First, ditch the salt tablets. 鈥淭he biggest misconception is that exercise-associated muscle cramping is due to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances,鈥� says Martin Schwellnus, a professor of exercise science at the University of Cape Town, in South Africa, and on the subject. Cramps, Schwellnus and other scientists recently discovered, stem from altered neuromuscular control, or a sudden change in the interaction between the nervous and musculoskeletal systems brought on by fatigue. Genetics may play a role, but cramping usually happens in areas that have experienced prior muscle damage or have become fatigued. And once you begin cramping, electrolyte-laced sports drinks and pills won鈥檛 do much to prevent it. Here鈥檚 what might.
#1. Ramp up volume and intensity slowly, and let your body recover for at least a day before competing. 鈥淚f you start a race with low-grade muscle damage鈥攍ike the stiffness and soreness you get from a hard weight-training session鈥攜our muscle excitability is increased,鈥� Schwellnus says, upping the chance of cramps.
#2. Slow down in warm weather. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 a hot, humid day, and you鈥檙e running at a high intensity, you鈥檙e likely to fatigue earlier,鈥� Schwellnus says.
#3. Correct your biomechanics. If you鈥檙e prone to cramping in your hamstrings, for example, it鈥檚 possible you鈥檙e not engaging your glutes and your hamstrings are overcompensating. Focus on a more vertical posture when running, and strengthen your glutes in the weight room.
#4. Top off your glycogen stores. Poor diet can lead to premature fatigue, so take in an adequate amount of carbs. The banana, long touted as the ultimate anti-cramping food because of its potassium content, probably helps simply because it鈥檚 sugary. And pickle juice, which many people believe calms cramps because of its salt content, likely signals a muscle to stop cramping because of a vinegar-triggered neurological response.