You've undoubtedly experienced the dreadful muscle cramps at various points in your workout routine. These can come off as quite bothersome and intensely painful temporary inconveniences. A study featured in Sports Medicine describes this invasive experience of skeletal muscle "involuntary contraction", originating from different causes, as 'muscle cramping'. Today we're going to explore this with fitness coach and ambassador for C4 Energy brand, Cormac Murphy, who's here to share some insights on common triggers for these cramps during exercise - plus how to mitigate them.
Murphy underlines that it's crucially important that you tackle these aspects in order to lessen the likelihood of experiencing a workout-interrupting cramp, thus promoting both more effective and safer workouts. Let's delve into his advice regarding potential causes of exercise-induced muscle discomfort and methods to help soothe said intra-workout nuisance. Upon wrapping up here, don't forget exploring additional topics._
Dehydration
It's undeniable that maintaining hydration is beneficial to your general health and exercise routines. Regular water consumption makes sure that your body performs at its optimum level. It contributes to keeping you healthy, energizing your body, managing hunger, fulfilling cravings, and quenching thirst effectively. Therefore, it isn't shocking to see the significant impact of dehydration on our bodies.
"Not consuming a sufficient amount of liquids before or while exercising can result in muscle cramps since it poses an imbalance in electrolytes and hampers muscular functioning," articulated by Murphy. "Dehydration notably contributes to muscle cramps, especially when engaging in strenuous physical activities or during high temperatures."
Disturbance in Electrolyte Equilibrium
Vital minerals and electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium significantly influence your muscle activity as Murphy shares. Their deficiency may impair muscular contraction leading to cramps during physical training sessions.
So how do we counteract this? By maintaining an optimal balance of electrolytes! Consuming a well-proportioned diet rich in these specific electrolytes can aid in warding off muscle cramps, suggests Murphy. Bananas, green leafy vegetables, dairy items and nuts serve as excellent sources for these essential nutrients."
Straining Yourself Too Much
Pushing yourself too hard when training or overexertion is generally frowned upon for multiple reasons. One significant reason is that it could lead to involuntary muscle spasms, popularly known as cramps.
Murphy elucidates, "When you exert excessive effort on your muscles without any sufficient warm-up period, you risk getting muscle fatigue and cramp." He advises to initially start your workouts more gently, then progressively intensify them in terms of their strength and length over time. This offers a good opportunity for your muscles to adapt well to the new regimen without straining.
Inadequate Nutrition
Proper nutrient intake for your body to energize your workout routine is essential. As Murphy underlines, "Insufficient ingestion of critical components such as protein and carbohydrates can impair muscle functionality, thereby enhancing the potential for cramping during physical exertions."
Besides foods that are packed with electrolytes, ensure you embrace a diverse and balanced eating plan comprising adequate quantities of vitamins and minerals. Murphy further elaborates, "A holistic dietary strategy could assist in avoiding nutritional shortfalls which could potentially instigate cramps."
Insufficient Stretching
A common misstep in fitness routines is bypassing warm-ups and cool-downs, which can unfavorably affect your general advances. Failing to stretch both before and after physical exertion can lead to muscle stiffness and elevate the risk of muscle cramps during activity.
The resolution for this issue is simple - incorporate regular stretching into your workout plan! As Murphy emphasizes, "Regularly stretching your muscles aids in cramp prevention, specifically pre-and post-workout." Furthermore, "Gradually warming up your muscles prior to intense physical effort boosts blood circulation and primes them for more challenging tasks ahead - thus lowering the occurrence of muscle spasms."
Incorrect Shoe Choices
One might not typically associate their choice of shoes with muscle cramps, however, this is a significant factor to consider. Murphy explains that improper footwear or shoes with severe wear and tear can result in inadequate foot support thereby influencing changes in your stride, which may lead to leg or foot cramping.
It's always beneficial to consult a fitness coach regarding this issue. If you do experience spasms in your feet or any part on your body as such, Murphy recommends gently massaging the affected muscle for soothing it and causing relaxation. Furthermore, he indicates that "The use of heat (for example, applying warm pack) or cold (such as using an ice pack) over the area suffering from the cramp might facilitate relief from muscular contractions."
