Warm-up is necessary
Always warm up by stretching your muscles. This will optimize your exercise performance and reduce your chances of straining muscles. Stretching is a way to prime major muscle groups, improving the blood flow to the areas to prepare your body for a high level of an intense workout.
Hydration is the key
Stay well hydrated during the day before and after you work out. When you are dehydrating, your body loses fluids and electrolytes like sodium and potassium. This disrupts the electrolyte balance in your body, which in turn increases the excitability of your nerves and cause your muscles to spasm. You can also switch to electrolyte-carb beverage especially during long workouts when you are more likely to get fatigued. There are numerous benefits of preventing dehydration; however, studies have produced mixed results; some find no association while others reveal that drinking enough water can prevent or delay muscle cramps. Hence, consuming adequate fluid during exercise will improve performance. Hydration is the best treatment for muscle cramps.
Balance carbohydrates
A reduction in carbohydrate will also contribute to muscle cramps. Carbohydrates are considered as the primary fuel used during physical activities. The vital element stored in the form of glycogen in our muscles to provide the energy for strenuous physical activity. Once your body has been exhausted of the stored glycogen, you will be more likely to get a muscle cramp. When there is not enough fuel in our body, and still, we continue to run, lift cycling, or doing any other strenuous physical activity, muscle relaxation is impaired, and the cramps occur. It is believed that within 60 to 90 minutes of a workout session, depletion of glycogen stores happens. Therefore, it is a wise decision to consume a beverage during a workout that lasts longer than 60 to 90 minutes. Make sure you eat a carbohydrate-rich meal or a snack before an intense workout. A muscle cramp is an uncontrollable and painful contraction of muscles. The causes of cramps are still not known, but certain risk factors may include dehydration, not getting enough carb, and muscle fatigue. One can quickly reduce the severity of a cramp by gently stretching the muscles. Following these tips is well worth it to prevent a muscle cramp.