How to avoid cramp

Ever had cramp? If you’ve trained for or competed in a running or biking event, chances are you’ve been struck by this hideous experience at least once before and would be keen to avoid it happening again – especially on race day. Are we right? Read on!

Cramp is your body’s way of giving you some important messages

Cramp can occur anywhere – inner thighs, calves, quads, hamstrings, back and tummy muscles.  Some people are lucky enough to have their entire legs cramping front and back, top to bottom! That’s not how you want to remember your Motatapu experience!

So listen up, this is what your body is telling you:  

• Your muscles are tired and have had enough exercise for the day.
• There is a build-up of lactic acid.  Sustained use of your muscles is producing waste products faster than they can be eliminated.
• Poor breathing has led to “blood stealing” from the legs; your leg muscles aren’t getting enough oxygen.
• Your muscles are not getting their “food”; salt and glucose, so your electrolytes are out of balance.  

All of these factors contribute to the pain of cramping.  Too many past competitors know just how painful cramp can be.  

5 Ways to Beat Cramp and Be Pain Free 

1. Training.  Do enough to cope with race day.  Let your muscles build up over time in both muscle size and quantity of muscle fibres.  Training cannot be stressed enough.  If you have only done a few training runs or rides to prepare yourself, it’s unrealistic to expect a trouble-free event when you go all out on race day.
2. Strength.  Add some strength training to your workouts.  Mix things up with a variety of power, speed, agility and endurance exercises. 
3. Flexibility.  Stretching might not be your favourite activity but do it anyway.  Add some dynamic stretches into your routine to make it more interesting and fun.
4. Nutrition.  Balance your meals well.  You need some salt in your diet when you are exercising so don’t cut it down too much.  Also, ensure you are getting a mix of proteins and carbs along with a variety of food colours so you get the micronutrients you need from your diet.  
5. Breathing.  Get your breathing right.  Breathe from your diaphragm so you can use all your lung capacity.  And pace your breathing to ensure you are not hyperventilating.

If you don’t do as advised above, then expect to see a physio at the finish line.  They’ll be the ones with the smiles on their faces stretching you out.  You’ll be the one on the ground in tears from the pain of the cramping!

This post has been adapted from an article by Melissa Davidson which was originally published in our Iconic Magazine in 2012