On Muscle Beach: What to do with muscle cramps

Exercise-associate muscle cramps are brought on when muscles are under stress and occur when muscles involuntarily contract during or after exercise. They won’t kill you or even mess with your vital functions, but they can be so painful it may feel like it! For marathon runners and athletes, or anyone engaging in intense exercise, knowing how you can prevent or treat these doozies could spare you a whole lot of grief.

Which muscles are cramping your style … and why?

These muscle cramps occur when the muscles become tired and/or dehydrated. Add to this some exercise and you have some seriously parched pecs. The reason for this is because when we exercise, we sweat out fluid and salts that are meant to nourish our muscles.

When your muscles are tired and dehydrated, your brain can’t control them as well which means that they contract on their own, causing a cramp.

Cramps are very common in the leg muscles, especially the calf muscles, but any muscle can experience cramps. If you’re exercising a lot and your muscles are under more stress then that will be a factor also.

This goes for older people too, as muscles fatigue more quickly with age.

Muscles have a mind of their own

You may be able to tell whether your muscles are cramping from stress or from dehydration. Often when muscles are tired, the cramp will develop very quickly and you experience one long and very uncomfortable contraction. It will usually happen on just one side of the body as well.

However, if you are dehydrated you will get cramps on both sides of your body, for instance, both calf muscles will slowly start to feel uncomfortable and then gradually worsen. You may also experience ‘spasmodic’ muscle contractions, meaning your muscles will alternate quickly between cramped and relaxed states.

Regardless of how much exercise you want to do, your muscles won’t obey if you don’t treat them right. So here are some tips.

Prevention: Stop the treadmill – I want to get off!

If this has been a real problem for you, it’s a good idea to see your doctor. Many people don’t realise that the doctor can help, especially if you’re in training and this is a common occurrence.

First, though, try some simple preventative measures. As we have said, some cramps are brought on by dehydration and fluid loss, so get into your water and your electrolytes to replenish your body. Your muscles aren’t the only ones that get thirsty; you need fluid for all your important functions.

For cramps brought on by fatigue, remember to stretch and relax your muscles as much as possible. You may need to lay off a particular group of muscles for just a little while if you are finding one area in particular is the culprit.

Make sure you’re feeding your muscles correctly with carbs so they have what they need to do the important work you’re asking of them.

D’oh

If you do get a cramp then try a couple of techniques to relieve the pain. You can encourage the muscles to relax by stretching them out or gently massaging them. If cramps are common to particular muscles, you may find icing the area will help too.

Always be sure to keep up your fluid and essential salt intake.

Cramped conditions

Exercising is one of the best things for a body but you don’t want it to feel like a chore just because of some rogue muscles. If these tips don’t relieve your cramp concerns then the next stop isn’t the gym, it’s your doctor.

Your body will tell you when it’s struggling so the best thing to do is listen to it. Your doctor can take it from there.

 
More information

For more information on exercise associated muscle cramps, what causes them, when they occur and how to prevent them, see Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramps (EAMC).