Muscle cramps can happen to anyone, anywhere. Muscle cramping associated with muscle cramps associated with exercise is defined as a painful, spasmodic, and involuntary contraction of skeletal that occurs during or after exercise.
Fore Fitness and Health – Dr. merchen naude, is a sports doctor in pretoria with ample experience in the field.
Muscle cramps during exercise
Prevention is better than cure, and there are several reasons for muscle cramps during exercise. The first being dehydration. Athletes deal with muscle cramps all thetime. And for cyclists, the most common muscles affected are the calf muscles. Other muscles that might be affected are the inner thighs, quads, and the hamstring muscle. It may be that fluid depletion causes nerve endings to become sensitized, triggering contractions in the space around the nerve and increasing pressure on motor nerve endings.
Other causes of muscle cramps – Mineral deficiency
Exercising makes us sweat, and it’s not just water that we sweat. We lose electrolytes while exercising or being physically active. If your body is low on certain minerals, it might cause cramping in the leg muscles and other affected areas. An imbalance of sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium can help cramps along. Sports drinks replenish the muscles replacing the lost minerals but so does eating healthier.
Increase in exercise intensity
Exercise intensity is surely increased from time to time by every athlete. Training a bit harder for the coming marathon or sports event, adding more muscle groups than before, or even lengthening your training program. But this too can cause severe muscle cramps and normally an indication of too much too soon. You might need to slow down a little. Take it day by day increasing a little at a time before injury of the muscles occurs.
There is no guaranteed prevention for cramps. Some evidence exists that regular muscle stretching and correction of muscle balance and posture may reduce muscle cramps. Adequate and specific conditioning for the activity is also proven to be important.
Mental preparation for a competition, avoidance of provocative drugs, and maintaining adequate carbohydrate reserves during exercise may also reduce the risk of cramping. Some doctors may still prescribe magnesium supplementation, as magnesium is an important transport mineral featuring in muscle function.
Thus, adequate conditioning and carbohydrate intake, a regular stretching program, and magnesium supplementation may reduce your risk of cramping. Dr. merchen naude is an avid athlete herself and therefore, has extensive knowledge when it comes to sports injuries and muscle cramps. Make your appointment today at Fore Fitness and Health for your
