Do you remember the time when your calves contracted and you had the most excruciating pain in your legs imaginable? That was a case of leg cramps. It happens when muscles of the legs involuntarily and forcibly contract causing a bout of intense pain. Muscle fatigue and dehydration are often the most obvious causes of this condition. Those who overexert their muscles during sports or exercise tire their muscles easily when they engage in an exercise, sport or any other athletic activity even if their body is not ready for an intense workout session yet. In athletes who have just begun to get back in shape after a brief hiatus, cramps are often a sign that the muscle is not ready to engage in heavy activity yet. For those who have just started an exercise regimen, cramping also results since the body is not prepared for the exertion that accompanies the strenuous activity it has been subjected to. Muscle fatigue occurs when poor oxygen supply reaches the muscles. This results to contractions which result to cramps. Dehydration is also another cause of leg cramps. During an exercise session, the body uses fluids more rapidly in the form of sweat. Potassium, magnesium, calcium, electrolytes and other minerals are lost together with sweat. Overworked muscles that do not have these nutrients develop cramps.
No medical intervention is usually necessary when a person develops cramps associated with exercise. The best defense against cramps is prevention. Before engaging in any exercise activity, stretching exercises must first be performed to prep the muscles. Hamstring and quadriceps muscle stretches for at least 30 to 45 seconds on each leg is enough to give the area a good warm up before starting your exercise program. Drink water or any sports beverage before, during and after your workout to replenish the fluid and mineral loss that naturally comes with exercise. When it's too hot outside, do indoor exercises instead of sweating it out under the sun since that makes dehydration happen faster. When the fluid intake is not enough to compensate for the fluid loss aggravated by extreme temperature, leg cramps are more likely to occur.
In the event that leg cramps occur during your workout, stop the activity and stretch the area affected by the cramps. Usually, the hamstring and quadriceps stretches that you did prior to your exercise activity are also effective in stopping the cramps. You can also apply hot or cold compress to minimize the pain. To further alleviate the pain, encourage blood flow and stop the cramping, you can also do soft massages to the affected area.
In the event that leg cramping does not stop despite home remedies or nocturnal cramping continues despite the stretches, massages and compresses applied then it's time to pay your doctor a visit. Arteries may have narrowed or spinal nerves may have been compressed requiring medical intervention. Tests may have to be performed to determine the extent and cause of nerve damage that results in chronic cramping of the leg muscles.
