So, weird story. At exactly 5:00 this morning, my left calf muscle suddenly cramped very painfully. I sat right up in bed, woke Bruce up with some sleepy shrieks and grunts, and lamely attempted to rub my leg back into a more relaxed state. Luckily, the cramp slowly abated and I was back to sleep in about half an hour.
Momby tells me this means I am deficient in some important mineral or nutrient. I looked it up, and turns out she could be right. Muscle cramping and weakness can be a symptom of Hypokalemia (Potassium deficiency). I wouldn't presume to diagnose myself with Hypokalemia based on one cramping incident, but I've also started to wonder why I'm so weak overall.
Last summer, I biked to work about 3 times a week (a 12 km round trip with no significant climbs). I felt really strong and my legs were quite firm. Now, I realize that in winter it can be harder to stay fit. But I've been taking part in a fairly rigorous fitness class for the past 2 months now, as well as spinning at the gym and taking the mountain bike out when the weather permits. However, I still find that my muscles burn from a single flight of stairs, I don't feel any stronger on the bike, and I don't detect any reduction in my resting heart rate. What's the deal? Am I a mutant?
Well, maybe it's Hypokalemia. Maybe it's not. But my strategy for the time being is to eat more potassium-rich foods and see what happens. If there's still a problem, maybe I'll go get a blood test.
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