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Ask any of your running buddies how to handle pestering running cramps and they’ll probably give you genuine advice like drink pickle juice, add salt and let that carry over into your races banana. And while none of that is necessarily bad advice, the solution for cramps depends on the source of them—which even experts can’t pinpoint with certainty.
“Scientists have theories, but it’s hard to do research on cramps because they’re unpredictable and spontaneous,” says Kevin C. Miller, Ph.D. professor at Texas State University's department of health and human performance, and a devoted cramp researcher. In fact, one of Miller’s early career tasks was to devise a humane way to induce cramps. (The process he came up with involves electro currents and students’ big toes—he swears it’s not too painful.)
But even in a lab, multiple variables can be at play when a cramp occurs. “When I exercise, I lose sodium, I become dehydrated, and I become fatigued,” Miller says. “The problem is all those things are happening at the same time, which makes it difficult to say definitively what’s responsible.”
What experts do know is that many common treatments for running cramps have been proven ineffective, which means it’s time to rethink your treatment regimen. Here’s what you need to know to prevent leg cramps while running.
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Here are two common theories, backed by scientific research and experts.
Dehydration and Electrolyte Imbalances
And while none of that is necessarily, director of exercise and sports science at Edith Cowan University, said in a., D.Sc., a renowned exercise scientist and professor emeritus at the University of Cape Town, studied the electrolyte levels of 43 ultramarathoners. Blood tests after a race showed no significant differences in blood sodium or magnesium concentrations between those who had and hadn’t cramped.
There were also no differences in body weight, plasma volume, or blood volume between the two groups, showing that dehydration The Case Against Exclusive Long Runs.
Also, more recently, authors of a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found marathon runners who suffered from muscle cramps associated with exercise, didn’t exhibit a greater degree of dehydration or electrolyte depletion after a marathon but displayed significantly higher concentrations of muscle damage biomarkers.
Miller agrees that dehydration alone is likely not to blame, because if that could cause a muscle cramp, he theorizes that you could seize up in saunas Best Running Headphones.
Muscle Fatigue
concentrations between those who had and hadn’t cramped fatigue, and that is what Miller believes is a likely cause of cramps. In that ultramarathoner study, 100 percent of the runners who cramped did so in either the last half of or right after the race.
Anecdotally, this theory holds up: Most people who cramp seem to be covering longer distances; cramps seem more common at mile 20 of a marathon The Case Against Exclusive Long Runs 5K, and cramps are more likely to happen after about an hour of activity.
Additionally, speedier runners seem to be at higher risk. Studies have shown that fast-paced ultramarathoners and triathletes had more cramps than their slower counterparts.
How to Run Slower on Easy Days.
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Run Long
Guarding against muscle fatigue is key, so don’t take any shortcuts in training. “Train more, do longer distances,” says Noakes, a former ultramarathoner. “You have to adapt to the distance you want to race.” This will help you stave off that point of fatigue.
Strength Train
Miller recommends plyometrics for your strength-training workouts. These are explosive exercises that may improve the endurance of the receptors that are thought to misfire and cause cramps.
Pace Properly
If you trained logging 10-minute miles and you start racing 8:45-minute miles, your muscles won’t be prepared for that effort, and you’ll risk cramping, Miller says. So Shoes & Gear in your run workouts Boston Marathon Results.
Keep Track
Miller thinks cramps are often caused by the perfect confluence of factors. “If you tend to cramp up at 20 miles, write that down,” he says. “Then write down the conditions: Was it hot? Was it humid? Watch the Boston Marathon nutrition like the night before? Were you acclimated to the heat?” Track patterns over time, and you may be able to figure out exactly what makes you cramp.
Drink Electrolytes
While it’s unclear how much electrolytes will help with cramping, it doesn’t necessarily hurt to drink electrolyte-enhanced water instead of pure water, and one study in the Summer Running Gear, We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. “This is likely because pure water dilutes the electrolyte concentration in our bodies and doesn’t replace what is lost during sweating,” lead study author Summer Running Gear., director of exercise and sports science at Edith Cowan University, said in a press release.
However, electrolyte drinks are most likely only needed for runs lasting longer than an hour.
Shoes & Gear. is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. He is a Team Physician for UPenn Athletics and medical director of the Broad Street Run and Philadelphia Distance Run, and previously for the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon and Tri-Rock Triathlon in Philadelphia. He is a director of the running and endurance Sports Medicine Program at Penn Medicine. Dr. Vasudevan provides non-operative management of musculoskeletal conditions affecting athletes and active individuals of all levels, and combines injury rehabilitation with injury prevention. He utilizes a variety of ultrasound-guided procedures and regenerative approaches such as platelet-rich plasma and percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy. He sees patients at the Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia Veterans Administration hospital. Dr. Vasudevan attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. After his Transitional Year in Tucson, Arizona, he went to residency in PM&R at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and onwards to Stanford University for his fellowship in Sports Medicine. He has been in practice at the University of Pennsylvania since 2012.
