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Treating and Preventing Muscle Cramps During Exercise

By Terry Zeigler, EdD, ATC, Sports MD, 07/31/18, 12:00PM PDT

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As the water and sodium content of the body decreases through sweating, the muscles can begin to systemically cramp. Sodium is the key electrolyte in the formula because sodium helps the body to retain water, especially in the muscle fluid spaces. 

Exercise-induced muscle cramps are painful, debilitating and can take an athlete out of competition. They can occur in athletes in all types of sports and are usually associated with muscle fatigue and/or dehydration with an associated loss of electrolytes.

It is not uncommon to see athletes drop to the ground in agony near the end of a competition due to muscle cramps in their legs.

The muscle cramping is commonly seen in the gastrocnemius/soleus (lower leg) muscles and in the hamstring muscle groups. Even when the muscles are immediately stretched to relieve the muscle cramping, the cramping often returns as soon as the athlete engages the muscle.