Muscle Cramping

We actually don’t know exactly why a muscle cramps. The most likely cause in athletes is due to dehydration – which to a sports dietitian spells a FLUID & ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCE.

There are several things that can cause a cramp that are unrelated to nutrition though…so before you chug down a litre of sports drink, ask yourself these questions:

  1. Have I just started training? Being physically fit is the best prevention against getting muscle cramps
  2. What are my favourite training clothes? Tight fitting training kit can reduce blood flow to your muscles – which can make you more likely to cramp. Have you tried keeping your compression tights to recovery only, rather than training in them as well?
  3. Have I followed my coach’s request to stretch? REALLY? Stretching after training will reduce cramping. If you have been getting night cramps, stretch before you get some zzzzz’s

Now you have that covered, let’s ask a few nutrition questions:

  1. When sitting at your desk, are you thirsty? If you can START a session well hydrated, cramping is less likely. Your best indicator of hydration during the day is whether or not you are feeling thirsty. If you do feel thirst, you need to up your fluids. Fluids are best absorbed when they are taken with OTHER nutrients, such as salt & carbohydrates…now, that seems just like a sports drink! That said, you do not need to drink sports drinks while you check your emails. If you drink water WITH your meals & snacks, your body absorbs the water well, as there is always a little salt & carb naturally occurring in the foods you eat.
  2. When you are training, are you a heavy sweater? You CANNOT rely on your thirst mechanism when you are training. If you are doing more than 60minutes of training, and you are a heavy sweater, having a sports drink can help to maintain your good hydration status. Quality research indicates the only electrolyte that need be added to a sports drink is sodium. Sodium spurs on water uptake in the gut, and therefore maintains a good fluid/electrolyte balance in your body, making you less likely to cramp. The more sodium in your drink the better. Just in case you are concerned about sodium: a sports drink contains about as much salt as a glass of milk! It is actually pretty low. The reason why it is kept to relatively low levels is due to taste. So if you can handle a little more…bring on the salt shaker!*
  3. Are you fuelling an F1 race car or are you driving Miss Daisy? A final nutrition concern may be the quality of your fuel. Excess fat can clog your arteries, and this will reduce blood supply to your muscles, and increase the likelihood of getting a cramp. If it is possible you can improve the quality of your fuel, consulting a sports dietitian is recommended.

Still haven’t got the answer? See a sports dietitian to ensure your nutrition is definitely in order

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