Muscle cramps

Every person is probably familiar with the feeling of leg cramps. This is a muscle spasm or involuntary contraction, during which we experience not a pleasant feeling, but pain. Any skeletal muscle can be susceptible to cramps. However, the muscles most prone to this not entirely pleasant sensation are those involved in the movement of two joints:

1. gastrocnemius,
2. muscles of the back and front of the thigh.

During exercises with weights or some time after the end of the workout, unpleasant pain caused by spontaneous muscle contractions is possible. Doctors to this day have not figured out the causes of muscle cramps, but this could free humanity from many diseases and ailments associated with it. Let's consider everything that concerns the sports part associated with muscle spasms:

Suppose a cramp caught you right in training. Most often, in this case, the muscle group that is most tense during the heavy exercise or the one to which, in general, the entire daily training complex was devoted, spasms. Provided that this has already happened, most likely look for the cause of the cramp in severe muscle strain. In other words, a hard-working muscle simply exhausted itself during training, which subsequently impaired contractile function. To ensure that these unpleasant moments do not recur, clearly define the permissible load limits. Although for this you will probably have to suffer a couple of times.

Often, cramps may not be caused by heavy training, but rather by exhaustion. Only not sports, but physiological, consisting in a chronic lack of certain substances, the absence of which in the human body definitely affects the work of muscles, their uncontrolled and unexpected contraction. Such processes during training not only cause sudden pain, but are simply dangerous, since cramps occur while working with the hardware, which leads to additional risks! In this case, we are talking about microelements that maintain the water-electrolyte balance of the human body and its constituent muscles in particular. These microelements include potassium and sodium. The loss of them (along with sweat) by the human body is a fairly natural process, but it requires immediate replenishment from the outside, restoring previous reserves. If this replenishment does not occur and reserves are not restored in time, the process of biochemical work of muscle fibers changes. After all, their functioning and contractility are regulated by the balance of sodium and potassium in the body right at the cellular level!

It is generally accepted that the absence of a trace element such as calcium can cause muscle spasms and cramps. Since its lack provokes a decrease in the barrier of neuromuscular excitability. Therefore, try to ensure that calcium-fortified foods are continuously present in your diet. Pay special attention to the digestibility of these products. Unfortunately, not all of them are well digested and deliver the effect we need. Such “problem products” include: cottage cheese products, dairy and sour-milk products.

If a convulsive spasm has already occurred, then massage on your own or with the help of a trainer in the gym, stretching the necessary affected muscle (also on your own or with the help of a trainer or colleagues), warming up - a warm compress or bath procedures after training - will help relieve this tension and reduce pain.