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Muscle Cramps Prevention Tips

Muscle cramps are muscle contractions that do not cease. They will continue until proper treatment is given. They may well cause an athlete to temporarily stop activity. However, they generally have no serious long-term consequences. A person has no control over when a muscle cramp is going to occur. Muscle cramps can strike during activity, relaxation and even during sleep.

Muscles that are fatigued, injured or exposed to extreme temperatures are more prone to cramp. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, mineral deficiency, impaired circulation or other more serious disorders may cause muscles to cramp.

Muscle cramps are often divided into two basic categories - night cramps and heat cramps. Night cramps include any cramp that occurs while a person is at rest. They often affect the calf muscle and the small muscles in the feet. Heat cramps are most often associated with dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Heat cramps often occur at the beginning of the warm weather season before athletes have had an opportunity to acclimate themselves to the environment and when the body is more prone to losing fluids and electrolytes.

Prevention of Heat-Related Muscle Cramps

The following steps should help to prevent many heat-related muscle cramps.

1. Drink Plenty Of Fluids. Urine color is the key to determining how well-hydrated an athlete is. Clear urine indicates adequate hydration, yellow urine indicates dehydration and pale urine indicates that the athlete is somewhere between hydration and dehydration. Weighing in before and after practice may be helpful in monitoring fluid loss.

2. Get Enough Electrolytes. While it is most important to replace fluids from sweating, one can't forget about electrolytes. The replacement of sodium and potassium is suspected to prevent muscle cramps. Sodium can be replaced with salty foods, such as pretzels or chips, or adding extra salt on your meals. Potassium levels can be maintained by eating bananas and oranges or drinking orange juice. Many popular sports drinks will help fulfill this need.

3. Wear Proper Clothing. Avoid exposing muscles to rapid changes in temperature.

4. Get In Shape And Stay In Shape. Fatigue and poor conditioning can make muscles more prone to cramp.

5. Stretch. Stretching, before and after exercise, can reduce muscles susceptibility to cramp.

Treatment of Muscle Cramps
The most effective treatment for muscle cramps is gently stretching the muscle. The use of ice, along with gentle stretching, will numb the area, and cause an increase in circulation once the ice is removed. Gently messaging muscles and immediately replacing fluids will prevent muscle cramps, too.

As with any type of athletic injury, preventing muscle cramps is more desirable than treating them. Those methods are most likely by drinking plenty of fluids, eating foods with adequate amounts of potassium and sodium and conditioning the muscles so they don't fatigue as quickly. Any athlete with repeated bouts of muscle cramps, despite the above, needs to see a physician.