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Muscle cramps, how do you avoid them?

Homepage Articles Muscle cramps, how do you avoid them?

Muscle cramps, how do you avoid them?

There are many causes of EAMC development, most commonly identified by athletes and specialists as dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Table of Contents

1. The effect of electrolytes

Since sodium (Na), chlorine (Cl), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) play an important role in regulating blood pressure and fluid balance, a liter of sweat has about 24 g of salt in it, or about 6 g or more of salt can be lost during a marathon run! The body needs it to maintain a proper balance of body fluids and an adequate increase in blood pressure. However, since sodium plays a role in the regulation of blood pressure, and the balance of fluid and electrolyte (Ca), it has an effective mechanism to regulate the level of electrical activity of sodium in the blood, depending on how much of the body fluid is consumed.

2. It's calcium

The calcium requirement for an adult is 1000 mg. Calcium is responsible for the building of the skeleton, nerve conduction and muscle contraction. It is found in various foods and beverages, including yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, broccoli, spinach, chamomile, sunflower seeds. In case of nutritional deficiency, calcium reserves are released in the bones, leading to structural disorders and increased susceptibility to fractures and injuries.

3. Pickle juice as a way to shrink

Drinking juice was shown to lower EAMC in 3035 seconds and restore electrolyte balance. Miller et al. compared the effects of consuming juice in 1 ml/kg of body weight with drinking water alone. No significant differences in plasma composition were found within 5 minutes of consumption. Taking small amounts of juice from pickles can treat EAMc. In the K.C. study, results showed that the cups were shorter after drinking juice.
Source

Miller K.C., Exercise-Associated Muscle Causes, „Sports Health” 2010, 2(4), 279–283.
Nelson N.A., Churilla J.R., Narrative Review of Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramps: Factors that Contribute to Neuromuscular Fatigue, „Muscle & Nerve” 2016, 54(2), 177–185.
Larson-Meyer E., Learn the connection between diet and muscle cramping, us.humankinetics.com/blogs/excerpt/learn-the-connection-between-diet-and-muscle-cramping (10.04.2017).