Muscle Cramps

The surprise attack of muscle cramps during a workout can render you temporarily, yet painfully disabled. Muscle cramps do not discriminate. Their victims include the elite and non-athlete alike. Technically, a muscle cramp is a sustained involuntary muscle contraction which can be caused by a variety of things; i.e., low glucose, fluid loss, electrolyte imbalance, inadequate conditioning, overexertion, or fatigue. Unfortunately, the exact physiologic mechanisms underlying cramps are not fully understood.

Prevention is the best medicine for muscle cramps. A sensible approach to exercise participation (no overdoing and adequate rest), a balanced diet, consumption of fluid and appropriate clothing to keep muscles warm during outside cold weather activities should help prevent the onset of muscle cramps. All the water and bananas in the world will not make a muscle cramp go away once it's there. If you should fall victim to a sudden cramp attack - momentarily cease activity, gently stretch the affected muscle, and apply either ice or heat to the cramped area. Ice works best to relax the muscle and slow any inflammation. Heat is a better choice if you happen to cramp up in a cold environment. If the muscle cramps are recurring, check with a physician. Cramps are not always related to physical activity. They may be symptoms for a number of other medical problems such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, or any other condition that interferes with muscle metabolism or affects circulation.

A Pain in the...Side

A stabbing, painful stitch in the side can stop you dead in your tracks. What causes those bothersome side aches? Bryant Stamford, PhD, exercise adviser for the Physician in Sports and Medicine Journal, says inadequate oxygen delivery to the breathing muscles (diaphragm and intercostal muscles between the ribs) may be the culprit. To ease the pain, he suggests exhaling through pursed lips. If that doesn't help, lower the intensity of the exercise or simply stop. This decreases the demand on the breathing muscles and the pain should go away.