No. 88 January-March 2010
Don’t Let Muscles Cramp Your Active Lifestyle!
Everyone has experienced
a muscle cramp or “charley
horse,” a sudden, intense
pain caused by a muscle
locked in spasm. It may
be no more than a slight
tic, but could be an acute
spasm that lasts for several
minutes and may recur
several times. Cramps
are involuntary and can affect any of the skeletal muscles, part of a
muscle, or all the muscles in a group. Cramps can occur during any
activity even sleeping. Most commonly affected are muscles in the
front of the thigh (quadriceps), the back of the thigh (hamstring) and
the back of the lower leg or calf (gastrocnemius). However cramps
can also occur in the feet, hands, arms, abdomen, back, and ribcage.
Endurance athletes, older people doing strenuous physical activities, infants and young children exposed to excess heat, and those
who are ill, overweight, overexert themselves, or who take certain
medications, are all prone to cramps.1 Exercise-associated muscle
cramps (EAMC) are debilitating and can be very discouraging in a
fitness program. Understanding more about this common problem
can help both prevent and treat them.
Why and how do muscles go into spasm?
The exact cause is unknown, but the most common theories are
altered muscular control, dehydration, depletion of electrolytes (salts
and minerals), poor conditioning, muscle fatigue, and undertaking
a new activity.2 Regular exercise lengthens muscle fibers so they can
work more vigorously. Regular exercise strengthens the heart to
pump more blood carrying oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.
Exertion can lead to muscle fatigue. When a working muscle cannot get oxygen fast enough and waste products build up, a cramp
begins and the nervous system stimulates the muscle to keep
contracting. In hot conditions, sweating depletes the body of fluids,
salt and minerals, especially potassium, magnesium and calcium.
An imbalance of minerals and dehydration can increase the risk of
muscle spasms.1
Probable causes
The cause of muscle cramps was first investigated in the early 1900s.
The subjects were steamship workers and miners who labored for 12
– 16 hour days in extreme heat. The observed correlation of muscle
cramps with profuse sweating which drained the body of fluids, salts
and minerals led to a continuing conviction that dehydration and
electrolyte depletion were primary causes. However these studies
did not look at muscles that undergo extreme fatigue without intense sweating, as in hand/wrist cramps in typists or new musicians.
Only in the mid 1980s did researchers conclude that the evidence
points to exercise-associated muscle cramps as a result of extreme
fatigue of a given muscle as the primary cause.3
cramping muscle. [See three essential stretches below]. Hold the
stretch or actively stretch through the cramp until it subsides. Light
massage is not always helpful, but applying heat to tense, tight
muscles, and cold to sore, tender muscles promotes healing and can
ward off chronic trouble.
Tips to prevent muscle cramps
◊
Improve fitness to avoid muscle fatigue.
◊
Stretch (don’t bounce) for 2 – 5 minutes to warm up your
muscles before exercise; stretch again when you finish to
reduce muscle soreness.
Calf: Do a standing lunge with both feet pointing forward;
straighten the back leg.
Back of thigh: Sit with one leg folded inwards, the other
straight out in front (foot upright, toes and ankle relaxed).
Lean forward slightly; touch the foot of the straightened leg.
Front of thigh: From standing, bend one knee to bring the
foot behind you. Hold the top of this foot with the opposite
hand, and gently pull the heel towards your buttocks.
◊
Supplement your daily diet with these “stretch” essentials:
Calcium (1500 mg), Magnesium (750 mg), and Vitamin E (200
IU). Use chelate or citrate forms.4 If taking magnesium causes
diarrhea, switch to magnesium glycinate.
◊
Drink lots of water throughout the day to help eliminate toxins
and waste products. Half your body weight in fluid ounces is
recommended, with a teaspoon of quality sea salt to replenish
minerals lost through sweating.5
Please note: Muscle cramps can have more a serious cause than
muscle fatigue. If yours are frequent, severe, and of concern to you,
please see your doctor to rule out a serious medical condition. You
can also consult the Virtual MD.6
Resources
1. Muscle cramp. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00200
2. What causes painful muscle spasms and cramps? (2009-06-12) Quinn, E.
http://tinyurl.com/yzsy2lw
3. Exercise-associated muscle cramping. (2006). Marz, C.L.
http://tinyurl.com/yk2e57m
4. Prescription for nutritional healing, 4th ed. (2006). Balch, P.A.
5. “Hydrate for good health.” (2007-07). Gazella, K. A. Better Nutrition.
http://tinyurl.com/ycqzmxo
6. Leg cramps (unilateral) symptom check up. DSHI Systems.
http://tinyurl.com/ygv624l
7. Muscle cramp and spasm: Causes, prevention and treatment. Walker, B.
http://tinyurl.com/yk2zv6p
How to treat a muscle cramp
Most experts advise stopping the activity, and lengthening the
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Author: Sally Bremner 03/31/2010