Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 130, May 2020 | Page 45

COACHING
BODY SCIENCE
Cut the Cramping
Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramping (EAMC) has a habit of
sneaking up on even the best prepared runners. Here’s what
you need to know. – BY ERNEST HOBBS
Although cramping can be experienced in most sports, it is particularly
common in repetitive endurance sports such as running, especially in
hot environmental conditions. Historically, cramps have been attributed
to dehydration and a loss of electrolytes as a result of sweating, but the
circumstances around EAMC are more complicated than that. Currently, two
prominent theories are supported by research.
1 Electrolyte imbalance and dehydration theory: More recently, this theory has
focused on dehydration, proposing that a significant loss of salt can only occur
with a large loss of body fluid. As the body begins to dehydrate, there is a reduction
in blood plasma levels. To compensate for this, water is taken from the intercellular
spaces near blood vessels in order to maintain central blood volume. This results in
the muscle becoming firmer and deforms the motor neuron axon terminals, causing
the muscle to become hyper-excitable, a state in which a muscle is more likely to
involuntarily contract, the end result being a sustained contraction, i.e. a cramp.
2 Altered neuromuscular control theory: Within the muscle there are two
sensory organs. The muscle spindle reacts to stimulation by contracting, while the
Golgi tendon organ reacts to stimulation by relaxing. As a muscle begins to fatigue
during prolonged exercise at high intensities, the muscle spindle becomes more
active, and the Golgi tendon organ becomes less active, resulting in the muscle
becoming more and more likely to involuntarily contract.
Prevention
• Cramp often sets in when exercise intensity is higher than an athlete is
accustomed to relative to training. Therefore, occasionally train at or near
race pace.
• High temperature environments increase the risk of dehydration. Prepare
accordingly regarding hydration and electrolyte replenishing.
• High sweat rates further increase the risk of cramps. If an athlete is known to
have a substantial sweat rate, it may be necessary to ensure sufficient dietary
salt.
• Strengthening synergistic muscles spreads the work. A case report found that
strengthening the gluteus maximus prevented cramping of the hamstrings, as
the strain of exercise was shared more evenly.
• Athletes returning from injury or prolonged rest are at higher risk of
experiencing muscle cramps, and should systematically increase exercise
intensity and exposure to heat.
• Correcting technique and muscular imbalances and/or posture may reduce
the risk of muscles fatiguing quickly.
• Since shortened muscles in a contracting state have an increased risk of
cramping, regular stretching may help muscles maintain a longer state.
• Consume electrolytes and water when the early signs of cramp and fatigue
present themselves. Once cramping occurs, it may take some time before
this is able to help.
The most effective treatment of cramp remains stretching the muscle in a slow
and controlled manner, as the Golgi tendon organ is stimulated to relax. It should
also be noted that a history of cramps increases an athlete’s risk of experiencing
cramping. This means that effectively treating a cramp in a race does not mean the
cramp will not return later during the same race.
About the Author
Ernest is a biomechanical, video, and running gait analyst at the High
Performance Centre (HPC) of the University of Pretoria.
Images: Pexels
Health Checklist
Start by keeping a simple health checklist for yourself, and make sure you meet all
these requirements:
• Get enough rest: Incorporate sufficient rest days in your training programme
and ensure adequate sleep for at least seven hours per night.
• Avoid crash-dieting and rapid weight-loss: Chronically undersupplying
energy, often done by athletes, compromises the immune cell activity, so it
is important to time meals to meet your requirements. Even a subtle delay in
food consumption after training may have negative effects. For example, to
prevent the degradation of the immune system, ensure that within an hour
after strenuous training there is a sufficient intake of energy (carbohydrate
and protein) to avoid hypoglycaemia.
• Plan your meals: Organising your daily food intake is of great importance to
ensure that the correct foods are consumed in order to meet the nutritional
goals for optimal training, recovery and competition.
• Get the essentials: Having an adequate dietary intake of protein and specific
micronutrients, including vitamins A, C, E, B6 and B12 along with iron, zinc,
copper and selenium, are all critical for the maintenance of optimum immune
function. Probiotics also play an important role in enhancing gut and immune
function, minimising the risk of illness. The important question for athletes
is whether or not supplemental form or mega doses of these nutrients are
beneficial. Athletes should rather invest in nutrient-rich foods and fluids that
are critical for maintaining immune system health, which will provide them
with sufficient energy, vitamins, minerals and other important chemicals found
naturally in food.
Healthy Tips
So that’s the theory… here are a few examples of putting it into practice:
• Include high-fibre carbohydrates such as whole-wheat, multi-grain or low-GI
seeded breads, fibre-rich cereals (or add oat bran to meals), brown-rice or
whole-wheat pasta in your diet.
• Select a variety of fruits and vegetables that are packed with nutrients, and
keep your plate colourful – the more colour, the better! Fresh fruit makes a
good snack between training sessions, and include the peels and skins of the
fruit and vegetables to increase your fibre intake.
• Include dairy such as milk, cheese and yoghurt that contains probiotics.
• Consume whole-foods instead of processed foods.
These nutritional tips cannot guarantee that you will not catch a cold or the flu as
your training peaks, but by eating healthier you will give yourself a much better
chance of staying on the road instead of staying in bed!
About the Author
Esmé is a registered dietician based in the Johannesburg area.
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