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INSPIRATION
Expert
Q&A
How can I avoid
cramping up
when I race?
Cramping your exercise style
I regularly suffer from cramps during races. I’ve
received mixed messages about the possible
cause from my fellow athletes. Can you shed
more light on the issue?
Sarah
While cramps are extremely common among
endurance athletes, the potential causes are
varied and not generally well understood.
What you experience is referred to as exercise-
associated muscle cramping (EAMC) among
sports scientists and exercise physiologists.
Conventional wisdom suggests that cramps
are predominantly caused by an electrolyte
imbalance or dehydration, but these causes
are probably less prolific than most athletes
think. Also, these causes would result in more
generalised cramping, rather than an isolated
muscle cramp.
In addition, on-going EAMC research shows
that cramps can still occur when you’re
optimally hydrated, and can also happen in
cold weather, which suggests that heat isn’t a
major factor.
Electrolytes & hydration
One such study, conducted at the University of
Alabama and published in 2005 in the Journal
of Athletic Training, looked at the influence of
hydration and electrolyte supplementation on
EAMC.
Researchers concluded that:
“Consumption of a carbohydrate-
electrolyte beverage before and
during exercise in a hot environment
may delay the onset of EAMCs,
thereby allowing participants to exercise
longer. However, it appears that dehydration
and electrolyte loss are not the sole causes
of EAMCs, because 69% of the subjects
experienced EAMCs when they were hydrated
and supplemented with electrolytes.”
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Ride For Sight | 15 February 2020
That means conventional guidelines around
fluid and electrolyte intake can help to alleviate
cramping in certain but not all cases.
It’s all in
your head
What’s interesting is
that simply tasting
sodium or electrolytes
(or even water and
sugar) can have an
almost immediate
positive effect on
EAMC in certain
instances. However,
this response is
too fast for these
substances to pass
through the digestive
system and enter the
bloodstream to reach
working muscles and
elicit a physiological
effect.
Based on this insight,
leading sports scientist
Prof. Tim Noakes believes
that cramps can be a
psychosomatic rather than
physiological response.
According to his theory, the
brain, acting as the body’s
“central governor”, initiates