Running Cramps

A cramp occurs when a muscle shortens and contracts suddenly causing great pain, they commonly occur in calf muscles. They are often caused by overexertion or dehydration.When you are dehydrated there is an electrolyte imbalance in your muscle cells that can cause that muscle to spasm.The main electrolytes to cause muscle cramps are potassium, sodium and calcium.An imbalance occurs when too much or too little of the electrolytes are in our systems.

If you are suffering from muscle cramps, DRINK MORE! Sports drinks are a good way to replace the lost electrolytes, drink a bottle before or after a run, but remember, they are very sweet and if drank all day can cause weightgain. An alternative to that is to take a supplement. Most multi vitamins contain the above electrolytes. I took a supplement called Magnesium Phosphate when I was running long distances and suffering from a lot of cramps and found it gave relief. The main advice though is to stay hydrated. This humidity is causing lots of sweating and a greater loss of fluid. We tend to lose more of the electrolytes through sweat, especially sodium.

To treat a cramp, stretch it out gently, light massage and ice is a good relief