Everything you need to know to beat muscle cramps

Muscle cramps can be overcome with proper care

Every fitness enthusiast has at some point experienced a spasm, a stitch, a Charley horse, or what it is most commonly known as – a muscle cramp. Essentially it is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax.

It can come out of nowhere and last anywhere from a few seconds to as long as half hour. It is even common for the cramp to recur until it finally resolves. There are three main types of muscle cramps that you need to be concerned about:

• True Cramps – These cramps involve part or all of a single muscle group or a group of muscles that generally act together. They are generally brought on by muscle injury, excessive exertion of a muscle group, or by dehydration.
• Tetany Type Cramps – They get their name from the effect the tetanus toxin has on the nerves. In tetany, all of the nerve cells in the body are activated which in turn stimulate the muscles and cause cramping.
• Dystonic Cramps – These cramps, although not as common as true cramps, are extremely bothersome. They occur when muscles that are not needed for a particular movement are stimulated to contract all the same.

• What Really Causes Muscle Cramps? Separate Fact from Fiction

The most common explanation people give for muscle cramps is that, when you exercise, your perspiration increases and your body releases important electrolytes such as sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride.

The prevailing theory is that electrolytes help conduct nerve impulses in your body which allows your muscles to relax. Therefore, when your body loses electrolytes the nerve impulses are not properly transmitted from your brain to your muscles, which cause them to cramp.

However, there are several reasons that conclusively point to the fact that electrolyte loss is probably not the primary cause of muscle cramps. Recent research actually indicates that muscle cramps are largely caused by premature fatigue. It is generally the muscle groups that you exert the most during workouts that become vulnerable to cramping.

Moreover, muscles that cross multiple joints are more likely to cramp as they tend to be more active during exercise. Lastly, you are more likely to experience cramps if you don’t pace yourself throughout your workout. Research shows that athletes who try to push themselves over and above what their training experience has prepared them for are far more likely to cramp than those who stay within their limits.

How to Stop Muscles Cramps from Crampin’ Your Style

As the old adage goes, prevention is always better than cure. So try the following tips to get those annoying cramps off your back:

• Keep hydrated – Even though dehydration does not directly cause muscle cramps, it can definitely play a factor in its development. Make sure that you’re hitting the water fountain between sets.
• Warm up and Cool Down – This is good practice regardless of whether it is chest day or you’re just catching up on some high intensity interval training. A warm up not only increases your body temperature, it also eases your muscles into the movements that will be required of it. Similarly, a cool down period lets your muscles get the brief rest they need before you go for Round 2 on the elliptical.
• Bounce! – Jump around, literally. Since fatigue is the primary cause of those dreaded muscle cramps, get your juices flowing with some plyometrics. So go get your skipping rope or get ready for a couple of sets of jump squats, because they really do help in keeping your muscles from tiring out. That being said, despite all these measures you still might be a victim of muscle cramps.
• After all, there is no foolproof measure to avoid them. In that event, make sure that you treat it the right way. First off, get some rest. More often than not, that should do the trick. If it persists, lightly stretch the affected muscles.
• In some cases, experts also recommend drinking pickle juice because the salty taste of the juice in a way tricks your brain into relaxing your muscles. If all else fails, just hit the closest pharmacy. Sometimes popping pills (only anti-inflammatory medicine, mind you) is the answer!

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