FITNESS
Muscle Cramps and Golf
By Dr. Michelle Muhanda
A
muscle cramp is an
involuntary contraction
of a muscle that does not
relax. They range from a mild pain
to agonizing pain. It may feel hard to
touch or appear as a twitch beneath
the skin and can last a few seconds
to up to 30minutes or longer.
Muscle cramps are very common
with golfers. At some point, almost
every golfer will experience muscle
cramps. They are more common in
people who are overweight, over 65
years of age. Older people are more
predisposed to muscle cramps due
to muscle atrophy or muscle loss and
reduced activity.
During a round of golf, muscle
cramps can be as a result of muscle
32
fatigue, inadequate stretching
before golf, walking in intense
heat, dehydration and reduction in
electrolytes (salts and minerals).
Muscles cramps can also occur after
a long period without playing golf
as the muscles can easily get over
exerted and this reduces the oxygen
supply to the muscles causing
buildup of electrolytes. This causes
the muscle to remain in a contracted
state. Golfing in intense heat can
cause sweating that causes loss of
electrolytes (salts and minerals) and
fluids causing the muscle to contract.
During a round of golf, cramps occur
mostly in the skeletal muscles and
can affect part of the muscle or the
whole muscle group. These include
the thighs, calf, feet, hands and
abdominal muscles.
Other types of cramps include
Golfer’s cramp, Stomach cramps and
Stitches. A Golfer’s cramp affects
the muscles of the forearm and
only occurs when playing golf. It is
also called a typist’s cramp, pianist’s
cramp, musician’s cramp, and writer’s
cramp. The typical description is
that of a middle-aged golfer who
has played golf for many years and
develops the problem in the form of
a freezing of movement or spasms
while putting or chipping, with the
rest of the game being relatively
unaffected. The problem generally
worsens and different forms of
treatment do not work.