. It works for my brother too.

I walk about 1/2 mile to cool down from cycling. You use a different set of muscles when walking and I found that walking that last 1/2 mile flushes the crud produced in the cycling muscles that’s flowing through all the other leg muscles as well.

As you age sometimes you need help with vitamins and minerals- I went through 2 sleep studies and a bunch of Rx nonsense before listening to my wife and trying 400mg of Magnesium per night, along with potassium and some other things. Short version: I now sleep like a baby, have fewer to zero leg cramps, and feel much better. FWIW you can get enough potassium (usuallly) by drinking orange juice and eating rasins every day, dunno about the magnesium, apparently I have a deficency there due to some asthma meds I take daily.

At least one bannana per day for the potassium seems to help in the general leg pain area.

My experience has been that when my jersey is caked with white "sweat salts" and I have not eaten anything to replace them, I tend to cramp more. Also, while you say you haven't changed anything lately, I'd encourage you to double check that. Recently, I changed shoes (same cleats and same brand shoes only two years newer). I thought everything was the same, but it turns out the sole on the new shoes is just a fraction of an inch less deep. My calf muscles really started to ache and cramp with just that minor change. Adjusted the seat height just a fraction of an inch and everything was fine.

At least one bannana per day for the potassium seems to help in the general leg pain area.

Right on the nose (as usual)

same as all of above
I believe I pay attention to the composition of my diet as well as what I expect to get in the way of essentials - vitamin, minerals, proteins, carbs and, yes, fats. But this winter (as posted in an earlier thread) I started getting persistent awful cramps (off the bike) consecutive days of 'wooden' legs on the bike, difficult nights of broken sleep and some other symptoms. Very similar to issues I had at a younger age attributed to very hard training/riding/racing.
Mid Feb I started taking Calcium, Magnesium and POtassium supplements along with some more general Multi-Vitamin supplements that also augmented the trace minerals. Within 3 weeks I noticed great improvements in all areas. If you are putting yourself under physical stress to some level, you may need more than you're getting in your normal diet. It doesn;t have to be super high level, just consistently greater than what might be easy riding (or other activity) for you.
I used to do a banana every other day or so. Now doing at least one Large banana every day. The regime of supplements and more bananas certainly seems to have helped me.

The only thing changed on my ride on Wednesday was my saddle position. I moved it back by about 1 cm. I started to get calf cramps and I have not had them for ages. There is an exercise I can do to relieve it and that is to lift off the saddle, Lower the leg that has cramped and put weight on that leg and lower the heel. Did it a couple of times and then it hit me going up a slope. I had to keep pedalling so just got out of the saddle and lowered the heels while pedalling out of the saddle. I had this cramp come on intermitently on the ride and as I have said- I do not suffer from cramp.

Got home- Jumped on the MTB to ride around and no cramps. Back on the road bike and I could feel it almost immediately. Moved the saddle forward and no pain. Not only diet and salts affect the muscles but saddle position could have a bearing on it.

I also had a friend that suffered from cramps on rides but on one ride he lost his water bottle. I gave him my spare as I always used 2 and he had no cramps on that ride. He asked what was in the bottle and it was Isostar- An isotonic supplement. He started using it and no more cramps for him. And he really used to suffer with leg cramping.

At least one bannana per day for the potassium seems to help in the general leg pain area.

That's a start...but, a medium banana only has 450 mg of potassium. The RDA for potassium was raised last year to 4600 mg. So, the banana's only about 10% of your needs for the day.

Greetings,
Been suffering from calf pain lately, both calves, and they just ache like a toothache. No other changes recently, this just seemed to start all by itself. No change in routine, exercise, etc. Had doctor check me out with ultrasound for possible blood clot, but everything is fine.

I have heard that low levels of certain minerals can be the direct cause of this kind of pain. Particularly, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Are these old folk tales, or is there truth in these stories? Has anyone had similar experiences that were relieved by supplements? Or are there other possible treatments? I generally don't like pharmaceuticals if I can possibly avoid it. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I occasionally use Sportlegs when I'm aching or sore -- it's an expensive supplement and seems to work. Or at least, it's expensive enough that the placebo effect is really effective.

http://www.sportlegs.com/about/welcome.asp