What causes leg cramps during exercise?

When our muscles are stimulated to a certain extent, especially by alternating hot and cold stimulation, symptoms of cramps will appear. I believe that everyone has encountered this situation in life. The feeling is indescribable. In short, it is very uncomfortable. During exercise, cramps may easily occur due to excessive muscle fatigue. So, what causes leg cramps during exercise?

Cramps are called "muscle spasms" in sports physiology, which refers to the involuntary rigid contraction of muscles.

During physical exercise, the muscle most prone to cramping is the calf gastrocnemius. The main reasons are:

(1) Excessive salt loss in the body.

During strenuous exercise, the body loses too much salt due to sweating, which disrupts the electrolyte balance in the body. Due to the low sodium chloride content in the body, the excitability of muscle nerves increases and muscles cramp.

(2)Imbalance between muscle contraction and relaxation.

During exercise, the muscles contract rapidly and continuously, and the relaxation time is too short, which destroys the coordinated relationship between alternating muscle contraction and relaxation and causes muscle spasms. This spasm, in which strong contraction inhibits relaxation, is more likely to occur when the muscles are fatigued.

(3) Cold stimulation.

When engaging in physical activities in a cold environment, without sufficient warm-up exercises, the muscles will be stimulated by the cold, often causing muscle cramps.

When muscle spasms occur, the local muscles become hard or bulging, causing severe pain that is difficult to relieve immediately. Some people still feel uncomfortable after the symptoms are relieved and are prone to recurrence of spasms. When muscle spasm occurs, the spasming muscles can usually be relaxed and the pain eliminated by slowly increasing force and continuously stretching. When the calf cramps, you can lie flat on the ground, grab the front of the foot with the opposite hand, straighten the knee and pull hard. You can also sit flat or lie on your back, straighten the knee, and have your partner hold your foot against your abdomen with both hands. The person with the cramp can lean forward and apply moderate force, and your partner can use his or her hand to slowly dorsiflex the instep of the foot. At the same time, push, knead, and pinch the calf muscles to relieve the cramp.

In addition to replenishing a certain amount of salt, you also need to keep warm to prevent leg cramps during exercise, especially when the weather outside is cooler. Be sure to wear sports pants and clothes, and don't go naked. This can provide a good warming effect and naturally reduce the chance of cramps. Warming up thoroughly before exercise can also help prevent cramps.