Most people expect some soreness in the muscles after exercise, although twitching in the leg muscles after exercising is not uncommon. Twitching in the legs after exercise is rarely a cause for medical concern and usually resolves after a short time without any complications. Leg twitching after exercise is preventable with changes in exercise and diet and treatable with self-care.
Features
Most leg twitching that develops after exercise lasts for just a few minutes at a time and comes and goes for a few hours or days after a workout. The twitches do not usually cause pain, although the sensation of twitching muscles can result in discomfort or annoyance with the uncontrollable movements the twitching causes. Attempting to move the legs during the twitching might prove difficult or uncomfortable until the twitching subsides.
Causes
In some people, exercise itself can cause twitches in the legs. Twitches in the muscles of the legs can also result from a dietary deficiency or overconsumption of caffeine, reports the National Library of Medicine website. People who use medications including diuretics, estrogen or corticosteroids might also develop leg twitching after exercise. If you have a high level of stress or anxiety in your life, this could also result in leg twitching after exercise. Injuries incurred during physical activity, such as a pinched or damaged nerve in the leg might also lead to leg twitching. Long-term neurological conditions such as muscular dystrophy, myopathy or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Treatments
Most of the time, you do not need to do anything to treat a twitching muscle in the legs. Talk to your doctor about changing the timing or dosage of your medication or see if changing brands of medication might reduce the twitching if it is related to a medication side effect. Changing exercise routines, using hot packs to relax the muscle or massaging the muscle are self-care measures you can do at home to help reduce twitching. If self-care measures, changes in exercise routines or adjustment of medications for other health conditions do not resolve the leg twitches, doctors might prescribe skeletal muscle relaxants such as baclofen.
Prevention
Warming up the muscles of the legs by stretching or walking at a slow to moderate pace before a workout can help prevent leg twitches after exercise. Practicing stress reduction activities such as deep breathing, meditation, relaxation or massage might also help prevent the legs from twitching. If one particular type of exercise triggers the twitching, try other forms of exercise and then slowly introduce the trigger activity back into your regimen for a few minutes at a time to see if the muscles of the legs can acclimate to the activity. Alternating forms of exercise, such as swimming one day and using the elliptical trainer the next might also help prevent muscle strains and overuse injuries that can trigger twitching.
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