If you’ve been suffering serious cramps for some time, by the end of this article you’ll begin to feel like there is a solution to your problem.
As a professional trainer and spots nutritionist, I’ve come upon this problem almost every day and almost every day I’ve been able to offer some advice that works – even if you think you’ve tried everything.
The most obvious places to start is in the cause of cramps – and here are the most popular ‘theories’ at the moment:
o Loss of electrolytes
o Low energy
o Poor flexibility
o Over-stimulation/fatigue
o Excessive heat
o Not enough fluid – poor hydration
o Medical reasons
o Over-training / Poor training program
o Poor nutrition / nutritional deficiency
o Inadequate blood supply
o Nerve compression
With so many possible causes of cramp it’s really no surprise when well-intentioned advice such as, “eat more bananas, you need potassium” or “drink more water”, doesn’t work for you. After all, musicians get cramps an hardly need to take on more water and potassium is one of the most common minerals in our food and in over-supply in the majority of sports drinks . . . in fact it’s two other minerals that are most likely to be the culprit in terms of electrolyte deficiency (and it’ not sodium either).
The solution lies in finding ALL OF THE CAUSES that are applicable to YOU and applying the correct preventative treatment.
In fact, it’s this theory of ‘overlapping cause’ and treatment that you should focus on to prevent your cramps. It’s been my experience that the reason many people aren’t able to beat their cramps is that their trying to focus on one thing only instead of attacking it from several angles.
For example – it’s pretty common for marathon runners to get cramps in the last third of the race. This most obvious reasons are loss of fluid and electrolytes, lack of energy, excess fatigue. However other very important factors for a marathoner to consider are their nutritional state and training / flexibility techniques – for example, it’s common for runners to start to get cramps on ‘hilly’ courses.
If you suffer from cramps regularly then by using a combination of several ‘techniques’ then you’re going to increase your chances of completing the race or event, cramp-free.
Copyright: http://www.Running-Cramp-Relief.com
Paul Newland is a health and nutrition consultant, trainer, martial arts instructor, commercial helicopter pilot and author. His Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide [http://www.running-cramp-relief.com] is one of the internet’s leading health information books and is the definitive guide to preventing, treating and curing cramps associated with exercise. In the Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide [http://www.running-cramp-relief.com] Newland speaks with 6 health, sports, nutrition, medical and complimentary health care professionals and explains why you get cramps, the best ways to treat them and how to prevent them from happening again.
