Experiencing muscle cramps during your exercise session can be extremely frustrating, especially when you do not know the source or cause of this discomfort. If you experience muscle cramping during or immediately after a workout session, it most likely is exercise-induced. This type of muscle discomfort can be painful, occur as spasms and is involuntary in nature.
Neuromuscular Fatigue
Muscle cramps that occur during exercise may be caused by neuromuscular fatigue. If your muscles start to experience significant fatigue during an exercise session, the muscles may start to feel like they are contracting quickly and involuntarily. This spasm like feeling is caused by reflex organs in your muscles. It may be a sign that you need rest or recovery.
Electrolyte Imbalances
Electrolytes are charged ions that circulate in your body, such as sodium and potassium, and play important physiological roles for various functions such as muscular contraction. If your workout is long in duration or takes place in a hot environment, you can lose sodium in your sweat. If too much sodium is lost, this could be associated with muscle cramping. Beginning a workout out in a dehydrated state could also effect your electrolyte balance.
If your workout environment is very hot and your muscle cramps are severe and painful and involve a large muscle group, you are likely experiencing heat cramps. Heat cramps are normally the first symptom of heat illness and if disregarded, you could progress to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Listen to your body's single that you need to rest and rehydrate.
Prevention and Treatment
Muscle cramps often occur if you increase your duration and intensity too much from your previous level. If this may be the case for you, ease back on the length of your session or how hard you are exercising to find a better balance. It may help to include static stretching of the muscles that were affected. To perform a static stretch, ease into a stretch until you feel some tension in that muscle group and hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds.
Since dehydration or electrolyte imbalances could be the culprit, drink before, during and after your exercise session. Ingest a small meal that includes foods with sodium a couple of hours before your workout. If you are exercising for more than an hour or you sweat a lot, a carbohydrate and electrolyte sports supplement may be ingested during and after exercise.
Allow your body time to acclimate to warmer weather by easing back your training volume for up to two weeks. Acclimated exercisers will lose less sodium in their sweat.
Medical Condition
Most exercise-induced muscle cramping is not related to medical conditions, but occasionally a medical disorder could be the source. If you frequently experience muscle cramps even though you have tried the prevention steps listed above, seek the advice of your health care provider.
References
- "ACE Certified News"; Electrolytes: Understanding Replacement Options; Shawn Dolan; August 2010
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; Exertional Heat Illness During Training and Competition: ACSM Position Stand; Lawrence Armstrong et al.; 2007
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise: Fourth Edition"; Jack Wilmore, Daivd Costill and W. Kenney; 2008
