Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Solutions for leg cramps after Portal to Summit day hike

I generally start out from the Portal at midnight and when fortunate enough, reach the Summit around mid morning and back to the parking lot mid to late afternoon. I usually sustain some mild AMS which disappears from Trail Camp downward.I eat and hydrate on the way up but generally sluff off on the way down. After cleaning up at a local motel, hydrating and eating, I experience severe leg cramps for a good portion of the night. Thinking it's a potassium deficiency. Any any advice appreciated.

I have a friend who has cramping issues, too.

You need to keep your hydration up on the way down. Add some gatorade or something similar to your drink -- even a weak solution helps to keep you drinking. And use a camel back, not a bottle -- that makes a big difference in how much and how often you drink. And keep drinking so you need to pee every couple of hours. Do this, and I'll bet you will have a lot fewer cramps.

eat bananas before and during. the potassium gives your muscles what they need. i used to have the same issues. now i opnly have them when i forget the bananas.

I struggled with cramps like these for many years. My solution is what Steve C recommended: get a camel back. It is amazing how much more water you drink when it is so easily accessible. I simply was not drinking enough fluid when I needed to stop hiking to get at it.

Another help for me has been GU packets. I find them quick and easy to use and they are very easy on my stomach. I have found that if I take a GU packet every 60 to 90 minutes and drink fluids regularly then cramps are not a problem.

I am susceptible to leg cramps and I find that with all the previous suggestions I need to keep hydrating and keeping my electrolytes replenished for days. It is just not during the hike and right afterwards.

There are many salts the body needs besides potassium, such as chloride, magnesium, sodium, etc...while potassium is most associated with muscle cramping, it is not always the cure.

Proper nutrition is key, along with being in good shape for hiking, not just good physical conditioning.