# Foot Cramps



## shellabelly (May 17, 2010)

Hey was wondering if a lovely someone could shed some light on this gripe i'm having. I'm only an occasional snowboarder (a couple day trips every year), plus I live in Australia so the snow we get isn't really snow... it's more like ice. Anyways, I've been recently getting foot cramps in the arch of my feet -on both feet but probably my front foot more so. I have my own snowboard boots and they fit really well, I found it mostly happened at the beginning of my riding so cramping for the first few runs and then it would ease off. Then I went for lunch and hit the slopes and the same issue. Just wondering what contributes to foot cramps so I can go by elimination.


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

Do you take your boots off for lunch, or unlace them...???

If you do, then i would say that the boots are too tight and the laces stretch over the course of a few runs loosening off...

If this is not the case, and you don't undo laces, then it can only be the bindings being too tight...

That or ill fitting boots to start with...!

Someone else may be able to give a more accurate diagnosis, but it can't be that many different things to start with, so a process of elimination is all you can do...


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Do you have cramps in the feet doing other sports? Could be lack of magnesium. 
I get cramps in the feet or fingers if doing lot of sports, worsening if they're cold; magnesium rich food like oatmeal for breakfast, or sorghum/chickpea/lentil salad or a supplement helps.


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## koi (May 16, 2013)

neni said:


> Do you have cramps in the feet doing other sports? Could be lack of magnesium.
> I get cramps in the feet or fingers if doing lot of sports, worsening if they're cold; magnesium rich food like oatmeal for breakfast, or sorghum/chickpea/lentil salad or a supplement helps.


i didn't know this myself. 

and knowings half the battle, g.i.joe


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

koi said:


> i didn't know this myself.
> 
> and knowings half the battle, g.i.joe


BTW: beer contains quite a lot of Mg too ccasion14: good excuse for the après board buzz


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

neni's tips are spot on. Potassium is another good thing to have. Eating a banana before you ride may help.

Other culprits. Bad boots. Might be time for a new pair. Are you using the stock foot beds in your current pair. The foot beds that come with what ever snowboard boot you buy are crap. I don't care who they are. That foot bed has to be made to accommodate every type of foot which means it works well for none. Spending a few bucks on a Superfeet foot bed for your type of foot can make a huge difference. If that makes you life better, you might consider going full custom foot bed at some point. Pricey but worth it.


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## bseracka (Nov 14, 2011)

I usually get foot cramps in the morning and have found I overtighten my boots initially. Usually just loosen them walk around a bit and retighten. Good to go after that.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

You can also alleviate this with technique. I personally have the habit of trying to control from my feet which just overworks those little muscles and to very little effect. Focus on using your highbacks and shins for edge/edge control and even in the midst of a painful outing you can find some relief.

A caveat to this and as others have said, you just have to have good fitting boots. Any slop whatsoever is just gonna suck.


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## shellabelly (May 17, 2010)

Thanks for all the responses! I don't get cramps in other sports. But I might stock up on some Mg before my next trip up.

I think from what people are saying the culprit would be too tight boots because I have the BOA system and I'm probably tightening them more than I think I am.. cos it's just too god darn easy to do! I did loosen them up a bit on the day but maybe not enough.

I'll let you all know how it goes - NZ in two weeks baby!!! WOO!


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## stan_darsh (Mar 10, 2013)

killclimbz & neni hit it spot on

i do oatmeal or some blend of stuff from the market along with coconut water for pre-ride days (coconut water has more potassium than bananas, and i find it hard to eat more than like half a banana)

and beer during and after the ride.

this can also be supplemented with whiskey, but don't forget to drink lots of water too.


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## stan_darsh (Mar 10, 2013)

@shellabelly could also be that you're a bit tense before riding. i know sometimes when i don't ride my skateboard for a few weeks and get back on, or if i'm riding bowls/park and then loosen my trucks for riding street stuff, i get arch cramps too. i'm sure there are other factors, but i think that being uncomfortable with the new feeling and trying too hard to control my board is the issue. make sure you're nice and loose and in a calm state of mind before riding


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Haha... I'm guilty of tightening the boa till the cords squeek too. But then it feels more like painful numbness/burn rather than cramps. Since the boots have double boa for inner and outer layer, I can open them immediately after each run and the feet get relaxed before they are completely numb). 
Hope you'll find out what works best for your feet. Have fun in NZ!


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## tigre (Mar 5, 2012)

I get arch pain/cramps because of this:



snowklinger said:


> I personally have the habit of trying to control from my feet which just overworks those little muscles and to very little effect. Focus on using your highbacks and shins for edge/edge control and even in the midst of a painful outing you can find some relief.


and this:



stan_darsh said:


> @shellabelly could also be that you're a bit tense before riding. i know sometimes when i don't ride my skateboard for a few weeks and get back on, or if i'm riding bowls/park and then loosen my trucks for riding street stuff, i get arch cramps too. i'm sure there are other factors, but i think that being uncomfortable with the new feeling and trying too hard to control my board is the issue. make sure you're nice and loose and in a calm state of mind before riding


For me it's mostly when my quads are burned out from skinning and I'm trying to turn with my feet instead. To combat the physical part of it I've been riding my bike to work (22 miles a day) pretty often, to build up endurance in my quads. I still have some technique issues to work on in this regard, but I think having more energy at the top will help a lot.


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## Aphraidknot (Mar 4, 2013)

I tend to get foot cramps, but only in my lead foot. I believe it has a lot to do with sitting on the lift and letting my board hang. I end up grabbing my open binding on the ride up to help release some of the tension.


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## DrnknZag (Feb 7, 2010)

Along with most recommendations in this thread, I'd highly recommend custom footbeds. I used to have serious cramping problems in my arches, but haven't since I got footbeds. Bad boots are also a top culprit too.

I also do foot stretches prior to riding to loosen up my arches to avoid cramping as well. 

Sent from my PM23300 using Board Express


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## onthefence (Dec 16, 2010)

I used to get sore, sorta cramped feet. I felt it mostly in the middle of my feet under the arches. I switched from using canted footbeds to using zero and have had no issues since. If you have canted binding footbeds I recommend you try it out with 0 canting.


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