Leg Cramps & Team Sports – You Get Back What You Put In

I read it all the time in the newspapers and online sports reports how players suffer leg cramps literally in the last quarter and how this can mean the difference to a win, lose or draw. Especially in tough physical contests such as football (soccer), American football, rugby union, rugby league and Australian ‘Aussie’ Rules.

Imagine the impact it would have if a coach could eliminate and prevent cramps that plague sports teams during games. In this article I’m going to touch on some of the things the coach or the assistant coach or trainer needs to keep an eye out for.

Well, the first place I look at is the environment the players are in and how much they physically sweat. If they sweat a lot that’s one thing that will promote cramps.

The other thing you could do is watch what they eat before they go into an event. If they’re going to a fast food restaurant and get a burger or a soda they’re going to get more challenges than someone that ate a high protein, high carbohydrate meal.

You can’t look at a person and say he’s tall so he’s more likely to get a cramp but if you look at their eating habits or see them perform and they’re sweating excessively and losing a lot of liquids then you can assess more accurately what’s going to happen.

I’ve worked with teams for a long time as a trainer and after starting with a new team I could tell you after 2 weeks who’s going to get cramps & who’s not - poor diet or a good diet, their eating habits, whether they sweat profusely, whether they take care of themselves or not, you can tell. For example if someone’s drinking a litre of fizzy pop before they work out and that’s their only method of drinking water, that’s going to create a lot of problems.

In a recent study of Australian Rules players, it was revealed that players are running at close to their maximum speed for 15 to 20km per game.

Interestingly the coaches began analysing their players because they started showing signs of severe fatigue and cramping as a result of a rule change which had bigger defenders running more.

The increase in the number of players suffering leg cramps and calf cramps is a direct example of how environment – in this case causing fatigue – can influence how much and how often a person can cramp.

And in ‘wet and heavy track’ conditions the percentage of players suffering leg cramps in particular gets much higher.

Copyright www.Running-Cramp-Relief.com

Paul Newland is a health and nutrition consultant, trainer, martial arts instructor, commercial helicopter pilot and author. His Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide is one of the internet's leading health information books and is the definitive guide to preventing, treating and curing cramps associated with exercise. In the Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide Newland speaks with 6 health, sports, nutrition, medical and complimentary health care professionals and explains why you get cramps, the best ways to treat them and how to prevent them from happening again. You can read more on nutrition and the simple steps you can take to eliminate crmaps and give you a sporting edge that will also extend your sporting life and improve your health.

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Leg Cramp Treatment - Increase Circulation in Legs

The essential oils in this synergy blend for relieving leg cramps are effective analgesics (pain relievers) and antispasmodics (calm muscles and nerves) and helpful for relieving muscle and leg cramps and spasms.

PEPPERMINT (Mentha piperita) One of the most powerful vasoconstrictors in aromatherapy and a powerful analgesic pain reliever Peppermint oil is excellent for relieving muscle spasms and cramps.

SWEET MARJORAM (Origanum marjorana) An antispasmoidic Marjoram stimulates blood circulation making it a nice addition to your blends for relieving muscular aches and pain. Excellent for topical application to ease pain from strained muscles and leg cramps.

LAVENDER (Lavendula augustifolia) An Analgesic (pain reliever), an Antispasmodic (calms nervous and muscular spasms and cramps), a Restorative (helps to strengthen and revive the body systems), a Sedative (soothing, tranquilizing, calming effect on the body), and a Relaxant (soothing, relaxing, relieving strain or tension)

DIRECTIONS: Dilute your synergy blend in your favorite carrier oil. I recommend Pure Light Coconut oil as it is fully metabolized by the body and, unlike most oils, not absorbed into the fatty cells and tissues of the body, making it an ideal carrier for essential oils to move through the fat cells beneath the dermis and into the blood vessels serving muscles, etc. As well Pure Light Coconut oil remains liquid at room temperature and, because of its light consistency, will not clog skin pores, making it suitable to use on sensitive or problem skin.

Dispense 1-3 drops into the palm of your hand, inhale & apply oil to your Mid-calf muscle & Achilles tendons, massaging gently. The oils will enter through the neurovascular points located in these areas to effectively trigger your relaxation and healing response to promote fast relief for leg cramps.

Aromatherapy is Nature's Medicine in its purest and most essential form. Aromatic Oils are the very soul of a plant. Even a drop or two can produce significant results for your body, mind and spirit. Properly administered essential oils are a natural, safe and effective way to enhance your health and well-being and may produce satisfying results where other methods have failed. Please consult with your physician regarding serious health concerns and do not attempt to self diagnose.

PLEASE NOTE: There are many cheap, synthetic copies of aromatic oils, but these are not recommended for therapeutic use. For best results purchase the highest quality oils you can possibly find. Use organically grown or wild crafted essential oils that have been tested for purity and are pesticide free.

You receive five FREE aromatherapy publications as a gift when you purchase PurePlant Essentials Organic Aromatherapy Products.

Click to purchase the Leg Cramp Treatment synergy blend: Leg Cramp Relief: http://www.kgstiles.com/healthsolutions/legcramprelief.htm

Click to purchase Organic Peppermint oil: http://www.kgstiles.com/moreinfo/peppermint.htm

Click to purchase Organic Lavender: http://www.kgstiles.com/moreinfo/lavender.htm

KG Stiles is a certified aromatherapist practicing in Ashland, Oregon, USA. She has utilized essential oils in her professional practice for more than 30 years. She is the Director of PurePlant Essentials Organic Aromatherapy and a specialist in formulating aromatic blends for healthy living. More Info? Contact: KG Stiles at Springhill Wellness Center, Ashland, OR (541) 941-7315. Mahalo!

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Exercising - Stretching To Prevent Cramps

Everyone knows it's a good idea to always stretch your muscles prior to exercising, but did you know stretching might also help reduce leg cramps? Here are some good tips to proper stretching that will lower your chances of getting leg cramps.

Before beginning any exercise or workout routine you should always stretch your muscle groups for at least a minute. The best way to accomplish this is to gradually stretch out your muscles. Don't stretch so hard and fast that you injure yourself by tearing the muscle. Slowly stretch and increase every 10 seconds until you can't stretch any further and then hold it for 30 seconds.

According to David Joyce, a resident sports massage therapist, you should utilize a very light 10-minute warm up period at 50% effort. Then follow that up with 10 minutes of stretches. David has found that up to 70% of leg cramps and injuries can be prevented by following these tips. This applies to runners, football players and basketball players.

David also mentions that a combination of massage and stretching will work the best. When you watch an NBA basketball game you will notice that during warm-ups the players stretch and trainers will massage the players legs.

Of course, most of us don't have a personal trainer or massage therapist on hand to help us, but you can do some of this yourself with a little massage therapy basics. Read up on it and apply some of the principles. It will greatly reduce the possibility of getting leg cramps during exercises.

Know How Flexible You Are

If you know how flexible you are then you can know if you're prone to getting leg cramps or even a lower leg injury like an Achilles injury.

How do you test your flexibility? For your calf muscles you should sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Keep your knees straight and grab the top of your feet, pulling them toward you. You should be able to pull them back 90 degrees without discomfort.

If it feels tight then you know that you need to concentrate on exercising and stretching these muscles. Spend a little extra time stretching and you'll notice the results immediately.

If you live in a colder climate you may need to spend more time stretching than you would in a warm climate. The colder air tightens your muscles. Keep that in mind on those cooler days.

I know that 10 minutes can seem like a lot of time to warm up, so you may want to start out with a slow jog. After a few minutes you can begin stretching and even mix in a yoga routine. By adding the yoga to your stretching you can warm up your muscles quicker without the risk of getting a leg cramp or muscle injury. Be sure to end any workout or exercise routine with stretching.

If you will add a good stretching routine before any sporting event or exercise program, you'll reduce the risk of getting those painful leg cramps. And that makes things much more fun in the long run.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Exercise

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Muscle Cramps During Endurance Events

If you’ve ever developed severe muscle cramps during long-term exercise, the odds are that you never found out why it happened. Doctors in South Africa studied triathletes and found that most of the time, the muscles cramps were not caused by dehydration, thyroid disease, blocked blood flow, nerve damage, or mineral abnormalities in the levels of calcium, sodium, magnesium or potassium (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, July 2005). Probably the most common cause of cramps in exercisers is lack of salt, but this was not shown to be the cause of severe cramps in the elite athletes.

The athletes with cramps had normal electrolytes and did not lose more fluid during exercise than those who did not suffer cramps. The researchers showed that the most likely cause is muscle fatigue or tearing of the muscle itself. Electromyograph (EMG) studies at one to five minutes, but not at ten minutes, showed markedly elevated electrical activity of the nerves controlling the cramped muscles. Therefore muscle cramps during long distance athletic events appeared to be caused by exercise-induced damage to the muscles themselves.

If this is true, muscle cramps during endurance events can be prevented by slowing down when you feel excessive soreness on one muscle group or a straining in the muscle. Of course, competitive athletes do not do this, and they pay for it with muscle cramps.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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The Cause And Cure For Night Leg Cramps

I'm sure you've had them. Almost everybody does. Those nagging, painful and sometimes excruciating night leg cramps. They seem to come out of nowhere and when they hit, it's like somebody's taken a baseball bat to the bottom of your body. Well, fear not. The days of your night leg cramps may soon be over. This article is going to explain to you what causes these things and also give you a very simple cure for the problem. I have no doubt that after reading this, your night leg cramps will be a thing of the past.

But first, a story.

One night I was lying in bed. Suddenly, I felt the hamstring in my left leg start to tighten like you wouldn't believe. At first it was a dull pain that turned into a sharp pain. It was so bad that when I got myself out of bed and headed for God knows where, I literally collapsed in the hallway and almost passed out from the pain. That was the last night I ever suffered with this problem because the very next day I started to do my research and this is what I discovered.

The experts are all divided on what actually causes night leg cramps, however, when digging real deep into this, I found something relating to alternative health that made sense. The general belief is that night leg cramps are caused by an imbalance of electrolytes in the body. In other words, there is a lack of essential elements in your body and it is this lack that is causing the cramps. I then thought about this and looked at how I was eating at the time. It made sense. But what was I missing. I wasn't the greatest eater in the world. It could have been just about anything.

Well, upon further digging, and a little luck, I discovered that the one thing in particular that was causing this was a lack of potassium in my diet. Great, but how was I going to get that extra potassium? Okay, time to do more research. Well, to make a long story short, I discovered that bananas are an excellent source of potassium. Well, I wasn't a big fruit eater, but I was willing to try anything. So, I started to eat bananas regularly. As a result, I haven't had a night leg cramp since.

Now, there are other contributing factors to night leg cramps that most experts DO agree on such as muscle overexertion, prolonged sitting, dehydration, pregnancy, diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, alcohol use and certain medications. But potassium is the one thing they say will make the biggest difference.

So go to the supermarket and pick yourself up a bunch. I think you'll find a great improvement in your night leg cramps.

To YOUR Health,

Steve Wagner

For natural treatments to a number of ailments, visit our website at http://www.natures-healing-remedies.com/ where you can get a free report on how the drug companies are killing us as well as get a 52 week series on a different ailment and treatment each week.

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How To Avoid Leg Cramps While Sleeping Or When Waking Up

About Leg Cramps

A leg cramp means an acute pain which usually originates from a muscle in the leg. It takes place when a muscle contracts too hard. Leg cramps usually occur in one of the calf muscles, below and behind the knee. The small muscles of the feet are sometimes affected.

A regular leg cramp pain can last from a few seconds to several minutes. Besides, the intensity of the pain varies according to each one’s case. But, the damage in the muscles provoked by the cramp may remain up to 24 hours. In most cases, leg cramps occur when you are resting especially while sleeping or when you wake up. If not given the necessary attention, it can become a distressing problem which can disturb your regular sleep.

Causes of Leg Cramps

Leg cramps are mainly caused by a contraction of an already shortened muscle. So, contracting the leg further may cause the muscle to go into spasm. It happens frequently during sleep. The regular sleep position, we rest with the knees slightly flexed, and with feet pointing slightly downwards. So, the tension by shortening the calf muscle makes it susceptible to cramps. This theory explains why maintaining a correct posture could avoid this problem and stretching exercises may relieve the pain.

Relieving Leg Cramps

When you have a leg cramp, the first things you should do to relieve the pain is to:
• Walk on the wounded leg
• Massage the muscle gently
• Maintain your leg straight and flex it toward your knee until you feel the calf muscles stretch
• Put some ice on the affected muscle.

For most people, these tips would be very effective for relieving leg cramps. In some rare cases, these tips don’t work and the pain becomes uncontrollable. In this situation medical help is recommended.

Avoiding leg cramps

The most important thing you should do to avoid leg cramps is to prevent them. So, the first step to take is to maintain a correct posture of the legs during sleep. You should try a pillow that keeps your leg correctly aligned depending on the way you prefer to sleep. If you sleep on your back, you should maintain your feet in a higher level than the bed. If you sleep on your side you should use a pillow to maintain your legs slightly apart, so the leg you’re lying on doesn’t receive all the pressure of the other one’s weight.

Nowadays, many doctors recommend using orthopedic pillows because they are especially designed to maintain a correct position of the leg and feet. By doing so, you will be able to live free of pain when you wake up and you will get up with a much better mood for a new day.

D. Charles Jameson is a freelancer copywriter and editor. His latest article talks about the positive effects of the leg wedge pillow, which is currently gaining more adepts because it avoids leg cramps. You can read more info about it at http://www.legwedgepillow.com.

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Causes of Leg Cramps

When we use our muscles that can be controlled voluntarily (arms and legs), they contract and relax alternately as we move our arms and legs. Similarly, the muscles that support our head, neck, neck and trunk are synchronized to hold our posture. When a muscle or just a few fibers of it that contracts involuntarily, it is called a spasm, and if this is forceful and sustained, it turns into a cramp. Therefore a leg cramp is an unwillingly and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. Leg cramps can last from just a few seconds to fifteen minutes. On the other hand, the entire, or several muscles may be involved in a leg cramp. Leg cramps pain especially in the calf.

Causes of Leg Cramps

Leg Cramps involve part or all of a single muscle or a group of muscles that in general act together. Most doctors agree that these cramps are caused by hyper excitability of the nerves that stimulate the muscles. Leg cramps are usually caused by:

Injury: A persistency muscle spam could happen as a protective mechanism following an injury such as a fractured bone. In this case, the spam tends to lower its movement and stabilize the area of injury. A muscle injury may cause the muscle to spasm.

Vigorous Activity: Leg cramps are linked with the vigorous use of muscles or muscle fatigue in sports or with unusual strenuous activities. Such cramps may appear during the activity or sometimes much later. Muscle fatigue also may come from sitting or lying for an extended period in an awkward position or any repetitive use can cause cramps. The elderly are at risk for cramps when performing forceful physical activities.

Rest Cramps. Particularly in the elderly, cramps at rest (often at night) are very common although may be experienced at any age even in childhood. They are very disruptive of sleep and disturbing. They sometimes persist frequently and are very painful. The real cause of night cramps is unknown. An example is pointing the toe down while laying in bed, which shortens the calf muscle, a common place for cramps.

Dehydration: Sports and vigorous activities can cause excessive fluid loss from perspiration which increases the likelihood of leg cramps. Leg cramps are more likely in warm weather and can be an early sign of heart stroke. Chronic volume depletion of body fluids from diuretics and poor fluid intake may act similarly to predispose to cramps in the elderly. Loss of sodium is usually a function of dehydration.

Low Blood Calcium, Magnesium: These may be predisposing factors for the spontaneous leg cramps experienced by many older adults, as well as for those noted during pregnancy.

Contractures: Results when the muscles of the leg are unable to relax. The constant spasms are cause by a depletion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy chemical within the cell. This prevents muscle fiber relaxation. The nerves are inactive in the form of muscle spam. Contractures can be inherited or acquired.

An Effective Way to Prevent Leg Cramps

A good way to prevent leg cramps is to maintain the muscles relaxed avoiding spasms. As a result you will be able to sleep comfortably and wake up totally energized. Now you can achieve this by using an orthopedic pillow like the Leg Wedge Pillow- This affordable dual purpose, contour leg spacer knee wedge and leg elevation pillow is designed to fit the natural curves of your body and legs, cradling you in comfort.

D. Charles Jameson is a freelancer copywriter and editor. One of his articles explains the benefits of Leg wedge pillow used as a contour leg pillow. As a result, it can avoid leg cramps.

You can read more info about it at http://www.legwedgepillow.com.

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