Weakness in Legs? It may be that the body lacks these nutrients!
Friends, has there ever been such an experience: obviously not climbing or exercise, walking legs like lead as heavy? Climbing a three-story knee trembling, supermarket queue stand ten minutes to squat?
Don’t rush to blame yourself for the lack of exercise – your body may be warning of a lack of nutrition!
Today we will talk about those elements of the body that cause weakness in your legs, is what deficiency causes weakness in legs you want to ask. ready small notebook, let’s directly on the dry goods!
- Vitamin D:
Typical symptoms:
Soreness in the front side of the thighs when going up and down the stairs
When you get up from sitting for a long period of time, your knees are “weak”.
The legs are especially tired on rainy and cloudy days
Reason:
Vitamin D is not only a calcium supplement, but also directly affects muscle strength. 2017 Journal of Medical Hypotheses directly pointed out that vitamin D insufficiency can lead to type II muscle fiber atrophy – that is, the lack of the element that controls endurance.
Quick supplement method:
Roll up your sleeves and tan your arms for 15 minutes on a sunny day (don’t wear sunscreen)
Eat egg yolks and salmon (for those who don’t cook for themselves choose vitamin D3 drops for more immediate convenience) - Potassium:
Typical symptoms:
Wake up in the middle of the night with sudden cramps and pain in the calves
After exercise, legs are as soft as jelly
Especially noticeable after drinking coffee/alcohol
Reason:
Potassium and sodium are like “switches” for your muscles. When potassium is deficient, nerve signals go haywire and muscles either become overstimulated (cramps) or inactive (weakness). The Journal of Nutrition experiments show: a week of low potassium diet, healthy people leg strength decreased by 11%!
Quick supplement:
One banana = 1/3 of your daily potassium needs
Steamed potatoes with skin on (6 times more potassium than rice)
Coconut water (natural electrolyte drink) - Iron:
Typical symptoms:
Shortness of breath and heavy legs when walking on level ground.
Brittle nails, pale face
High prevalence in vegetarians/people with heavy menstrual periods
Reason:
Iron is the raw material for blood production. When iron deficiency occurs, the amount of oxygen to the muscles decreases drastically, which is equivalent to an engine running out of oil – even the best muscles are useless! Especially for women, the rate of iron deficiency is as high as 35% between the ages of 20-49.
Iron way:
Stir frying greens in an iron skillet (acidic foods increase iron absorption)
Vitamin C + iron with food (double the absorption rate)
Spinach iron supplement? Better to eat pig liver (plant-based iron absorption rate of only 2-3%) - Magnesium:
Typical symptoms:
Tight and sore calves after standing for a long time
Always want to shake your legs to relieve discomfort
Accompanied by insomnia/anxiety
Scientific explanation:
Magnesium is responsible for regulating muscle relaxation. When deficient in magnesium, muscles continue to tense up, using more energy and leading to faster fatigue. Journal of Magnesium Research Experiment: 300mg of magnesium supplementation per day resulted in a 22% increase in leg endurance in subjects.
Magnesium supplement program:
Grab a handful of pumpkin seeds as a snack (535mg of magnesium per 100g)
Take a bath with laxative salt (magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin)
Dark chocolate (choose 70% or more cocoa content) - Vitamin B1:
Typical symptoms:
Numbness and tingling in the toes
Weakness in the legs is especially noticeable after drunkenness
Love of refined rice and white flour/sweets
Reason:
Vitamin B1 is the key to sugar metabolism. Modern people overload their carb intake, drastically increase their B1 consumption, and yet rarely eat roughage – the result is a metabolism that is not immediate.
Supplement program:
Sprinkle a handful of oats or quinoa when cooking rice
Eat pork choose tenderloin (B1 content is 10 times that of beef)
Swallow two tablets of B complex before drinking (to prevent alcohol depletion of B1) - Protein:
Typical symptom:
Significant loss of energy after weight loss
Flabby buttocks/thighs
Slower wound healing
After 30 years of age, muscle loss of 1% per year, protein insufficiency will accelerate the process. Many people think that “eating meat to gain weight”, in fact, protein deficiency is the culprit of the lower metabolism!
Cost-effective way to eat:
Breakfast with a boiled egg (cheaper than protein powder)
Dried beans + green peppers fried to eat (the king of plant protein cost-effective)
Whey protein powder (best half hour after training)
Self-check list: your leg weakness belongs to which kind?
Light in the morning and heavy in the evening + fear of cold → check vitamin D
Cramps + sweaty → check potassium/magnesium
pale + easily dizzy → check iron
Numbness of feet + love of sweets → check Vitamin B1
Weakness after weight loss → check protein
Important note: Seek medical attention for these conditions!
While 80% of leg weakness is a nutritional issue, if it occurs:
Sudden weakness in one side of the leg (watch for stroke precursors)
Incontinence (possible spinal problem)
Drinking a lot of water but losing weight (check for diabetes)
Go to the hospital immediately! Don’t take your own supplements!