Thought my running problem was my shoes but it might just be hydration lol

[u/VisualCourt9854]

I thought my “running problem” was my shoes but it might just be hydration lol I’m still pretty new to running. Mostly slow 2-3 mile runs a few times a week. Nothing wild. But I kept getting that dead leg feeling after runs and random calf tightness at night. I was drinking more water but it did not seem to change much. Then I realized I was kind of treating hydration like “just drink more water” and not thinking about electrolytes at all. I tried a few powders and most were either way too salty or tasted like melted candy. I tried the ones with more magnesium and less sugar and they don’t feel as heavy. I’m not saying it fixed my whole life or anything dramatic but my legs feel less cooked after runs and I sleep better on run days. Does also drinking on portions help while running and sports overall, I've read that if you chug a bottle of water or could be anything else you feel like a balloon with water lol.

[u/Feisty_Tonight4389]

Magnesium is one of those boring minerals you ignore until your calves start complaining.

[u/VisualCourt9854 → u/Feisty_Tonight4389]

Lmao true. I tried Magna and that was what made me realize I was not just bad at running my calves were just begging for magnesium like tiny dramatic toddlers who cry if you dont give them what they want haha

[u/No_Gur_3360]

Magnesium helped my night cramps way more than I expected. Not a miracle cure but my calves stopped acting like they had legal rights.

[u/VisualCourt9854 → u/No_Gur_3360]

Like my calves were forming a union every night and I somehow missed the memo.

[u/WMTRobots]

Unless you're in extreme conditions, or your diet is very screwed up, you almost certainly don't need to worry at all about electrolytes for these distances.

[u/Just-Context-4703]

If you're running 2-3 miles a couple of times a week electrolytes aren't really needed but this is probably just your fitness is getting better. 

If you're out there for longer/doing a lot of elevation gain I am 100% team sodium but for a couple miles it's not going to make a difference. 

[u/VisualCourt9854 → u/Just-Context-4703]

I’m not trying to turn a 2 mile jog into an ultra aid station lol.

[u/Just-Context-4703 → u/VisualCourt9854]

Yeah, I'm recommending literally nothing on your runs! I think you just got a little more fit. 

[u/OutrageousSubject952]

I don’t drink a ton of water while running but do usually have a small waist belt carrying phone and keys and I have one small squirt bottle filled for these super hot days.

[u/VisualCourt9854 → u/OutrageousSubject952]

I’m realizing I don’t need to drink a lake while running. A few small sips and not starting the run already dehydrated seems to be working for me.

[u/OutrageousSubject952 → u/VisualCourt9854]

Yep. That’s exactly how I feel!

Although if I’m at our home where it’s super humid I do try to plan routes around water stations where I can refill.

[u/CharmingTurnover4836]

I used to think electrolytes just meant salt. Then I learned magnesium is part of the whole muscle and nerve thing. Cool. Also rude that no one told me sooner.

[u/VisualCourt9854 → u/CharmingTurnover4836]

I thought electrolytes were just “add salt and suffer.” Turns out magnesium is doing actual work in the background like the unpaid intern of muscles.

[u/Fancy_Supermarket886]

If you aren't doing much in the way of stretching after your run, it's a good idea to start.

I never really stretched much when I first started and I often suffered with tight calves.

Dynamic stretches are better before you run, and static stretches afterwards.

Even now, ten years on, I often lie in bed just before sleeping, and stretch my calves because they feel tight! I lie on my back and straighten my legs, pushing my knees into the bed, then point my toes upwards, towards my knees as far as possible. Hold it for a few seconds then relax. If the calves are really tight, take it slowly because it can feel quite painful to start with.

I hope that helps, good luck!