Why do I get leg cramps?

We've all experienced some leg cramps during exercise, but what might cause leg cramping to occur unexpectedly?  Leg cramps is actually quite a common occurrence in the population and can actually have a fairly large impact on one's overall health, especially if these cramps are occurring at work or during sleep.  There are many different causes of leg cramps, including side effects from medications as well as disorders of the nervous and vascular systems, thyroid conditions and iron deficiency anemia.

One of the more common causes of leg cramps are mineral deficiencies.  Skeletal muscles are muscles that our body uses to move our joints and include the muscles of the quadriceps and calf muscles, which are common sites for cramping to occur.  These muscles require adequate mineral status in order to produce an efficient muscular contraction, particularly Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium.  When these minerals are out of balance or deficient, your muscles can not perform properly and can eventually experience cramping.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to be deficient in one or more of these minerals.  Consuming a diet that is calorie-rich, yet nutrient-poor continues to be extremely prevalent in our society and so many of us are simply not giving our bodies nearly enough vitamins and minerals through our food choices as we could be. 

There are also those who are actually consuming the correct amount of nutrients from our diets, but are still deficient in one or more minerals due to poor absorption.  For example, if you are inhaling your food rather than chewing it, if your stomach is not able to produce enough stomach acid, if your pancreas is not secreting enough digestive enzymes, even if you consumed a perfect diet full of nutrients, your body would not be able to absorb nearly as efficiently as it should be.  Over time, this can lead to multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies that may manifest as a multitude of symptoms, including muscle cramps.  Other conditions that cause leg cramps (mentioned above) can also have digestive and absorptive difficulties as a causal factor.

Your capacity to digest and absorb your food is such an important part of optimal health and well-being.  With that said, it is very valuable to have your Naturopathic Doctor identify and help you correct any digestive abnormalities.  Remember, you aren't  necessarily what you eat, but rather, you are what you absorb.

Yours in health,


Dr. Michael Morsillo, B.Sc., N.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Nature's Emporium
16655 Yonge St.
Newmarket, ON
905-898-1844
www.drmorsillo.com