How To Treat & Prevent Cramps

You are feeling motivated and energetic so you decide to put on your gym gear (you know the ones) and jump in your car, then drive to your local gym. When you get there you scan in with and talk to reception maybe even walk up the stairs or do a warm up what ever it is you usually do. Next thing you know you’re on the x-trainer or running on the treadmill with the sweat beginning to drip and you begin to feel an excruciating tight pain in your calf which forces you to stop. Now I am sure most have you have experienced something similar before as I know I have and I would love to know everything possible to avoid this again in the future, right.

What causes cramps? They say some of the causes are abnormal or salt (sodium levels) potassium, magnesium or calcium levels in the blood due to sweating, dehydration from inadequate fluid intake and heat stress or cold stress. Whether it is some of the above, all of the above or none of the above we can agree that the end result of a cramp is still the same with the same outcome or process as explained below. Remember cramps happen in muscles that have a reduced blood supply.

So what exactly is a cramp? We’ve heard all types of things and rumors but what is it really? Well within the muscle there are muscle spindles which are stretch receptors that increase muscle contraction and there are also things known as Golgi tendons which are tension receptors that decrease muscle contraction when tension is high. When the muscle is fatigued muscle spindles make muscle contraction more forceful and Golgi tendon activity drops and stops protecting the muscle from over contraction. The muscle then becomes over-stimulated causing erratic involuntary contraction causing a cramp.

Some of you may now be wondering; well that’s great Jas but how do I fix it?

Well I’m guessing you have heard the saying that prevention is better than the cure so let’s start there. Some prevention methods in which you may choose to use are some obvious and not so obvious.

Be fit - Cramps can be less common in athletes.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Eat well with low fat - promotes blood flow within the arteries.
Stretch before and after exercise.
If you suffer from night cramps stretch before bed.
Avoid wearing tight clothing that restricts blood circulation.

If after all the possible necessary prevention strategies have been implemented you still experience a cramp you may simply chose to use one of the following methods to treat your cramp. Being a person that experiences cramps quite regularly I have found the following two techniques to be the most effective immediate treatments.

Stretch the cramped muscle as this increases the tension in the muscle, which in turn stimulates the Golgi tendons to increase their activity, and that signals the muscle spindles to decrease muscle contraction. Remember to stretch a muscle effectively you want to increase the distance between the insertion and origin (the two ends) of the muscle.

Massage the muscle as this may increase blood flow to the area therefore relieving the pain.
Note:

Consuming salt for cramps may lead to increased dehydration and cramps.

Water contains no calories so although it may reduce the risk of dehydration and cramps your body requires sodium chloride and other nutrients to fully re-hydrate so water may not be sufficient to fully re-hydrate, use healthy, clean food or another healthy drink with nutrients, calories and maybe even electrolytes and live a life without cramps now.

I hope you have gained some new insights to the maintenance of your muscle health and after you read this you have clicked on about the prevention and treatment of cramps.

Jason Grossman is a Co-founder of the fresh and ever expanding Company 'Absolute Passion' teaching people principles and skills in Business, Finances and Personal Management.http://www.absolutepassiononline.com Jason Grossman is also a Co-founder of the rapidly growing Health & Wellness Company ‘MaxSynergy™’ providing and offering various Health & Fitness products and services to exponentially improve the quality of your life now. http://www.maxsynergy.com.au Jason is a highly qualified, recognized professional in the Health & Wellness industry. For 8 years Jason has helped thousands of people improve the quality of their lives by using effective strategies and techniques specifically designed to easily meet your needs. Jason is also a professional motivational public speaker giving presentations on everything from personal Development, Health, NLP, business, marketing, sales and much more. If you have any questions just click reply and feel free to ask anytime. I will be sharing more in depth info in the upcoming seminars for more information for those who would like to simply learn more just see the attachment or click on the link below to visit our website.

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Hydrating Properly to Prevent Cramps

Image by Maccu via Flickr

There are 2 factors that determine how well you are able to get fluid to where it’s needed during a race – Gastric Emptying (how quickly the fluid leaves the stomach) and Intestinal Absorption (how well the small intestine is able to absorb fluid).

Studies have shown that a larger volume of fluid in the stomach as well as the presence of carbohydrate and electrolytes improves the uptake of fluid.

In regard to carbohydrate concentration, the optimal amount is around 2.5g per litre of water (about 4-5% glucose). Higher concentrations tend to slow the process down, however for endurance athletes the benefits of higher energy replacement may be more preferable.

Interestingly, fructose (sugar from fruits) tends to absorb more slowly and may slow down the uptake of water.

If you can calculate your rate of loss of fluid per hour then you can easily assess your fluid requirements. To do this you should try to simulate your race conditions when you exercise and weigh yourself before and immediately after you complete your training – and with no clothes as they tend to absorb sweat.

Knowing exactly how much fluid you’re going to need will help you understand your body more and improve your overall performance

The problem then comes down to organising your equipment and the race plan so you can get the fluid you need. A lot of runners are using running belts with small 100ml bottles – however while this may be OK for training or cross-country or ultra distance events, it can hamper you during a race over a shorter distance.

For this you will have to weight up a risk versus gain strategy and take the time to get the fluid you need. A ‘slow down’ in a couple of sections to take on more fluid and electrolytes may pay big dividends in terms of completing the race at your best as opposed to slowing down with running cramps.

Note: Thirst is not a good indicator of your level of hydration – by the time you a thirsty your body is signalling a state of dehydration and if you are in a prolonged event, chances are you will not be able to get back ‘in front’ of your hydration levels. Your chances of suffering a muscle cramp and fatigue will increase.

As an example, I would call myself a recreational runner who occasionally competes in half and full marathons a couple of times per year. When I do this I get much better results when I plan a hydration/carbohydrate strategy.

I know I need about 900 ml per hour and a 4% glucose solution (with natural saccharides as well as protein) sports drink with plenty of electrolytes gives me enough sustained energy to maintain an 80% pace for the whole race.

Overall, I would always recommend a well formulated carbohydrate/electrolyte drink that will increase hydration and reduce the likelihood of leg cramps and muscle cramps caused by exercising over a continuous period in a hot, humid environment.

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.

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