Muscle pain and discomfort is associated with exercise that demands substantial muscle effort. You can also experience this if you have stressed your muscles beyond their usual endurance level. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons or AAOS, muscle cramps in your legs are not unusual. The muscles most often affected in your legs include your hamstrings, in the back of your thigh, or your quadriceps, or the top front muscle in your thigh.
Considerations
A muscle cramp is the result of muscle spasms. These are common sports- or exercise-related injuries that just about everyone has at some time. According to the AAOS, endurance athletes and older people involved in strenuous exercise are most likely to suffer leg cramps. Cramps are also common in children, anyone older than 65, obese people and those suffering with chronic illnesses. Muscle cramps can also be the result of certain medications and drugs. Cramps are most likely when you use your muscles longer than normal or at a higher than normal activity.
Physiology
Your muscles are made of bundles of fibers that contract and expand as you move. Stretching lengthens your muscle fibers. This promotes normal function when exercising. If you're out of condition, you are more likely to injure your leg muscles due to fatigue. If you overexert a fatigued muscle that isn't getting adequate oxygen, it results in a buildup of lactic acid in the muscle tissue, the AAOS says. This waste product buildup results in a spasm. Unfortunately, the contracted muscles in spasm signal your nerves in your spinal cord to hold the contraction.
Conditions
Muscle cramps are more likely in warm or hot weather due to the likelihood that you will perspire heavily. This results in dehydration, one of the most common causes of cramps in addition to muscle fatigue. Because your perspiration contains minerals important to muscle and body functions, reduced levels directly affect your muscles' ability to contact and relax normally. Hydrating adequately with electrolyte beverages helps prevent dehydration, helps preserve muscle function and avoids spasm and resulting cramps, the AAOS says.
Warning
Most muscle cramps aren't a problem and resolve spontaneously. But if your cramps are severe, happen frequently or occur when you're not involved in strenuous exercise, see your doctor. Leg cramps can also be a symptom of blood clots, and nerve or other circulatory or metabolic abnormalities. Muscle cramps can also be a side effect of certain medications, including statins used to lower your cholesterol.
