You're at match point and suddenly your calf muscle cramps, forcing you to leave the tennis court. Or you're in the last few miles of the cycling portion of a triathlon and a leg cramp slows you to a crawl.
We don't have the foggiest idea what causes muscle cramps. One theory used to hold that it had something to do with blood chemistry. But now studies show that crampers and non-crampers have the same blood levels of calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium.
Crampers and non-crampers also suffer from the same degree of dehydration, have the same level of fitness, train by doing the same amount of exercise and have similar increases in body temperature when exercising.
The vast majority of muscle cramps strike their victims after more than 90 minutes of exercise. During a recent marathon, for example, leg cramps hit many runners after 14 miles while more than one-third occurred during the final mile.
If you develop a muscle cramp while you are exercising, stop. Knead the muscle with your fingers and stretch it out. If the cramp is in your calf muscle, stop exercising, pull the front part of your foot up with one hand and massage the muscle with your other hand.
If you suffer from frequent muscle cramps during exercise, check with your doctor. He or she can run tests to see if you have a pinched nerve, a blocked artery, a mineral or thyroid abnormality, or a disease of muscle metabolism.
If no cause is found, try to work up to the point where you can exercise for more than two hours, once a week; drink plenty of fluid at the start and at least every 15 minutes during your workout. If you are primarily a vegetarian, add some salt to your food, but do not take salt tablets.
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Q: How can I tell if I'm overexercising?
A: If you feel good when you exercise and your joints and muscles do not feel sore, you're probably getting the right amount of exercise.
When you exercise too much, you will stop looking forward to each new workout. Your joints and muscles will be plagued with soreness and a burning sensation that becomes most severe when you start your workout.
Some people are so obsessed with exercise that they do not listen to their bodies. They continue pushing the limits of their workouts and end up injured or sick. These athletic overachievers need an objective test to warn them when they are exercising too much. This test should be done only by people who have healthy hearts.
