I HAVE REALLY TIGHT CALVES PRETTY MUCH ALL THE TIME. THEY’RE VERY PRONE TO CRAMP, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENING AFTER A RUN. I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING! I DON’T RUN PARTICULARLY LONG DISTANCES – NORMALLY BETWEEN 5-10K PER RUN. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED!
You’ve done and tried all the right things for simple leg cramps (drinking more, taking on more salt, stretching and foam rollers). The fact that your calves are tight all the time and made worse by running suggests that the problem may be in your biomechanics – the way your body holds itself and moves. I think you would really benefit from an assessment by a sports physiotherapist. Often the problem is not in the calves themselves but elsewhere in the lower or upper legs, feet, hips, pelvis or even spine. It would be sensible to address this problem because tight calves can sometimes be a precursor to other conditions such as Achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis, both of which will need time out from running. A physiotherapist will be able to advise you on specific exercises to do and hopefully stave off any future problems.